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Old 01-03-2020, 05:00 PM   #1361
JCWeb
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Jan. 1943 - Part 1 of 2

Heading into the new year with a resolution to speed things up a bit, so that is going to mean two things: (1) running more bouts via a quick play option and (2) in some cases, shorter post-bout reports while still covering the more significant and interesting bouts. So, let’s get started with the first half of January 1943, during which there were no WBA title bouts.

Jan. 2, 1943: The year commences with a card at the Sports Palace in Rome, Italy. Featured is a matchup of two top LW contenders, #1 Baby Arizmrendi and #2 Aldo Spoldi, the reigning EBU LW Champ and an obvious crowd favorite here in Italy. The two are meeting for the first time. Good start for Arizmendi, who delivers a picture perfect left hook to the body in the opening round that stuns the Italian fighter. After the first couple of rounds, Spoldi settles in and the bout becomes much more of a contest. At the midway point, the unofficial card has Arizmendi in front (by a count of 50-47). Spoldi is the more aggressive of the two in the second half of the fight. The stamina factor favors the Mexican fighter. Despite his aggressive approach, Spoldi is unable to break down Arizmendi’s defenses, and the bout goes to decision, and Arizmendi takes a fairly comfortable UD 10 (100-93, 99-93, 97-96), with one judge (apparently swayed by the pro-Spoldi crowd having it much closer than the other two. Post-bout career records: Arizmendi, 47-9-4 (10); Spoldi, 43-11-5 (17).

Jan. 2, 1943: Next card takes place at Havana’s Gran Stadium. The main event features one of those proverbial “crossroads bouts” where an aging but still highly ranked contender is paired with a young upstart, seeking to make his name and move up in the rankings. In this case, the grizzled veteran is long-time FW contender Freddie Miller, still a highly ranked contender at #5 in the year-end FW rankings despite having hit Post-Prime career stage. His opponent is young Carlos Chavez, now 17-1 and just making his debut in the top 20 of the recent FW rankings. Solid start for Miller, but Chavez appears to be holding his own through the opening rounds of the contest. Both fighters exhibit some good boxing skills, but neither seems to have enough power to knock the other man down or out. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has a narrow edge for Miller (48-47). Into the later rounds, Chavez elects to push the pace, taking advantage of a stamina edge over the aging Miller, who appears to tire badly in the second half of the bout. By round nine, Miller is bleeding from a split lip. The bout goes the full 10 without further incident, and Chavez goes on to take a SD 10 (97-94, 95-96, 96-95) which moves him to 18-1 (7) and propels him closer to a top 10 ranking. For Miller, his days as a top contender maybe over as he ends the bout at 42-17-1 (15) and will be at End career stage with his next outing.

Jan. 8, 1943: To the States for a Friday night card at Buffalo’s Memorial Auditorium. Featured is a MW bout, with Teddy Yarosz facing George Abrams in a first-time meeting of ranked MW contenders. Abrams gets off to a great start, dominating the action in the first round and causing some initial puffiness under the right eye of Yarosz. Yarosz, who is at Post-Prime, struggles with his timing and falls behind on points; at the midway point, Abrams is up by three (49-46) on the unofficial card. It is more of the same in the second half of the bout, with Yarosz tiring and also lacking the firepower to seriously trouble Abrams, who goes on to take a solid UD 10 win (98-93, 98-94, 99-92). Post-bout career marks: Abrams, 23-5-2 (10); Yarosz, 39-18-4 (13). Could be the end for Yarosz’s days as a top flight MW contender, and another solid effort from Abrams who has his sights on a top 10 ranking.

Jan. 9, 1943: The scene shifts to sunny Miami for the next card, and featured is a matchup of two veteran LH contenders, ex-Champ Maxie Rosenbloom, now nearing the end of his long career, who faces Danny Devlin, a guy who has been around for awhile but is still in Prime condition. First meeting of the two, and Rosenbloom, who looks sharp early, takes the opening round by a wide margin. In round three, Rosenbloom’s defensive skills lapse as he runs into a Devlin cross and goes down. Maxie takes an eight count, and there is not enough time left in the round for Devlin to inflict further damage. After taking a breather in round four, things have stabilized by the midway point, which sees Devlin in front by a narrow margin (48-47) on the unofficial card at the halfway point of the bout. Heading into the later rounds, both men elect to play it safe, not taking any chances of opening up the action; thus, it’s a boring second half to the bout. The stamina factor favors Devlin, the younger of the two by about five years. The bout goes the distance and Devlin emerges the winner, taking a UD 10 (97-92, 96-93, 96-93). Post-bout career marks: Devlin, 36-16-6 (15); Rosenbloom, 54-17-6 (18). A solid win for Devlin, propelling him into the top 10 in the LH ranks, while Rosenbloom will be at End career stage starting with his next bout.

Jan. 15, 1943: Time for Friday Night Fights “Down Under,” this time in Sydney, Australia. One key matchup is the main event, which pits two top 10 WWs: #5 Freddie Cochrane and Aussie Jack McNamee, ranked #8 and the current OPBF WW Champion. The two met once before, a long time ago, when both were at Pre-Prime, back in 1935, and McNamee took a UD 10. This time, Cochrane is out to avenge the earlier loss, while McNamee is hoping to repeat the earlier result on home turf in order to move up the WW rankings and perhaps set up a title bout with Henry Armstrong for the WBA belt. Both men probe for weakness in the opening few rounds, with little in the way of heavy leather being thrown. Cochrane, the more aggressive of the two, steps inside and does some damage in round three. By the midway point, the unofficial card has Cochrane with a narrow lead (by a count of 48-47), after awarding rounds four and five to the American. Into the later rounds, with McNamee as the aggressor, both men low on energy, and suddenly, midway through round eight, McNamee puts Cochrane on the deck with a quick uppercut. Cochrane manages to arise and cover up to last the round, but he is sporting a swollen right eye as he returns to his corner. In round nine, it is McNamee’s turn to take a tumble to the canvas as he runs into a Cochrane hook. He, too, recovers his footing and manages to cover up and last the round. However, Cochrane’s killer instinct has kicked in, and just before the end of the round, he floors McNamee for a second time. This time, McNamee does not arise and takes the full count with less than 10 seconds remaining. KO 9 for Cochrane, who runs his career record to 31-8-4 (9) with the win, his sixth in succession, setting himself up for a title shot against either Armstrong (for the WBA belt), or one of the lesser (NABF or USBA) belts. McNamee, who seemed to be well on his way to winning after the round eight knockdown, instead takes the loss and slips to 31-10-1 (18).

Jan. 16, 1943: Next fistic action takes place at the Stadium in Liverpool. The main event represents the first title bout of the new year, but it’s for a lesser belt – the GBU LW title – involving two lower ranked fighters, long-time GBU LW Champ Harry Mizler (this will be Mizler’s fifth defense of the title he won back in 1937) and George Daly. The two met once before, for this same belt, and Mizler walked away a UD 12 winner, a result that many expect to be duplicated in this rematch. The bout gets off to a rather pedestrian start and, with Mizler now at Post-Prime, the outcome is no longer a foregone conclusion. Daly pulls in front by moving inside to win round three and, though Mizler puts up a good defensive front, his punches lack sting. The unofficial scorecard at the midway point has a very close bout, with a slight edge to Mizler (58-57). In rounds seven and eight, it is Mizler who decides to apply some pressure, moving inside to gradually wear down his opponent. Both men tire badly in the later rounds and Daly, sensing Mizler pulling ahead, becomes more and more aggressive, but also takes greater risks. By the end of the 10th round, Daly is feeling the effects of a rapidly swelling right eye as Mizler’s punches have extracted a toll. The bout goes the rest of the way without incident and, as expected, the UD 12 goes to Mizler (116-113, 117-112, 116-113) who retains the GBU belt, all while running his record to 25-15-6 (6). The loss drops Daly to 26-15-4 (8).

Pleased to get the New Year off to a good start, completing six cards and the first half month of activity in less than three calendar days. Hoping to keep up this accelerated pace throughout 2020.
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Old 01-11-2020, 05:24 PM   #1362
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Jan. 1943 - Part 2 of 2

Second half of the month has two WBA title bouts on the schedule, in addition to three NABF title matchups, and one LABF title clash.

Jan. 16, 1943: Coliseum Arena in New Orleans the venue for the next fight card. In the main support, the talents of unbeaten LH prospect Jimmy Bivins are on display, as he takes on veteran journeyman Harry Balsamo, who recently hit End career stage and is expected to be even less of a factor than in a 1942 bout where Bivins took a fairly comfortable UD 10. In fact, it is the third meeting of the two as Bivins, who is being brought along carefully, was unable to arrange a matchup with a higher rated older fighter. From the early going, Bivins dominates the action, with Balsamo sporting a puffy left eye as a result of being on the receiving end of so many punches. To no surprise, it’s a huge lead for Bivins on the unofficial card (50-44) at the halfway point. Into the later rounds, and Bivins appears to be well on his way to another routine victory when, midway through the 10th and final round, Bivins is called for a blatant low blow and the ref, in a highly controversial decision, hands a DQ win to Balsamo. The result marks the first blemish on Bivins’ career slate, leaving him at 16-1 (14). Then, in the final bout of the card, the NABF BW title is on the line as David Kui Kong Young makes his second defense against a former WBA BW Champ and still the #1 BW contender, K. O. Morgan. First meeting of these two, and the action is slow to develop as there is a long feeling-out process. Morgan pulls slightly ahead on the basis of a strong round in round three. However, the fourth round tells a different story as Kui Kong Young traps Morgan in a neutral corner and fires a volley of punches, causing Morgan’s knees to buckle. As the seconds of the round tick off, the ref steps in to call a halt, saving Morgan for further punishment. Sudden end to what appeared to be a highly competitive bout, and a solid TKO 4 win for Kui Kong Young, enhancing his chances for a WBA title challenge some time in 1943. Post-bout career records: Kui Kong Young, 27-1-2 (15); Morgan, 37-14-8 (17). The TKO loss also puts Morgan at Post-Prime career stage starting with his next bout.

Jan. 22, 1943: Next is a rare Friday night card at Chicago. The main event features “the Man of Steel,” former WBA MW Champ Tony Zale, who is on the comeback trail, seeking to recover after two recent losses, one for the WBA title and then a more recent upset at the hands of Freddie Apostoli. His opponent, Al “the Savage Slav” Hostak, a one-time NABF MW titleholder, who is coming off a recent loss to Marcel Cerdan. First meeting of these two hard-hitting sluggers. Action heats up in the opening round when Hostak connects with a sharp, clean combination that sends Zale to the deck. Tony arises after taking an eight count, then wisely covers up to last the round. Zale continues to struggle with his timing in the opening rounds, and Hostak takes advantage, moving inside to launch a punishing body attack in round three. After an even round four, the crowd witnesses some toe-to-toe action as both men press forward on the inside in the fifth round. Although Zale takes this round, his best of the fight thus far, the unofficial card has Hostak well ahead on points (49-45), mainly due to the 10-8 round in the first. Round six sees more exciting action, as Zale is able to rip open a cut under Hostak’s right eye. For the next few rounds Hostak’s priority is to protect the cut, while Zale is determined to regain the ground lost in the early rounds. By the ninth round, Zale is whaling away, looking for a knockout, while Hostak is simply trying to survive the distance, all while maintaining his points lead. In the end, the bout goes the distance and Zale’s late surge is enough to secure a draw (93-96 Hostak, 95-95, 95-94 Zale) and, after such an exciting encounter, there is already talk of a possible rematch. Post-bout career marks: 33-4-1 (20) for Zale; 35-8-1 (27) for Hostak.

Jan. 23, 1943: Next up is a packed card at London’s Harringay Arena, topped by a WBA title contest. The main supporting bout matches two ranked WWs, British and Commonwealth Champion Ernie Roderick and Vic Dellicurti, in a 10-round, non-title affair. The two have not met previously. With two boxers, the bout soon devolves into a tense, defensive struggle with neither man able to dominate the other. At the midway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has a narrow edge for Roderick (48-47). In the second half of the bout, the stamina factor provides a huge edge for Roderick, and Dellicurtti, sensing things slipping out of control, steps up the pace. Dellicurti manages to keep the bout, although frankly a fairly boring affair, close to the very end. No cuts, knockdowns or other unusual events, as the bout goes to decision, and Roderick, the crowd favorite, walks away with the UD 10 win (96-94 on all three cards). Post-bout career marks: Roderick, 28-15-3 (7); Dellicurti, 23-3 (11). After this, it is time for the main event, and Jackie Jurich, the “Rose of San Jose,” steps into the ring to make the seventh defense of his WBA Flyweight title, facing challenger Jimmy Gill, “the Fighting Jockey.” Second meeting of the two; Jurich prevailed via a TKO in the one prior outing, back in 1940, shortly before Jurich successfully challenged for the WBA title. Gill, a one-time Commonwealth Flyweight titleholder, has enhanced his rankings and title prospects by going undefeated in his last six bouts, including wins in his last three, to set up this title clash. After a couple of close opening rounds, Gill tries to work his way inside in round three, but he cannot find the range with his punches and is subjected to some withering counterpunching by the Champ. Jurich follows up with a big round in the fourth, and he is well ahead on points (50-46, according to the unofficial scorer at ringside) after five. Throughout the middle rounds, Gill – backed by a boisterous crowd – tries his best to make inroads, but Jurich’s defense remains solid. Then, in the ninth round, the complexion of the bout begins to change, as Jurich is cut over his right eye. Gill tries to take advantage, targeting the cut, but Gill’s corner does a good job of patching things up between rounds. At the two-thirds point (10 rounds), the unofficial scorer has a wide points lead (99-93) for Jurich. However, in round 11, Gill manages to re-open the cut, and this time, Jurich’s corner has trouble stopping the bleeding. After round 12, the cut is closed, and this time Gill’s corner has to deal with a rapidly swelling right eye as Jurich continues to outbox the challenger, maintaining his poise as well as a comfortable points lead. The bout manages to go the distance without further incident, and while Jurich retains the title, the end result – a MD 15 (145-142, 145-145, 145-142) came as a surprise as most observers had Jurich winning by a wide, wide margin. Some hometown judging, perhaps? Anyway, the win – Jurich’s ninth in succession – lifts him to 26-3-1 (17) overall; the loss drops Gill to 32-10-4 (11).

Jan. 23, 1943: New York City and Madison Square Garden host the next fight card, and there is some fine young talent in action on the undercard and in some of the preliminary bouts leading up to the main event, for the NABF HW title. Two hot young MW prospects, Rocky Graziano and Jake LaMotta, make quick work of their TC opponents, and both remain unbeaten, Graziano improving to 4-0 (4) and LaMotta, to 10-0 (10). As the clock ticks down, two more tantalizingly good matchups, both involving unbeaten fighters, serve as the preliminaries to the main event. The first of these pairs two top LH prospects, Ezzard Charles and Joey Maxim, in a 10-round bout. Charles, who is still contemplating a possible move up to HW, seems to have the upper hand in the early going, seeming to land some punishing blows almost at will. By the halfway point, the unofficial card has Charles with a comfortable, but not overwhelming, points lead (50-47). Midway through round seven, Charles rocks Maxim with a quick hook to the head; Maxim’s knees buckle, but he does not go down, covering up to finish the round without further damage. Into the later rounds and Maxim, being primarily a boxer and not a slugger, seems to lack the capability of mounting a serious challenge. As his stamina wanes, so do his chances to rally as the rounds tick off. Meanwhile, Charles continues to fire away, putting Maxim down in round eight, but Maxim scrambles to his feet and then manages to remain upright for the rest of the bout. Nonetheless, an impressive performance by Charles, who takes a lopsided UD 10 (100-89, 99-90, 99-90) to run his career record to 13-0 (11). For Maxim, his first career loss leaves him at 9-1 (5), and he is hoping it won’t be long before Charles decides to make the move to HW. The second battle of unbeatens takes place in the WW division, as 19-0 Norman Rubio faces 16-0 “Sugar” Ray Robinson. Right now, Rubio is the higher rated of the two, with Robinson lurking just outside the top 20 in the WW rankings. No sharp exchanges in the first few rounds, and the main factor is Robinson’s excellent defense which is keeping Rubio at bay. After a slow start, Rubio gradually works his way into the fight, In the middle rounds, Robinson decides to take a more aggressive approach and, after a big round in round five, he leads by a wide margin (50-45) on the unofficial card, a point tally that may be somewhat generous to Sugar Ray. Either way, things begin to look bleak for Rubio who, after another big round for Sugar Ray in the sixth, appears to be trailing on points, punches landed, as well as running low on stamina. In round seven, Rubio moves inside and has his best round thus far, but then, in round eight, he has to be saved by the bell after being decked by a Robinson hook in the round’s waning seconds. Robinson eases up in the final few rounds, which proceed without incident, and then takes a well earned UD 10 (98-91 on all three cards). Post-bout career marks: Robinson, 17-0 (13); Rubio, 19-1 (12). Rubio will be at Prime with his next bout, while Robinson has crashed into the top 20 and looking to move up further, with three more bouts to go before hitting his Prime. In the main event, Jersey Joe Walcott faces Abe Simon for Walcott’s NABF HW title. In their one prior meeting, back in 1940, Walcott walked away a TKO winner, but this will be the first time the two have met with a title at stake. Good start for Walcott, who dominates much of the early action. In round three, Jersey Joe rips open a cut under Simon’s right eye. In round five, an overhand right from Walcott drops Simon to the canvas. Simon arises at the count of five, and then covers up in an effort to last the round. By this time, Walcott has accumulated a nice point lead (58-55 on the unofficial card, at the halfway point). In round eight, Simon, attempting to work inside, is vulnerable to a hard shot delivered by Walcott, and this puts the challenger down and out. KO 8 for Walcott, who was well ahead on points anyway, upping his career record to 44-7 (28). Simon, who has already hit Post-Prime, drops to 30-7-1 (21). With his third consecutive win inside the distance, Walcott is angling for a WBA title rematch with Louis, whom he has lost two twice already.

Jan. 29, 1943: Plenty of title bout action in the next card, a Friday night affair in Mexico City. BWs are featured in both title bouts, first for the LABF title and, finally, for the WBA belt. In the first co-main event, Mexican Raul Casanova defends the LABF BW title, facing countryman Luis Castillo in an all-Mexican affair. Now, these two met for this same belt back in 1941, with Casanova winning the then vacant title via a UD 12, but since that time, Castillo has moved from Pre-Prime to Prime, while Casanova has slipped to Post-Prime. This time, it’s a strong start from the challenger and, after the first two rounds, there is a trace of swelling under Casanova’s left eye. After a slow start, Casanova rallies to make the bout somewhat competitive although, at the halfway point, Castillo has a nice points lead (58-56). Plus, the stamina factor is working in favor of the younger and fitter challenger. As the bout wears on, Casanova’s hopes begin to fade as he falls further and further behind, plus there is now noticeable swelling around his right eye as well. The bout goes the rest of the way without any cuts or knockdowns, and Castillo is declared the UD 12 winner (118-110, 118-110, 119-109), as Casanova faded badly in the later rounds. Castillo, the new LABF BW Champ, runs his career record to 18-3 (10) with the win. Casanova takes the loss and slips to 32-12-2 (15). In the finale, Panama Al Brown makes his return to the ring as a five-time WBA Champ, all in the BW division. Challenging for Brown’s WBA BW title is Benny Goldberg, the newly crowned USBA BW Champ. First meeting of the two, and there’s a huge 17-year disparity in age, with Brown, now 40, hoping to defy time once again in a bout against a highly skilled opponent in Goldberg, who has won his last three and is unbeaten in his last six, with his last loss coming while still at Pre-Prime back in 1941. After an even couple of opening rounds, Brown moves inside to try to force the action in round three, but he is met with some heavy countershots from the challenger and forced to beat a hasty retreat. Goldberg continues to dominate the early action and, after five, he holds a nice points lead (49-47) on the unofficial card. Into the middle rounds, and Brown settles into a comfortable rhythm, preferring to stay outside, reluctant to take on Goldberg on the inside. Goldberg, for his part, appears consistent, waiting for his opportunity to land punches after Brown misses. As the bout heads past the midway point, the crowd becomes restless, expressing its displeasure at the relatively cautious approach taken by both fighters. After round 10, a check of the unofficial card has Goldberg in front (98-93), plus the challenger has managed to draw blood – literally – by opening a cut over the right eye of the Champ, late in round 10. Brown’s corner pays swift attention to close the cut, while Goldberg maintains his steady pace. Into the later rounds, Panama Al – sensing the title slipping away – adopts a more aggressive approach, moving inside and looking to land some telling blows. In round 13, the Champ gets careless and runs into a Goldberg combination that puts him on the deck. He arises at the count of three, then covers up to last the round, but the damage has been done. An all-out attack in the final two rounds yields little, as Goldberg is content to retreat into a defensive shell and sit on his presumed points lead. The bout goes the rest of the way without incident and, to no one’s surprise, Benny Goldberg is crowned the new WBA BW Champion, taking a UD 15 (144-140, 145-139, 144-140), a scoreline that is somewhat generous to the five-time Champ. Post-bout career marks: Goldberg, 22-2-2 (10); Brown, 68-15-2 (25).

Jan. 30, 1943: The month wraps up with a card in Los Angeles. The main event is an NABF title bout, but the main support matches two highly regarded LW contenders: Lou Ambers, the “Herkimer Hurricane,” who faces Bob “Bobcat” Montgomery in a 10-round, non-title affair. First meeting of the two, and a big test for Montgomery, who has suffered just one defeat thus far but has yet to meet a quality opponent the level of Ambers, a former NABF LW titleholder. Early in the bout, in round two, Ambers suffers a nick under his right eye. Montgomery is on target, for the most part, in the early rounds and has a nice edge in punches landed; yet, at the midway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has the bout even (48-48). Into the later rounds, and the stamina factor favors Montgomery and Ambers, who is at Post-Prime career stage, shows signs of wilting. In the final few rounds, Ambers, sensing he is behind on points, throws caution to the wind as he launches an all-out assault. However, it has little effect as Montgomery, with a strong second half, secures a comfortable UD 10 win (96-94, 99-91, 97-93). Post-bout career marks: Montgomery, 21-1-2 (14); Ambers, 37-8-2 (18). This result should enable Montgomery to move into the upper echelon of the LW ranks while, on the other hands, Ambers’ days as a top flight contender may be done. In the main event, Archie Moore puts his NABF LH title on the line against a dangerous challenger, ex-WBA LH Champ Tiger Jack Fox. It is also a meeting of the #1 and #2 ranked LH contenders, so a WBA title shot could be in the offing for the winner. It is a rematch of their 1942 encounter, which resulted in a TKO win for Moore. Not much happens until the end of round two, when Fox catches Moore with an uppercut, and Archie takes a brief trip to the canvas, bouncing to his feet at the count of three. After taking a round off to recover, Moore responds with a big round four, repeatedly landing some heavy shots to the face and chin of Fox. However, the pendulum swings back in the challenger’s favor in round five, when he finds the range with a combination, putting Archie down for a second time. Moore regains his footing and tries to cover up, but Fox is swarming, and he puts Moore down with an uppercut. On wobbly legs, Moore arises, but Fox finishes him with another uppercut – an automatic TKO 5 based on the three knockdown rule. Impressive win for Fox, his 40th inside the distance, and his overall record improves to 55-8-1 (40). The loss, only the third of his career, drops Moore to 24-3-4 (18).
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Old 01-19-2020, 01:05 PM   #1363
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Feb. 1943 - Part 1 of 2

February 1943 promises to be a great month of fistic action, with no fewer than five WBA title bouts on the schedule. Two of these are included in this series of reports

Feb. 5, 1943: Commencing this month’s action is a Friday night card at the War Memorial Auditorium in Syracuse. In the main event, Mike Belloise faces Georgie Hansford for Belloise’s NABF FW title. It is the first meeting of the two. For Belloise, it is his second defense of this belt; for Hansford, it is a chance to regain the title he held briefly in 1940, having recorded two recent wins to set up this title shot. With two boxers, not much in the way of excitement or heavy leather thrown in the opening few rounds, and yet the bout appears to be a close one with the challenger holding his own. At the midway point, it is no surprise to see the unofficial card scoring the bout even (57-57). Into the later rounds, and the stamina factor seems to favor the challenger, plus Hansford takes charge with a big round in round eight. Belloise, sensing the title slipping away, tries to step up the pace, becoming more aggressive. This appears to have little effect on Hansford, whose defense remains solid, and the bout goes the distance without any cuts, knockdowns or noticeable swelling. The judges are unanimous, and the title changes hands, with Hansford dominating most of the later rounds to take a UD 12 (115-113, 116-114, 116-112). Post-bout career records: Hansford, 34-14-2 (11); Belloise, 31-14-7 (11).

Feb. 6, 1943: Next card is at the Sportpalast in Berlin, Germany. Two EBU title bouts top the card. In the first of these, Saviero Turiello faces Gustav Eder for Turiello’s EBU WW title belt. Third meeting of the two, one of which ended in a draw, the second was a decision win for Eder for this same EBU title. This time around, the bout devolves into a defensive struggle, with Turiello scoring well in the early rounds but Eder, buoyed by some massive support from the hometown fans, keeps the bout reasonably close. At the midway point, the unofficial scorer has the Champ, Turiello, ahead by a two-point margin (58-56). Into the later rounds, and Eder begins to press forward, moving inside to pressure his opponent. Eder gradually becomes more and more aggressive, and he puts Turiello on the defensive with a dominant round nine. After another big round for Eder in the 10th, Turiello decides to battle back and tries to regain the momentum. With the title hanging in the balance, Eder manages to complete his comeback, winning the last four rounds to take a UD 12 (117-111, 116-112, 116-113) to lift the belt and, once again, become EBU MW Champion. The win lifts Eder to a career total of 41-11-10 (9); the loss drops Turiello to 35-18-10 (15). In the second main event, #1 ranked HW Max Schmeling, unable to arrange a title rematch with WBA HW Champ Joe Louis, has to settle for another EBU HW title defense, this one against countryman Walter Neusel. It is the fourth meeting of the two; prior encounters ended in a draw (in 1936) and two wins for Schmeling (in 1938 and again in 1942, both for the EBU title). This time around, Schmeling takes advantage of a slow start by Neusel to build an early points lead. By the end of round four, a mouse has formed under Neusel’s left eye – evidence of the accumulated impact of Schmeling’s punches. In round five, more trouble for Neusel in the form of a cut over his right eye. Meanwhile, Schmeling’s corner has to deal with a welt forming under Max’s right eye, as Neusel has been on target with some of his punches as well. By the midway point the unofficial scorer at ringside has Schmeling well in front (by a count of 59-55). In round seven, Schmeling is able to reopen the cut over Neusel’s eye, but some good cornerwork between rounds manages to close the cut. In the eighth round, Schmeling drops Neusel for an eight count with an overhand right. In round nine, the cut over Neusel’s eye is reopened a second time, and the cut is once again closed by Neusel’s corner between rounds. Schmeling eases up in the final two rounds, coasting to a comfortable UD 12 win (117-110 on all three cards) to retain the title, with his 18th consecutive win (going all the way back to that 1938 title loss to Joe Louis). Post-bout career marks: 64-6-1 (44) for Schmeling; 30-14-3 (21) for Neusel.

Feb. 6, 1943: Next up is a packed card at Montreal, headed by a WBA title bout featuring a Canadian challenger. The main support bout features a top ranked MW contender, NABF MW Champ Charley Burley, matched with hometown favorite Lou Brouillard, the reigning Commonwealth MW Champ; in this encounter, neither Burley’s NABF title nor Brouillard’s CBU belt are on the line. Two prior meetings saw Burley (who has lost only once thus far) come out the winner. Burley starts off well in this bout, too, dominating most of the action in the early rounds. By the end of round three, the impact of Burley’s punches has caused noticeable swelling to appear around Brouillard’s right eye. Then, less than 30 seconds into the fourth round, a Burley uppercut finds its mark and puts Brouillard down and out. Impressive KO 4 for Burley, who has made a strong case for a WBA title shot, although it should be noted that Brouillard was at End career stage. Post-bout career marks: Burley, 32-1 (23); Brouillard, 37-17-3 (17). Next up is time for the main event, and Jack Kid Berg, the “Whitechapel Whirlwind,” crosses the Atlantic to defend his WBA LW title against Canadian homegrown hero Dave Castilloux, who recently captured the Commonwealth LW title belt to set up this WBA title shot. The two met once before, in Toronto back in 1940, with Berg winning a MD 12 in defense of the Commonwealth LW title he held at that time. However, this time Berg is at Post-Prime which means Castilloux has a better chance. Good start for the challenger, who draws blood in the second round by ripping open a cut under the right eye of Berg. The bout remains close through the opening few rounds, and the unofficial scorer at ringside has Berg up by two (49-47) through the first five rounds. Into the middle rounds, and Castilloux continues to hold his own, leading in the punches landed stats. Both fighters appear willing to vary their approach, combining inside and outside attacks. In round eight, Castilloux succeeds in reopening the cut under Berg’s eye and, in addition, there is some puffiness around that same eye. Berg’s corner has difficulty dealing with both the cut and the swelling, and Castilloux takes advantage, moving inside, pressing the action as well as targeting the cut and swollen eye. At the two-thirds point (10 rounds), the unofficial scorer has Berg still ahead, but only by one point (96-95). Into the late rounds, and Castilloux appears to be the fresher of the two. By round 11, the cut appears to be closed, but the swelling has become more pronounced. Castilloux becomes more aggressive, going on the attack in rounds 12 and 13. By the final two rounds, both men are exhausted, and their punches lack steam. The bout goes the distance, and the UD 15 goes to Castilloux (144-141, 146-139, 143-142), who seized control in the crucial middle rounds. The win lifts Castilloux to 31-10-3 (9) overall; the loss drops Berg to 49-19-5 (16).

Feb. 12, 1943: Next card is an abbreviated one, only five bouts, at the Rand Stadium in South Africa. Two bouts – co-main events – are of interest, as both involved highly rated fighters. In the first of these, Flyweights Little Dado and Mustapha Mustaphaoui do battle. First meeting of these two; Dado is the reigning OPBF Fly Champion, and it is the first time at Prime for Mustaphaoui, who has yet to be seriously tested against top class competition. Solid start for Dado, who gradually builds a solid points lead; at the halfway point, the unofficial scorer has Dado up by three (49-46). Into the later rounds and Mustaphaoui, tiring and trailing badly, tries to become more aggressive, but he simply lacks the firepower and the finesse to effectively challenge Dado. Near the end of round nine, Mustaphaoui connects with his best punch of the fight – an uppercut that staggers Dado – but the Filipino fighter does not go down, although there is some puffiness around his right eye. From here on, the bout goes the full 10, and Dado – who had been coasting a bit in the later rounds – escapes with a MD 10 verdict (97-93, 95-95, 96-94) to run his career record to 29-4-1 (13). Mustpahaoui ends the bout at 16-3-2 (6). In the finale, hometown favorite Laurie Stevens takes on Pedro Montanez in a battle of two LW contenders. Until recently, Stevens held the Commonwealth LW belt, and Montanez is a former LABF LW titleholder. The two have not met before, and both are coming off losses in their most recent outings. The action doesn’t pick up until round four, when Stevens drops Montanez with a barrage of blows. Montanez bounces back to his feet and attempts to cover up, but goes down a second time and then, a third – so the bout goes into the book as an automatic TKO 4 for Stevens. Post-bout career marks: Stevens, 32-9-1 (20); Montanez, 35-15 (17). Impressive win for Stevens, but he may have been facing a “shot” fighter in Montanez, who will slip to End career stage after this loss.

Feb. 13, 1943: Gothenburg, Sweden and the Ullevi Stadium is the venue for the next fistic action, and there is an EBU title tilt topping the agenda. First, in the main support bout, two veteran Flyweight contenders take to the ring, as Hungarian Istvan Enekes faces Brit Jackie Brown in a non-title affair. These two are familiar foes, having met four times previously, each having won twice. Late in the opening round, Enekes fires a solid hook that drops Brown to the deck. The British fighter arises quickly, and there isn’t enough time left in the round for Enekes to do further damage. Not much happening until round three, when Enekes bulls his way inside, then connects with another powerful blow that sends Brown to the canvas for a second time. This time, Brown cannot beat the count. Solid KO 3 win for Enekes, who is angling for a shot at the WBA or EBU Fly title. Post-bout, Enekes improves to 39-13-2 (12); the loss leaves Brown at 40-20-5 (12). In the main event, Maurice Holtzer defends the EBU FW title he won in 1942, taking on challenger Vittorio Tamagnini of Italy. It is the first meeting of the two, and Tamagnini’s first shot at a title of any kind. With Holtzer now at End career stage and Tamagnini still at Prime, the challenger is given a good chance to lift the belt. After a couple of rounds of nondescript action, Tamagnini seizes the initiative and moves inside in round three. The tactic appears to pay off, as Holtzer seems a bit unsettled as the bout heads into the middle rounds, with neither man dominant. At the midway point, the punches landed stat favors Tamagnini, and the challenger has a solid points lead (59-55) on the unofficial card. Into the later rounds, and the stamina factor favors the challenger as well. Holtzer, being to tire badly, becomes more and more desperate as the bout wears on, but he lacks the firepower to launch a serious comeback to save his belt. The bout goes the rest of the way without any cuts or knockdowns, and, to no one’s surprise, Tamagnini is declared the UD 12 winner (118-110, 118-111, 118-111) by a wide margin, and the EBU FW title changes hands for the sixth time in as many title bouts. Post-bout career marks: Tamagnini, 35-15-6 (12); Holtzer, 45-23-5 (16).

Feb. 13, 1943: Next card takes place at New Orleans’ Coliseum Arena. MW action tops the card, with a WBA title bout preceded by a non-title matchup featuring two top 10 MWs: Freddie Apostoli, the “Boxing Bellhop,” and veteran Ken Overlin. First meeting of the two, and both fighters, coming off recent wins, exude confidence as they enter the ring. After an abbreviated feeling-out process, Apostoli seizes control in the second round, landing blow after blow until the ref steps in to call a halt, saving Overlin from further punishment. Impressive TKO 2 for Apostoli, who runs his career record to 30-9-2 (23), and certainly has enhanced his prospects for a title shot in 1943. Overlin, now 40-11-5 (14), has regressed from his heyday in 1936 and 1937, during which time he held the WBA MW title. The main event, however, matches Holman Williams with the “Casablanca Clouter,” Marcel Cerdan, for Williams’ WBA MW title belt. Second meeting of the two, with Williams taking a TKO over Cerdan on a cuts stoppage back in 1939. Both fighters enter the bout on impressive win streaks: Williams, making his third title defense, has won his last seven; Cerdan, his last four. Close bout through the opening few rounds and, after five, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Cerdan with a narrow one point edge (49-48). Into the middle rounds and Williams, with some solid boxing, puts together a couple of strong rounds in rounds six and seven. Cerdan moves inside in round eight, seeking to become more aggressive. Williams, however, remains unperturbed, and continues to add to his growing advantage; after ten rounds, the unofficial card has Williams in front (98-94), after having won all the middle rounds, and all rounds from round five on. Into the final rounds, and both fighters tire noticeably, with Williams still exhibiting strong boxing skills to keep an aggressive Cerdan at bay. The bout goes the rest of the way without incident, and no cuts or knockdowns, as Williams grinds out a solid UD 15 win (146-141, 145-142, 145-141) to keep the belt. Post-bout records: Williams, 41-8 (21); Cerdan, 34-4-2 (24).
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Old 01-26-2020, 04:45 PM   #1364
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Feb. 1943 - Part 2 of 2

Continuing with the second half of February 1943, and three WBA title bouts are included in this series of reports.

Feb. 19, 1943: Next up, it’s time for Friday Night fights “Down Under,” this time at Sydney Stadium. Featured bout is the main event, for the OPBF BW title, with Aussie Mickey Miller, who won the belt in June 1941, making his first defense against the man he defeated for the title, Filipino Pablo Dano. That prior encounter ended in a cuts stoppage and a TKO win for Miller. In this rematch, it is a tight, defensive struggle which tends to favor Dano, the boxer. At the midway point, it is a nice points lead for Dano (59-55), according to the unofficial scorer at ringside. Miller starts to press the action on the inside, but in round seven, a hard shot from Dano rips open a cut over his left eye. The cut over Miller’s eye is reopened in round 10 and Dano, coasting to victory, is content to stay outside, adopting a very passive but cautious posture. The bout goes the distance and, to the dismay of the Aussie fight fans, Dano is able to regain the title, taking a MD 12 (116-112, 114-114, 117-111), with one judge displaying a clear bias in favorite of the hometown fighter. Post-bout career records: Dano, 42-17-6 (18); Miller, 32-12-2 (19).

Feb. 20, 1943
: Next card is at the Olympia in London. Two regional title bouts top the card. In the first of these, Dave Crowley faces a familiar foe, Frank Parkes, for Crowley’ GBU FW title. The two have met twice before, both times with this same GBU FW belt at stake, each winning once. This time around, the bout remains close, until Crowley takes charge with a big round in round four. In round five, a Crowley hook sends Parkes tumbling to the canvas. Parkes arises and manages to last the round, but he returns to his corner sporting a rapidly swelling left eye. At the midway point, the unofficial scorer has Crowley well ahead (by a count of 59-54). Into the later rounds, and Parkes becomes more and more aggressive, but some solid defense from Crowley prevents the challenger from making much progress. Not much happens in the final few rounds as Crowley grinds his way to a UD 12 (116-111, 114-113, 117-110) to retain the belt. The win lifts Crowley to a career total of 35-25-1 (14); the loss drops Parkes to 26-12-1 (14). In the second main event, BWs do battle as Johnny King faces Ritchie “Kid” Tanner for Tanner’s Commonwealth BW title; King’s EBU and GBU titles are not at stake in this encounter. The two met once before, in early 1942, with King coming out on top with a 9th round KO. This time around, Tanner looks sharp early, winning a huge round two, signaling a tough match for King. In round four, King begins to show the effects, as a trace of swelling appears under his left eye. In spite of this, the unofficial card has King in front (by a count of 58-56) at the halfway point. Both fighters begin to show signs of fatigue as early as round eight. Then, in round nine, a King hook finds the range, and Tanner goes down, arising only after taking an six count. The bout goes the rest of the way without incident, and King takes the title via a close SD 12 (114-113, 113-114, 115-112), adding the CBU BW title to his EBU and GBU belts; this is the sixth time the CBU BW belt has changed hands in as many title bouts. Post-bout career marks: 66-9-2 (22) for King; 18-6-2 (10) for Tanner.

Feb. 20, 1943: Next up is a packed card at Detroit, featuring none other than WBA HW kingpin Joe Louis in another title defense. But, in a notable co-feature, two veterans of the ring wars who have never met before – “Roman Warrior” Tony Canzoneri and “Pride of the Ghetto” Barney Ross – face off in a non-title affair, at Ross’ favorite weight: Welterweight. Although both men are well past their Prime, it should prove to be an interesting and entertaining encounter. It’s a cautious start by both men with Ross (who prevailed in both their real-life encounters, but by a narrow margin) seeming to have the better of it in the early going. Ross holds a solid lead in the punches landed stat and a narrow points lead (48-47), according to the unofficial scorer at ringside, after the first five rounds are in the books. The complexion of the bout changes in round six, when Ross sustains a cut over his right eye. Canzoneri steps up the pressure, targeting the cut, which is reopened early in round eight. The bout remains close into the later rounds, with Canzoneri as the aggressor, and with Ross holding a slight edge in terms of stamina, although both men appear tired in the final few rounds. The bout goes the full ten and Ross comes away the winner, via a SD 10 (95-96, 96-95, 97-93). Post-bout career marks: Ross, 38-15-4 (11); Canzoneri, 54-9-4 (17). Next up is the main event, with Joe Louis making the 12th defense of the WBA HW title, facing #3 ranked Roscoe Toles whom he bested once before, back in 1941. Toles is on the receiving end of a Louis cross midway through the opening round, forcing him to cover up to avoid further damage. However, Louis, with a hurt opponent in front of him, continues to fire away, eventually forcing Toles into submission as the ref calls a halt with less than 20 seconds remaining. Another impressive TKO 1 win for Louis, his second first round stoppage in succession, and his 17th stoppage win in his last 18 bouts, running his record to 42-1-1 (40) overall; the loss drops Toles to 36-11-3 (6).

Feb. 26, 1943: Next is a Friday night card at San Juan, Puerto Rico’s Escobar Stadium. In the featured bout, the LABF MW title is on the line, as Puerto Rico’s own, Jose Basora, defends the title he won a year ago, facing a former LABF MW Champ, Kid Tunero, in his first defense. First meeting of these two; after a few down years, Tunero got his career back on track with wins over some talented MWs, such as Jupp Besselmann, Edouard Tenet, and ex-WBA Champ Freddie Steele. This title bout sees a long feeling out process; the action picks up midway through the third round, when Basora delivers a stinging uppercut that forces the challenger to cover up in order to last the round. In the fifth round, suddenly, the bout comes to an early end as Tunero walks into a Basora uppercut and goes down for the count. KO 5 for Basora, who retains his title, improving his career record to 20-2 (16). Tunero ends the bout at 36-17-5 (10).

Feb. 27, 1943: Next is a big card at New York’s Madison Square Garden, with a WBA title tilt topping the agenda, amply supported by a USBA title clash. First up, in a supporting bout, two top LW prospects do battle as Ike Williams faces Beau Jack. Not much in the way of action until, late in the third round, when Williams decks Jack for a five count. In subsequent rounds, Jack steadies himself and gradually works his way into the bout. At the halfway point, Williams has a nice lead (49-45) on the unofficial card, but the punches landed count is much closer. Jack battles back, moving inside and doing some damage with a strong round seven, causing some initial swelling to appear around the left eye of Williams. In round eight, Jack connects with a three-punch combo that convinces Williams to cover up – another strong round for Beau Jack. The bout goes to the final bell with the issue in doubt, and, despite Jack winning the last four rounds, the UD 10 goes to Williams (95-94, 95-94, 96-93), with both fighters showing plenty of promise for future success. Post-bout career marks: Williams, 18-0 (16); Jack, 17-2 (14). The co-feature has Melio Bettina facing Tony Shucco for Bettina’s USBA LH title. This is a rematch of their 1942 encounter, also for the USBA LH belt, that ended in a draw. Another close bout this time around, with Bettina being the aggressor and, at the midway point, it’s a one point edge (58-57) for the challenger, Shucco, at least on the unofficial card. In the second half of the bout, Bettina continues to press forward, eager to mix it up with Shucco, who seems to get stronger as the bout wears on. Bettina, tiring badly but still hoping to keep his title, continues to swing away until the final bell. No cuts or knockdowns and, to the surprise of many and the dismay of Shucco and his supporters, who thought the challenger had done enough to win the bout, it ends in a majority draw (114-114, 113-115 Shucco, 114-114) – duplicating their earlier result. The result leaves Bettina, still in possession of the belt, at 28-5-6 (11); Shucco is now 37-16-3 (13). In the main event, “Homicide Hank” Henry Armstrong, now focusing on the WW division, makes his eighth defense of the WBA WW title he has held since 1939; his opponent is Marty Servo, who has won his last four to set up this, his first title shot. To the surprise of many, Servo appears to be holding his own through a couple of close opening rounds. In round five, Armstong begins to assert himself, dominating the action and ripping open a gash over the right eye of the challenger. After the first five rounds, the unofficial card has Armstrong in front (by a count of 49-45). Into the middle rounds, and Armstrong is able to reopen the cut in round seven; the cut continues to ooze blood, and Armstrong continues to work inside, with the cut an inviting target. By the end of round eight, Servo’s right eye is beginning to puff up as well, no doubt the result of the repeated impact from Armstrong’s blows which have been landing with some regularity. Late in round nine, a big hook from Armstrong leaves Servo reeling, but the challenger covers up to last the round. At this point, two-thirds of the way through the bout, the unofficial scorer has Armstrong well ahead (99-91), having won all five of the middle rounds. Into the later rounds, with Servo tiring badly, Armstrong continues to dominate, finally putting Servo on the deck with another picture perfect hook in round 12; Servo takes a seven count before resuming, covering up once again. The end comes in round 13, after Armstrong reopens the cut a second time, and this time, the ref steps in to call a halt. TKO 13 for Armstrong, running his career totals to 41-6-3 (34); for Servo, it is just the third loss of his career, leaving him at 23-3 (9).

Feb. 27, 1943: To the West Coast, where the month’s action wraps up with another big card, this at Los Angeles’ Olympic Auditorium. A WBA title clash tops the agenda, but first up, two LH contenders challenge in the main support, as Eddie Booker faces Greece’s Anton Christoforidis in a 10-round, non-title affair. First meeting of the two, After five extremely close rounds, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Booker with a narrow one-point advantage (48-47). Into the second half of the bout, and it is Booker who is the aggressor, working his way inside and pressing the action. With Booker going on the offensive, Christoforidis is content to stay on the outside, taking advantage of a stamina advantage. No surprises as the bout remains close and goes to decision, with both fighters unmarked. To no surprise, the end result is a majority draw (96-94 Booker, 95-95, 95-95), leaving Christoforidis a bit disappointed, as he was hoping for a win to boost his position in the LH rankings. In any event, Booker ends the bout at 28-3-2 (15), while Christoforidis’ post-bout record is 26-9-2 (13). Finally, it is time for the main event, which sees Everett Rightmire making the second defense of the WBA FW title, facing Harold “Homicide Hal” Hoshino, the current USBA FW titleholder. It is a rematch of a 1940 encounter between these same two FWs that saw Hoshino emerge victorious, taking the USBA FW title away from Rightmire via a seventh round knockout. Hoshino assumes the role of aggressor, and near the end of round two he manages to break down Rightmire’s defenses, landing a barrage of punches that put the Champ on the deck. After taking an eight count, Rightmire is able to resume and wisely elects to cover up to last the round. Rightmire steadies himself, and is able to respond with some excellent boxing in the following couple of rounds. After the first five, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Hoshino with a slim one-point lead (48-47). Rightmire continues with some solid boxing through the middle rounds, compiling a large lead in the punches landed stats, and also causing some initial puffiness to appear under Hoshino’s right eye. After ten rounds, the unofficial card has Rightmire pulling even (95-95). Hoshino battles back, putting in a strong performance in round 11, seeking to become also causing some initial swelling around the left eye of the Champ. The results hang in the balance until the final few rounds, with Hoshino continuing with the more aggressive approach in an effort to dethrone the Champion. The bout goes the full 15 and the nod goes to Hoshino, taking a SD 15 (145-140, 142-143, 144-141) to lift the title. Post-bout records: Hoshino, 30-3-2 (16); Rightmire, 34-13-3 (14). Interestingly, this makes three successive WBA FW title bouts decided by split dukes.

Last edited by JCWeb; 01-28-2020 at 03:12 PM.
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Old 02-02-2020, 05:07 PM   #1365
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Mar. 1943 - Part 1 of 2

On to fistic action from the first half of March 1943. No WBA title bouts included in this series of reports (as all this month’s WBA title action will take place in the second half of the month).

Mar. 5, 1943: The month’s action commences with a Friday night card at Buffalo. In the main event, two veteran LHs do battle, as Danny Devlin faces former WBA LH Champ Gus Lesnevich. The two met once before, back in 1940, for the WBA LH title, with Lesnevich eking out a SD 15 win. Since then, Lesnevich has fallen on hard times, losing three of his last four, while Devlin has fashioned a four-bout winning streak to climb back into top 10 LH contender status. In this rematch, Lesnevich works his way inside, assuming the role of aggressor in the bout. Some solid defense from Devlin, who is content to take a more cautious approach, staying on the outside. In round five, Devlin catches Lesnevich overpressing on the inside, decking his opponent with a strong cross. Lesnevich arises and covers up, lasting the round, but he returns to his corner sporting a bloody nose. At the midway point, the unofficial card has Devlin in front by a fairly comfortable margin, based on the 10-8 round in the fifth (49-45). Some good cornerwork between rounds has the cut under control, but in round six Lesnevich is staggered with a big hook. At this point, Devlin’s killer instinct kicks in, and he quickly begins to dominate, re-opening the cut on Lesnevich’s nose, and then forcing the ex-Champ into submission, as the ref steps in to call a halt. TKO 6 for Devlin, who improves to 37-16-6 (16) with the win. The loss drops Lesnevich to 32-10-3 (15).

Mar. 6, 1943: Next card is at the Rand Stadium in Johannesburg. Again, no titles at stake, and the main event pairs two veteran HW contenders: “British Brown Bomber” Tommy Martin, the reigning CBU HW Champion, and “the Livermore Larruper,” Max Baer. First meeting of the two, so a long feeling-out process is expected. Not much to choose between the two in the early going, with Baer assuming the role of aggressor, while Martin spends most of the bout in a defensive posture, staying away from Baer’s power. By the end of the third round, there is a trace of swelling under Martin’s right eye. In round five, Baer does even more damage, ripping open a cut under Martin’s right eye, then landing a powerful hook that forced the British fighter to cover up. Then, late in the round, a Baer cross puts Martin down and out. Impressive KO 5 for Baer, which should provide a boost to his stock in the HW ranks. On the other hand, three straight losses and Martin is plummeting in the rankings. Post-bout career marks: 36-17 (31) for Baer; 29-13-3 (17) for Martin.

Mar. 6, 1943: The scene shifts to Miami, Florida, for the next card. Featured is a USBA BW title bout, with Tommy Forte and Pete Sanstol matched in a title tilt for the belt vacated by Benny Goldberg, who recently moved up and successfully challenged for the WBA BW title. Second meeting of the two, who faced each other back in 1940, with Forte capturing the NABF BW title from Sanstol. Forte wastes little time, decking Sanstol in the opening round with a devastating hook to the head. After taking a count of three, Sanstol bounces back to his feet and averts further damage by covering up to last the round. Forte continues to control the bout for most of the early rounds and, at the midway point, he has a very solid points lead (60-54), according to the unofficial scorer at ringside. Into the later rounds, and Forte is able to coast with a wide margin in both punches landed and stamina. The situation does not change in the later rounds, as Sanstol – now at Post-Prime career stage – is unable to mount a comeback. The bout goes the rest of the way without major incidents, and Forte wins the title by a fairly one-sided UD 12 verdict (117-112, 118-110, 118-110). Post-bout career marks: Forte, 27-4-2 (11); Sanstol, 41-20-6 (9).

Mar. 12, 1943: Next is a Friday night card at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. The main event is in the FW division and matches a up-and-comer, Cuban National Kid, versus a grizzled 40-year-old veteran, Canadian Pete DeGrasse. First meeting of the two. Not much in the way of action through the first few rounds, and Kid manages to build a nice lead in punches landed, and the unofficial card has Kid with a narrow lead (48-47) after the first five rounds. Kind of a boring bout until the final minute of round nine, when DeGrasse manages to get in a big hook that shakes up Kid, who remains upright and then covers up to last the round. Kid recovers quickly, and then rocks DeGrasse with an uppercut early in the 10th. From then, the bout proceeds to decision, and Kid takes a relatively comfortable UD 10 (97-93, 98-92, 98-93) to run his career record to 22-2-1 (10). DeGrasse ends the bout at 42-25-4 (10).

Mar. 13, 1943: To Europe for a less than stellar card at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. Featured in the main event are LWs Julie Kogon, who has worked his way up into the top 20 in the LW rankings, and long-time GBU LW Harry Mizler, who has struggled when facing opponents from outside his home area of the British Isles. Not much action to report until, late in the fourth round, when Kogon tags Mizler with a stinging right hand; the British fighter covers up and lasts the round, remaining upright. A check of the unofficial scorecard at the halfway point shows Kogon with a solid points lead (49-46). Into the second half of the bout, and things look bleak for Mizler, who is suffering from a puffy left eye as well as a stamina disadvantage. No cuts or knockdowns, and the bout goes to its logical conclusion, with Kogon taking a UD 10 (97-94, 98-94, 98-93) to advance his career totals to 20-3-2 (6); the loss leaves Mizler at 25-1-6 (6).

Mar. 13, 1943: The venue for the next card is New Orleans’ Coliseum Arena. The USBA FW title is up for grabs as Leo Rodak and Sal “the Pride of East Boston” Bartolo are matched together for the belt vacated by new WBA FW Champ Harold Hoshino. For Rodak, it is his third try for this title after two unsuccessful previous efforts, while Bartolo has moved up the FW ranks by going unbeaten in his last six (five wins, one draw) to earn this, his first title shot of any kind. It is also the first meeting of the two and, although there is little in the way of exciting action, Bartolo appears to have the upper hand in the early going. At the midway point, the unofficial scorecard has a very close bout, with a slight edge (58-57) in favor of Bartolo. Into the later rounds, and neither man wants to commit to an all-out assault, so both are content to remain on the outside, not taking any risks. Kind of a boring affair, but there is the prospect of a first-ever title for one of these two. The bout then grinds to its logical conclusion and, in the end, it turns out to be a rather useless exercise, as the result – a majority draw (114-114, 115-113, 114-114) means the title remains vacant. Post-bout records: Bartolo, 24-4-3 (6); Rodak, 28-12-1 (7).
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Old 02-08-2020, 04:28 PM   #1366
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Mar. 1943 - Part 2 of 2

Action proceeds to the second half of March 1943, with two WBA title bouts on the agenda.

Mar. 19, 1943
: It’s time for the Friday Night fights “Down Under” in Sydney, Australia, and GBU LH Champ Freddie Mills travels from Britain to take on Aussie Champ Jack A. Johnson for Johnson’s Commonwealth LH title. No prior meetings, so a long feeling out process is in order for the earlier rounds of the bout. After a bruising opening three rounds, both fighters’ corners must deal with some swelling under their left eyes. Johnson steps up with a huge round in round five. By the midway point, however, the unofficial scorer has Mills ahead (58-56). Johnson presses forward as the bout heads into the later rounds, and, early in round 11, he finally breaks through Mills’ defenses and drops the British fighter with a combination. Mills covers up and manages to last the round, and, with the issue very much in doubt, both fighters go all out in an exciting final round. Mills rips open a cut over Johnson’s right eye. With the cut oozing blood, Johnson uncorks a devastating hook to the head that puts Mills down and out. KO 12 for Johnson, who keeps the belt in an exciting final round. With the win, Johnson improves to 20-3 (16). The loss drops Mills to 24-6-1 (14). Strong early candidate for Fight of the Year honors.

Mar. 20, 1943: Plenty of young talent on display at the next fistic action, which takes place at the Boston Garden. Willie Pep, unbeaten FW prospect, is on the undercard, and he faces another prospect, Mike Raffa, in a 10-rounder. First meeting of the two, and the action picks up in round four, when Pep rips open a cut over Raffa’s right eye. In the fifth, Pep opens a cut over the other eye, and this leads to an early stoppage. TKO 5 for Pep, who was well ahead on points; the win runs Pep’s career record to 16-0 (13). Raffa ends the bout at 14-3-1 (7). Taking the ring next is another top prospect, LH Ezzard Charles, who faces another unbeaten young LH prospect, Oakland Billy Smith. Some solid boxing propels Charles to an early points lead; in round five, he rocks Smith with a hard uppercut. Charles’ killer instinct kicks in, and he forces an early stoppage late in the round after causing some initial swelling under Smith’s right eye. TKO 5 for Charles; he moves to 14-0 (12), while Smith’s initial career setback leaves him at 13-1-2 (11). Then, in the main supporting bout to the main event, two ranked HWs meet in a non-title affair, as Lee Q. Murray faces Pat Comiskey for a second time. One prior meeting, when both were at Pre-Prime, resulted in a UD win for Murray. This time around, Comiskey, looking to improve on the prior result, gets off to a solid start, and, by the end of round four, he has managed to cause some puffiness to appear around the left eye of Murray. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Comiskey well in front (by a count of 50-46). Murray, sensing that he may be losing the bout, ramps up the pressure in the second half. Murray battles back and, near the end of round nine, he drops Comiskey for a seven count. In the final round, it is Comiskey who goes on the attack, after having been somewhat passive for most of the second half of the bout. Comiskey connects with a right that results in Murray covering up, but Comiskey manages to do sufficient damage to force a late stoppage. TKO 10 for Comiskey, who reverses the result of their earlier encounter, and a peek at the judges’ cards after round 11 had an extremely close bout headed into the final round. Post-bout career marks: Comiskey, 21-1 (14); Murray, 22- 4 (19). Then, the parade of hot prospects continues, as unbeaten WW “Sugar” Ray Robinson faces Fritzie Zivic, for Zivic’s NABF WW title. First meeting of the two, and first title try of any kind for Robinson, who -- while still at Pre-Prime career stage -- is facing his toughest test to date. Action is slow to develop, but what little action there is favors Sugar Ray. In round five, Zivic sustains a cut over his right eye. At the midway point, the unofficial scorer has Robinson well in front (60-54). Then, in round seven, Robinson drops Zivic with a hook. Zivic arises at the count of two, but another Robinson hook puts him on the deck a second time. Zivic manages to last the round, a huge one for Robinson. In round nine, Robinson reopens the cut over Zivic’s injured eye. A hard cross from Robinson in round 10 causes Zivic to cover up for a second time. Robinson eases up in the final two rounds and takes a convincing UD 12 (118-107, 120-107, 118-108) to become the new NABF WW Champ, cementing his status as a future WBA Champ, all while maintaining his unbeaten slate, which is now 18-0 (13). Zivic’s post-bout record is 32-11-6 (15).

Mar. 20, 1943: The scene shifts to the West Coast, specifically the Cow Palace in San Francisco, for an impressive card topped by a WBA title bout. In the co-feature, David Kui Kong Young makes the third defense of his NABF BW title, facing challenger Georgie Pace. First meeting of the two, and, after a couple of even opening rounds, Kui Kong Young moves inside to take command with a strong round three, leaving the challenger with a trace of swelling under his right eye. Late in round five, Kui Kong Young finds the range with an uppercut that stuns Pace. By the midway point, Kui Kong Young has pulled in front (by a count of 60-56, according to the unofficial card). In round nine, Kui Kong Young drops Pace with a short, clean combination, but the challenger is able to scramble to his feet and lasts the round after covering up to avoid further damage. A second KD follows in round 10, and Pace is pummeled into submission, with the ref finally stepping in to save him from further punishment. TKO 10 for Kui Kong Young, who extends an unbeaten streak that dates back to 1939, and improves his overall record to 28-1-2 (16) with the win. Pace, now at Post-Prime career stage, slips to 29-13-2 (19) with the loss. Finally, in the final bout on the card, Jackie Jurich faces former Champ Midget Wolgast for the WBA Flyweight title Jurich has held since 1940. Wolgast, who held this title for a decade (from 1931 to 1940), takes on Jurich for the second time, with Jurich retaining the title via a split decision in November 1941. Some solid boxing from Wolgast in the early rounds signals that Jurich’s title may be in jeopardy. After five rounds, there is a touch of swelling under Jurich’s right eye and, surprisingly, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Wolgast ahead by a wide margin (50-45). Into the middle rounds, and a resurgent Jurich battles his way back into the bout. Headed into the later rounds, the two boxers settle in for a long, uncertain struggle, and the stamina factor favors Jurich. After 10, the unofficial card shows Wolgast’s lead shrink (to 97-94). Jurich becomes the aggressor in the later rounds and, in round 12, he rips open a cut under Wolgast’s right eye. The challenger manages to hang on, despite the cut, and the title changes hands, with Wolgast taking a close but UD 15 (145-142, 144-143, 144-142) to regain the belt he first won a dozen years previously. Post-bout career marks: Wolgast, 58-9-1 (19); Jurich, 26-4-1 (17).

Mar. 26, 1943: Next up is a Friday night card at Havana’s Gran Stadium. On the undercard is hard-hitting Cuban HW prospect, Nino Valdez, who runs his career record to a perfect 12-0, all by KO, with a first round demolition of a TC in a scheduled 10-rounder. All a good prelim to the main event, highlighting two veteran LWs, as Tony Chavez takes on Chino “the Patent Leather Kid” Alvarez in a 10-round, non-title affair. Third meeting of these two, and Chavez has won both previous encounters, although one was a close split decision. Not much action until just before the bell in round three, when Chavez uncorks a big left than stuns his opponent. By the end of the fourth round, there is a trace of swelling under Alvarez’ s right eye. In round five, a cut appears over Chavez’s left eye. After five, Chavez has a nice points lead (49-46), but his corner is preoccupied with closing the cut. Into the second half of the bout, and Alvarez is the clear aggressor, looking to reopen the cut while Chavez takes on a more protective role. In round eight, Chavez rips open a cut over Alvarez’s injured right eye. However, it is the cut over Chavez’s eye that proves decisive, as it is reopened in round nine and begins running blood into the eye, causing the ref to consult the ring doctor, resulting in a stoppage. The bout goes down as a TKO 9 for Alvarez, despite the fact that Chavez was leading on all three cards after eight. The TKO win boosts Alvarez’s career record to 41-15-5 (23). Chavez ends the bout at 35-12-4 (12).

Mar. 27, 1943: Some of Britain’s best fighters have their talents on display at a nice card at London’s Harringay Arena. In the co-feature, GBU HW Champ Tommy Farr, still a potent force despite hitting Post-Prime career stage, takes on Yank Nathan Mann in a 10-round, non-title bout. It’s the first meeting of the two. The two split the opening two rounds, with Mann landing sufficient leather to cause some worrisome puffiness to appear under the right eye of Farr. However, by round three, there are traces of swelling forming around both eyes of Mann. The bout remains close and, at the midway point, Mann has a narrow lead (48-47). Mann continues to apply the pressure and, midway through round eight, he jolts Farr with a sharp combination, causing the Welsh fighter to cover up. Trailing, Farr goes on the offensive in the final two rounds, but instead, he is decked by a devastating Mann cross in round nine. Farr regains his footing and attempts to cover up. However, the swelling under his injured eye becomes an issue, and it leads to a late stoppage. TKO 9 for Mann, who was headed for a points win in any event. Post-bout career marks: Mann, 27-8-3 (22); Farr, 50-18-4 (16). Then, in the feature, the “Fighting Jockey,” Jimmy Gill, takes on Teddy Gardner for Gardner’s Commonwealth Flyweight title. The two have not met before, and for Gardner, this is his second title defense. Ironically both fighters are coming off unsuccessful WBA Flyweight title challenges. After a cautious start by both fighters, After the first three, Gardner appears to have the upper hand, plus there is some swelling under the right eye of the challenger, Gill. At the midway point, the unofficial scorecard has Gardner well ahead (60-57). Into the later rounds, and the swelling under Gill’s eye worsens. Gardner coasts a bit in the later rounds, but he is able to retain his title with a close but UD 12 (117-115, 116-115, 116-115), running his career record to 19-2-1 (10); the loss, his second in succession, leaves Gill at 32-11-4 (11).

Mar. 27, 1943: The month wraps with a huge card at Pittsburgh. Hometown fan favorite Billy Conn, the “Pittsburgh Kid,” is featured, defending his WBA LH title; the WBA title bout is amply supported by a USBA MW title contest, with Allen Matthews defending that belt versus challenger Glen Lee. Second meeting of these two, who battled to a draw in one prior game, back in 1941. Not much action in the early rounds, and Lee seems to have the upper hand after a strong showing in round five, in which he landed sufficient leather to cause some initial puffiness around the right eye of Matthews. At the midway point, the unofficial scorer has a very close bout, with Matthews holding a slight edge (58-57). By the end of the ninth round, there is a trace of swelling around Lee’s right eye. The bout comes to a surprising and sudden end near the end of the 10th round, when Lee is called for rabbit punching, and the fouling is ruled to be blatant. Therefore, Matthews is declared the DQ-10 victor, running his career record to 35-14-4 (20). Lee falls to 30-10-1 (21). A peek at the judges’ cards showed Matthews with a two-point lead on all three (after nine rounds). The finale is a long-awaited matchup for the WBA LH title, with Billy Conn defending the title against the top-ranked contender, Tiger Jack Fox. First meeting of the two, and it is Conn’s first appearance since his TKO loss to Joe Louis for the WBA LH crown in July of 1942. Slow start by both fighters, but in round three, Fox moves inside and is quite effective in seizing control of the bout. After the first five rounds are in the books, Fox has a slim lead (48-47), according to the unofficial card. Into the middle rounds, and Fox continues to press forward, while Conn is content to box from the outside. After 10, Fox is up by two (96-94) on the unofficial card. Punches landed stat shows a slight advantage for Conn. Into the later rounds, and Fox continues as the aggressor, but Conn’s defense remains solid. The bout goes the distance, and to the dismay of the pro-Conn crowd, Fox takes the title by a SD 15 (142-143, 145-142, 143-142). Post-bout records: Fox, 56-8-1 (40); Conn, 29-6-3 (12). This marks the seventh consecutive WBA LH title bout in which the title has changed hands, and it is Fox’s second time to hold the WBA belt.
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Old 02-09-2020, 02:37 PM   #1367
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Dude good for you for keeping this up. I only wish I had kept the WWBA going all this time.
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Old 02-19-2020, 06:32 PM   #1368
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Apr. 1943 - Part 1 of 2

On to fistic action from the first half of April 1943, and there will be one WBA title bout included in this report, with more coming up in the second half of the month.

Apr. 2, 1943: The month kicks off with a Friday night card at Atlantic City’s Convention Hall. No title bouts on the agenda, but the feature matches two top LWs – the “Sweetwater Swatter” (Lew Jenkins) versus the “Herkimer Hurricane” – Lou Ambers. First meeting of these two, both of whom have been ranked among the top 10 LWs for the past few years. Kind of a crossroads bout, given that both men are coming off recent losses; Jenkins, to EBU LW Champ Aldo Spoldi and Ambers, to up-and-coming LW contender Bob Montgomery. Jenkins is the more aggressive of the two, doing some good work fighting on the inside in round three. After the first five, Jenkins has built a solid points lead (50-46 on the unofficial card), plus he has managed to cause some initial swelling to appear under the left eye of Ambers. Jenkins maintains the pressure into the second half of the bout, easing up just a bit in the final two rounds to preserve his lead as a desperate and tired Ambers launches an all-out attack. The bout goes the distance, and Jenkins comes away a UD 10 winner (99-91, 98-92, 98-92), although the result should be tempered with the fact that Ambers has already hit Post-Prime in his career. With the win, Jenkins improves to 27-3-3 (12), further cementing his position among the elite in the LW division. The loss drops Ambers to 37-9-2 (18). The two successive losses mean Ambers has fallen out of the top 10 in the LW ranks after six years at or near the top.

Apr. 3, 1943: North of the border to Montreal for the next fistic action. In the main event, Jersey Joe Walcott, the #2 ranked HW, makes the fifth defense of the NABF HW title he won back in 1940. His opponent is veteran HW contender Jack Trammell. It’s the first meeting of the two, and Trammell established his credentials for this title shot with a sixth round KO of long-time HW contender Larry Gains in his most recent outing, here in Montreal just two months prior. Walcott seizes control from the opening bell, and he gradually builds a solid, if not unassailable, points lead. However, midway through round five, Walcott gets careless and is dropped by a Trammell cross. Jersey Joe resumes after taking an eight count and, while he covers up to last the round, the momentum of the bout has swung in favor of the challenger. A chagrined Walcott resumes, taking a much more cautious approach after the knockdown. In spite of the KD, the unofficial card still has Walcott in front (by a count of 58-55) at the midway point of the bout. Some solid boxing on the outside plus a slight stamina edge are sufficient to carry Walcott through the second half of the bout, all while avoiding Trammell’s aggressive forays, looking for a second KD or a possible knockout. A Walcott overhand right puts Trammell down briefly in the ninth round, and Walcott goes on to take a UD 12 (117-109, 116-110, 116-110) to retain the title. Post-bout career marks: Walcott, 45-7 (28); Jack Trammell, 33-14 (16).

Apr. 9, 1943: The scene shifts to the Rand Stadium, for a Friday night card in Johannesburg, South Africa. For the feature, it is the first meeting of two former WBA LH Champions: German Adolf Heuser and American Tony Shucco, and Heuser is still in possession of the EBU LH belt. Shucco starts well, and in round two, a Shucco cross rips open a cut over Heuser’s left eye. After a rough start, Heuser gets going with a big round four. By the midway point, Shucco displays traces of swelling under both eyes, and the unofficial scorecard has Heuser ahead (48-47), after some strong rounds in rounds four and five. In round seven , a second cut appears under the right eye of Heuser. The bout comes to a dramatic end late in round nine, after the cut over Heuser’s left eye is reopened, and then a new cut over the other eye is opened. This leads to an immediate halt to the proceedings, and Shucco is declared a TKO 9 victor. The win lifts Shucco to 38-16-3 (14), while Heuser slips to 41-13-2 (19) after the loss – a tough loss for Heuser, given that all three judges had him ahead on points at the time of the stoppage.

Apr. 10, 1943
: Next card takes place at Gothenburg’s Ullevi Stadium in neutral Sweden. Among the twin co-features is a non-title affair, pairing two top HW contenders. Unable to arrange a WBA title matchup with Champ Joe Louis due to the current political climate (US at war with German), top HW contender Max Schmeling sets his sights a bit lower, taking on Lee Ramage, a rugged HW who was a Louis victim in is most recent outing. Schmeling, who is looking for his 20th straight win since losing the title to Louis back in 1939, starts strongly and moves inside in round three to apply even more pressure to the defensive-minded Ramage. It takes Schmeling until the fifth round before he finds the range and decks Ramage with a nice combination. Ramage recovers and regains his footing, but he is well behind on points (49-46, according to the unofficial scorecard) after the first five. Schemling puts Ramage down a second time near the end of the seventh, but there is simply not enough time left in the round to finish off his opponent. A third KD follows in the final round, and Schmeling goes on to record a lopsided UD 10 victory (97-89, 98-88, 98-88) for his 20th win in succession, lifting his career totals to 65-6-1 (44). Ramage, who is already at End career stage, ends the bout at 40-16- 2 (11). Despite the impressive performance by the German, Louis supporters are going to point to the fact that Joe took a half a round to overwhelm Ramage, while Max could not finish him off in ten. Schmeling and Ramage are followed to the ring by two FWs, with Brit Dave Crowley (the reigning GBU and Commonwealth FW Champion) taking on Italian Vittorio Tamagnini for Tamagnini’s EBU FW title; the two met once before, some 12 years earlier, when both were at Pre-Prime, with Crowley taking a TKO win. This bout represents the Italian boxer’s first defense of the title he won two months earlier, at this same arena, by defeating Frenchman Maurice Holtzer for the EBU title. The bout is close through the opening rounds, with both fighters cautiously probing for an opening. In round five, with both fighters banging away on the inside, Crowley catches Tamagnini with a big shot and puts the Champ down for a seven count. Tamagnini wisely elects to cover up and manages to last the round. At the midway point of the scheduled 12-rounder, Crowley has seized the initiative, as well as building a points lead (58-55 on the unofficial card). Despite the KD, Tamagnini manages to hold the edge in punches landed, and Crowley, as the challenger, remains active as the bout heads into the later rounds, with both fighters showing signs of fatigue. By the end of round 11, there is a welt underneath the left eye of Crowley. In the final round, Tamagnini takes a conservative approach, boxing cautiously, while Crowley goes all-out for the knockout. Less than a minute into the round, Crowley rains a combination of blows that puts Crowley down and out. KO 12 for Crowley, who lifts the EBU belt for the second time in his career. Post-bout career marks: Crowley, 36-25-1 (15); Tamagnini, 35-16-6 (12). At the time of the bout’s sudden conclusion, one of the judges’ cards showed Tamagnini in front, while two others had it even, so the outcome was literally in doubt right up until the final round. This marks the seventh time in as many title bouts that this title has changed hands, amongst five men (with Ginger Foran, Frank Parkes, and Maurice Holtzer being the other three, in addition to Tamagnini and Crowley).

Apr. 10, 1943: Next up is a huge fight card at Chicago’s Comiskey Park, with WBA and USBA title action topping the agenda. On the undercard, making his first appearance in the Windy City, it top MW prospect Rocky Graziano, who runs his record to perfect 5-0 (5), with a fourth round TKO demolition of a hapless TC opponent. Rocky, who plans to remain active and plans for a quick rise up the MW ranks, is now at Pre-Prime and will be in action again next month. Then, in the co-feature, Sammy “the Clutch” Angott is in action, putting his USBA LW title on the line, facing challenger Pete Lello. Second meeting of these two, who battled to a draw back in 1941. Not much happens until late in round three, when an Angott combination drops Lello, who resumes after taking a count of four. By the end of the fifth round, there is some puffiness under the left eye of Lello. Angott has the points lead at the midway point, according to the unofficial card (58-56, with the 10-8 round for the one KD providing the two-point margin). Into the later rounds, and Lello, trailing, becomes increasingly more desperate as the rounds tick off. However, it’s a workman-like effort by Angott that enables him to retain the belt, taking a solid UD 12 (118-110, 117-113, 120-107), winning all 12 rounds on one judge’s card. Post-bout career marks: Angott, 27-5-5 (10); Lello, 27-5-4 (17). Then, in the feature, once again a large crowd is on hand to see the top rated fighter, Joe Louis, making yet another defense of the WBA HW title. This time, his opponent is the rather lightly regarded Curtis “Hatchetman” Sheppard, a guy who is barely ranked among the top 20 HWs. First meeting of the two, and it is an uncharacteristically slow start by the “Brown Bomber,” allowing Sheppard to take the first round. It takes until round three for Louis to break through, putting Sheppard down once early in the round (an apparent KD that was ruled a slip), and then with a big uppercut right before the bell, this one a legitimate KD but, with the bell sounding, it had no further effect. It takes a couple of more rounds but Louis finds the range with a hard cross, and this time the punch puts Sheppard down and out. Another impressive win for Louis, this time a KO 5, to run his impressive record to 43-1-1 (41); the loss, only the third of Sheppard’s career, drops the “Hatchetman” to 19-3-1 (12).

Apr. 16, 1943: Next is a Friday night fights “Down Under,” featuring a MW contest matching two regional titleholders: EBU Champ Marcel Cerdan and OPBF Champ Ron Richards, the veteran Aussie now at End career stage, in a 10-round, non-title affair. First meeting of the two, and it takes awhile for the two to settle in after a long feeling-out period. Then, midway through round four, Richards walks into a Cerdan cross and tastes the canvas. After taking a six count, Richards arises and resumes, covering up to last the round. A second KD, the result of a Cerdan combination, follows late in round five, with Richards going down but being saved by the bell. At the midway point, Cerdan is well ahead on points (50-43), according to the unofficial card. In round six, Cerdan rocks Richards with a hard uppercut, and then scores a third KD with another combination. This time, Richards is unable to beat the count. KO 6 for Cerdan, cementing the Frenchman’s status as a top MW contender. Post-bout records: Cerdan, 56-8-1 (40); Conn, 29-6-3 (12).

Last edited by JCWeb; 07-04-2020 at 04:21 PM.
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Old 02-25-2020, 08:07 PM   #1369
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Apr. 1943 - Part 2 of 2

This report covers fistic action from the second half of April 1943, and two WBA title bouts are included in this coverage. .

Apr. 17, 1943
: San Juan’s Escobar Stadium is the scene for the next fight card. Topping the action is bout involving two ranked WWs, long-time LABF WW Champ Cocoa Kid, fighting before an appreciative hometown crowd, and long-time WBA LW titleholder Tony Canzoneri, who is nearing the end of his long and successful career but still looking to make a mark in the WW division, despite going 0-3 in recent outings against ranked WW contenders. This is the first meeting of these two, and, as such, the action is slow to develop. After a strong third round, Canzoneri works his way inside in round four, but Kid is able to battle him to a standstill. After the first five, the unofficial card reveals a close bout, with a slight edge (49-48) to Canzoneri. Into the later rounds, and Kid is content to work from the outside, leaving Canzoneri to assume the role of aggressor, pressing the action on the inside. This dichotomy seems to favor Kid, who has the lead in the punches landed stats, as well as a rather significant advantage in stamina. It’s little surprise to see the bout go the distance, with no cuts or knockdowns, and Kid ekes out a MD 10 (96-94, 95-95, 96-94) to hand Canzoneri his fifth defeat in a row. With the win, his third in succession, Kid improves to 44-8-4 (13). The loss leaves Canzoneri at 54-10-4 (17), and one step closer to retirement.

Apr. 17, 1943: To the Western US for the next fistic action, this at the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix. In the main event, Eddie “Irish Red” Dolan takes on Izzy Jannazzo for Jannazzo’s USBA WW title. This is a rematch of the 1940 meeting when these two met for the vacant title, with Jannazzo coming out on top via a MD 12; Izzy has since successfully defended the belt on six occasions. Action is slow to develop, and both men seem reluctant to take on the role of aggressor. At the midway point, the punches landed stats show an essentially even bout, yet the unofficial scorer at ringside has a three-point lead (59-56) for the challenger, Dolan. Into the second half of the bout, and Jannazzo decides to press the action on the inside, while Dolan seems comfortable remaining on the outside, looking for counterpunching opportunities. All in all, kind of a boring encounter, with no cuts and neither man seemed capable of putting the other on the canvas. Beginning in round 10, there is a trace of swelling around Dolan’s left eye, as Jannazzo’s inside attack shows some results. In the end, the bout goes the full 12, and the judges saw the fight the same way as the unofficial scorer, so Dolan takes a UD 12 (118-111, 118-111, 117-112) to lift the belt, ending Jannazzo’s three-year reign as USBA Champion. Post-bout career marks: Dolan, 38-10-5 (13); Jannazzo, 35-7-4 (13).

Apr. 23, 1943: Next, to South America for a rare Friday night card at Buenos Aires’ Luna Park. The featured match on a rather slender card is for the LABF MW title, with Jose Basora, the reigning Champ, taking on the guy he defeated to win that belt, Chilean Antonio Fernandez. It is Basora’s second title defense, and Fernandez has geared up for this rematch with a couple of recent wins. Basora starts well, with a couple of strong opening rounds, and he moves inside in round three, taking the fight to Fernandez. Despite sustaining a cut over his right eye, Basora decks Fernandez midway through the third round. Fernandez recovers quickly and manages to cover up in order to last the round. By the midway point, Basora has a nice points edge (58-55), but there is danger in the fact that the cut over his eye has been reopened. Into the second half of the bout, Fernandez targets the cut, while Basora eases up, adopting a more defensive posture, attempting to protect both the cut and his perceived points lead. Despite the less active approach, Basora manages to send Fernandez tumbling to the canvas late in round nine with a cross to the head. Once again, Fernandez is able to regain his footing, and from here on, the bout goes the rest of the way without incident. Basora, aided by the pair of KDs, takes a solid UD 12 (116-111, 118-109, 117-110) to run his career record to 21-2 (16). Fernandez slips to 35-17-4 (12) after the loss.

Apr. 24, 1943: Next card takes place at London’s Harringay Arena. The main attraction is an EBU Flyweight title bout, with Peter Kane defending that belt, facing a challenge from Irishman Rinty Monaghan. These two met once before, in the pre-Prime stage of their respective careers, back in 1936, with Kane taking a MD 8. This time around, many years later, the two meet with a European title at stake. There is a lot of posturing, but not much in the way of action, as the two pugilists jockey for position in the opening rounds. By round five, Kane appears to be in command, winning most of the exchanges at the two men battle on the inside for most of the round. After six, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Kane up by three (59-56), but some of those rounds were close and could have gone either way. The issue remains in doubt as the bout heads into the later rounds. Monaghan wins round eight but, a round later, he gets overly aggressive and goes down from a Kane uppercut. Arising at the count of six, he covers up and manages to last the round, but the damage has been done. A second KD (also from a Kane uppercut) follows in round 11; this time Monaghan is saved by the bell. Kane goes on to record a solid UD 12 win (116-110, 117-110, 116-110), aided in no small part by the impact of the two late knockdowns. Post-bout career marks: Kane, 26-4-1 (11); Monaghan, 30-9-1 (11). Kane, now firmly entrenched as the #2 ranked Flyweight in the World rankings, is actively campaigning for a shot at new WBA Fly Champ Midget Wolgast.

Apr. 24, 1943: Next up is a huge fight card at New York’s Madison Square Garden, with twin bill title action, headed by a WBA title contest. On the undercard is unbeaten FW prospect Willie “Will O the Wisp” Pep, who faces another unbeaten FW prospect, Phil Terranova, in a scheduled 10-rounder. Pep, a consummate boxer, seizes control from the opening bell, and Terranova, the more aggressive of the two, has trouble penetrating Pep’s excellent defenses. Solid points lead for Pep (49-46, according to the unofficial scorer at ringside) at the midway point, and the elusive Pep continues to dominate the fight into the second half of the bout. By the end of round seven, an exhausted and frustrated Terranova launches an all-out assault, but to no avail. In round eight, Pep unleashes a big hook, stunning Terranova and ripping open a gash over his right eye. The bout goes the distance, with Pep taking a UD 10 (100-89, 99-91, 99-90), lifting his career totals to 17-0 (13) and moving solidly into the top 20 in the FW rankings. Terranova suffers his first career loss, dropping to 12-1 (8). In another preliminary bout, also in the FW division, long-time contender Petey Sarron faces a familiar foe, former EBU FW Champ Maurice Holtzer; it is the fourth (!) meeting of the two, with Sarron having won all three prior meetings. In the early rounds, action is slow to develop, but what little action there is seems to favor the American fighter. At the midway point, Sarron has a sizeable edge on the unofficial card (49-46), and Holtzer’s right eye has puffed up as a result of the repeated blows landed by Sarron. By the end of round seven, there is a trace of swelling around Holtzer’s other eye. More trouble for Holtzer in round nine, when a cut appears over his injured right eye. Sarron takes a one-sided UD 10 (99-91 on all three cards) to end the bout at 41-23-6 (11). For Holtzer, this turns out to be the final bout of a 19-year career, and he ends up at 45-24-5 (16). In the first co-feature, two former WBA LH Champions, Eddie Booker and Lloyd Marshall, are matched for the NABF LH title, recently vacated by Tiger Jack Fox who moved up to win the WBA title belt. It is the first meeting of two, and both men start cautiously; in fact, there is little in the way of action until midway through the fifth, when Marshall unleashes a barrage of blows that sends Booker to the canvas. After taking an eight count, Booker is able to resume, wisely covering up to survive the round. More punishment is dished out by Marshall near the end of round six, when he staggers Booker with a big uppercut, and the cumulative impact has caused noticeable swelling to appear under Booker’s right eye. It’s no surprise that the unofficial card has Booker well ahead (60-53) at the halfway point. Into the second half of the bout, and Booker tries to work his way back into contention, but he suffers from lack of stamina. Marshall continues to dominate, flooring Booker for a second time in round nine, and once again, a third KD, in round 11. Into the final round, and, instead of going to decision, Booker is decked three more times, making it an automatic TKO 12 for Marshall – an impressive win. Post-bout career records: Marshall, 24-4-2 (22); Booker, 28-4-2 (15). In the second co-feature, the WBA MW title is on the line, with Holman Williams remaining an active Champion, making a fourth defense of the title he won back in June 1942. For this defense, his opponent is #3 ranked MW contender, the “Boxing Bellhop,” Freddie Apostoli. This marks the third meeting of the two, with Williams winning twice on points, but one was by a majority decision. With both fighters holding their own, the opening few rounds are uneventful. After the first five, it is a close bout, and the unofficial card has a slim one-point edge for the Champion, Williams. More of the same in the middle rounds, with Apostoli able to connect with his best punch of the fight – a hook – late in round seven, which causes Williams to wince, but he quickly covers up and finishes the round. After the round, there is noticeable puffiness around Williams’ left eye, and Apostoli becomes more active on the inside, attempting to make the left eye a target. This pattern continues through the rest of the middle rounds, with Williams remaining comfortable by staying on the outside, allowing Apostoli to set the pace. After ten rounds are in the books, the unofficial scorer has Apostoli with a slight lead (95-94), although the punches landed stats favor Williams, and both men appear to be running low on energy. Into the later rounds, with Apostoli’s inside attack having some effect, Williams changes his posture and also becomes more aggressive as well. Finally, in round 13, Apostoli’s patience pays off, as he lands a short, clean cross, sending Williams tumbling to the canvas. Williams recovers quickly, arising at the count of four, and relies on the cover up strategy to avoid further trouble. The bout goes the rest of the way without incident, and Apostoli is rewarded with a close but UD 15 (143-141, 144-139, 143-140), with the KD in the 13th round looming large, as its impact outweighed the punches landed stats, according to the three judges. With the win, Apostoli lifts the belt, running his record to 31-9-2 (23); the loss leaves Williams, who is clamoring for a rematch, at 41-9 (21).

Apr. 30, 1943: All the way around the globe, and the month wraps with a Friday night card at Manila’s Rizal Arena that also includes some WBA title action. In the main event, Benny Goldberg faces homegrown BW contender Pablo Dano, the reigning OPBF BW Champion, in a matchup for Goldberg’s WBA BW title. First meeting of the two, and Dano, despite being before a hometown crowd, has to deal with the impact of aging as he is at Post-Prime career stage. Some solid boxing from Goldberg enables the defending Champ to build an early points advantage (49-46 on the unofficial scorecard) after five rounds are in the books. Late in round six, Goldberg decks Dano with a cross, but the bell sounds before the count gets beyond one. Dano tries to work his way inside, but he is simply unable to penetrate Goldberg’s defenses, which remain firm. After 10, a check at the unofficial card sees Goldberg well ahead (97-92). The bout goes the distance and Goldberg, confident of victory, eases up in the final few rounds. The judges agree, and award Goldberg a rather lopsided UD 15 victory (148-137, 147-137, 148-136). Post-bout records: Goldberg, 23-2-2 (10); Dano, 42-18-6 (18).

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Old 03-10-2020, 03:14 PM   #1370
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May 1943 - Part 1 of 2

This report covers fistic action from the first half of May 1943 – including one WBA title bout.

May 1, 1943: The month opens with a card at a little used venue, the Nueva Circus in Caracas, Venezuela. Topping the action is an LABF FW title bout, with Venezuelan Filio Julian Echevarria, now at End career stage, facing a challenge from Cuban National Kid. First meeting of the two, second title defense by Echevarria, and first title bout of any kind for Kid. In round three, Kid turns aggressor, moving inside and ripping open a gash over Echevarria’s left eye. The cut appears to have been caused, not by a punch, but by an accidental clash of heads. Some feverish cornerwork by Echevarria’s seconds closes the cut but, when it is reopened in round five, it leads to an immediate stoppage. The scorecards after the first four are consulted, and the bout is ajudged to be a technical draw (39-38 Kid, 38-38, 39-37 Echevarria), so the end result is that Echevarria keeps his title. A rematch later in the year is a distinct possibility. Post-bout career marks: Echevarria, 41-18-6 (12); Kid, 22-2-2 (10).

May 7, 1943: To South Africa and the Rand Stadium in Johannesburg for the next fistic action, a Friday night card with a featured bout for the Commonwealth LW title recently vacated by Dave Castilloux after he stepped up to win the WBA LW crown. Contesting the vacant belt is a former two-time CBU titleholder, South African Laurie Stevens, along with his opponent, long-time GBU LW Champ Harry Mizler. This will be the third meeting of the two, with both prior bouts won by Stevens, but this is the first encounter with a title at stake. Stevens starts strongly, stunning Mizler with a straight right late in the opening stanza. By the end of the second, there is noticeable puffiness around the left eye of the challenger, evidence that Stevens’ accurate punching has had an effect. More punishment is dished out by Stevens in round three, and a three-punch combo sends Mizler reeling, forcing the British fighter to cover up. Then, in round four, there is swelling under Mizler’s right eye, all while the condition of the left eye continues to worsen. By the midway point, the unofficial card has Stevens with a wide lead (60-55). With Stevens fully in control, it is more of the same in the second half of the bout, and, late in the ninth round, the first KD occurs, as Stevens drops Mizler with an uppercut, but Mizler is saved by the bell, so the bout continues. The bout goes the rest of the way without incident, and Stevens takes a lopsided UD 12 (119-109, 118-110,120-108) to lift the CBU belt for the third time. Post-bout career marks: Stevens, 33-9-1 (20); Mizler, 25-17-6 (6).

May 8, 1943: Twin co-main events, both in the BW division, top the next card at Havana’s Gran Stadium, as cross-regional rivalries are likely to be ignited. First up, on the undercard, unbeaten HW prospect Nino Valdes, a homegrown product, keeps his perfect record alive with a fifth round KO of a previously, unbeaten HW, Joe Muscato. The win lifts Valdes to 12-0, all by KO; Muscato’s first career loss leaves him at 11-1 (7). In the first co-feature, NABF BW Champ David Kui Kong Young squares off against Johnny King, a former WBA BW Champ who currently holds three titles (EBU, GBU and CBU), none of which are on the line in this encounter. It is the second meeting of these two, who battled to a draw last year in Johannesburg. Slight early edge for Kui Kong Young, who begins the bout as the aggressor, but is warned a couple of times by the ref for excessive fouling in round three. The bout remains extremely close to the midway point, and this is reflected in the unofficial card kept at ringside, which has the bout even (48-48), after a strong showing in the fifth round by King. Into the later rounds, and this time it is King who begins the pressing the action on the inside. Instead, all he accomplishes is a nasty welt under his right eye, appearing midway through round seven as the result of being on the target end of some sharp Kui Kong Young punches. The action slows noticeably in the final few rounds as both men appear to tire badly. King bounces back to win rounds eight and nine and, once again, the two last the distance and, once again, the bout ends in a draw (96-96, 96-95 King, 96-95 Kui Kong Young). Could a third meeting possibly be in the offing? Post-bout records: Kui Kong Young, 28-1-3 (16); King, 56-9-3 (22). In the second co-feature, another former WBA BW Champ, Panama Al Brown, takes to the ring to face Little Pancho, the well regarded Filipino fighter who held the OPBF BW title for a three-year period, from 1937 to 1940. These two have met twice before, with Brown chalking up a UD win while the other bout ended in a draw. Both of these ring warriors, who have around 130 bouts combined, are past their respective primes but still capable of putting on a good effort for fight fans here in Havana. Trouble for Little Pancho as he sustains a cut over his left eye early in the opening round. Not much to choose between the two through the opening rounds, but Brown seems to have an edge in both aggressiveness and punches landed that is impressing the judges. The cut over Pancho’s eye is reopened in round four, and it continues to ooze blood in the fifth round as well. By the midway point, the unofficial card has Brown in front (49-46). Pancho, who is not an aggressive fighter by nature, is left with the difficult choice of simply protecting the cut, or swinging away, risking further punishment and possible further damage to the injured eye. Late in round seven, Brown connects with a big hook, forcing Pancho to retreat and cover up, while the cut is reopened once again. The action slows noticeably in the final few rounds as Brown, with a comfortable points lead, focuses on defense, and Pancho, swinging wildly, is unable to land a telling blow to alter the outcome. The bout goes the distance, and Brown takes a lopsided UD 10 (99-91 on all cards) to run his career record to an impressive 69-15-2 (25). The loss leaves Pancho at 45-12-7 (10).

May 8, 1943: Twin bill feature bouts top the next card, at St. Louis’ Kiel Auditorium. In first of the co-main events, top 10 HW Nathan Mann faces up-and-comer Pat Comiskey. First meeting of the two, and Comiskey carries an 11-bout winning streak into this non-title bout. Mann wastes little time, flooring the 21-1 Comiskey in the opening round. Comiskey recovers quickly, scrambling to his feet, and covers up to last the round. By the end of round three, Mann’s punches have done enough damage to cause some initial swelling to appear around the left eye of Comiskey. Comiskey gradually works his way into the bout but, at the halfway mark, the unofficial scorer has Mann in front (by a count of 48-46). Into the second half of the bout, and Comiskey assumes the role of aggressor, but he finds it difficult to make progress against some solid defense from Mann. By round nine, Comiskey has abandoned all caution and is going for the KO, and he lands some telling blows that put Mann on the defensive. A powerful hook followed by a strong cross do sufficient damage and, to the surprise of many, Comiskey is able to inflict enough punishment to enforce an immediate stoppage, as Mann is literally out on his feet. TKO 9 for Comiskey, improving his record to 22-1 (15). Mann, who was ahead on all three cards at the time of the stoppage, drops to 27-9-3 (22). In the second co-feature, ex-WBA MW Champ Tony Zale, the “Man of Steel,” takes to the ring, facing Ben “the Belter” Brown, in another non-title bout. These two have met three times previously, with Zale winning twice and Brown, once. In round five, Zale breaks through, dropping Brown with a short, clean hook. After taking a count of three, Brown regains his footing and covers up, managing to last the round. The unofficial card after five shows the 10-8 round putting Zale in front (48-46). Into the second half of the bout, and it is Brown who attempts to press the action, pushing the pace. Zale manages to hold off Brown the rest of the way, going on to take a UD 10 (98-92, 97-93, 98-92). Post-bout career marks: Zale, 34-4-1 (20); Brown, 29-8-2 (18). With this solid win, Zale has re-established his credentials as a top-flight MW contender.

May 14, 1943: Next up is a relatively thin card (only six total bouts) at Melbourne, another “Friday Night” fights down under. The only notable bout is the main event, featuring two homegrown fighters battling for the OPBF WW title, with Jack McNamee defending against this younger countryman, Alan Westbury. The two have not met before; for McNamee, it is his fourth defense of the title he won in 1939 and, for Westbury, it is his first title try, having done little to move up the ranks other than eking out a MD in his most recent outing against a former LABF WW Champion, Cuba’s Joe Legon. A minute into the bout, Westbury announces his serious intent by dropping McNamee with a big hook. After taking an eight-count, McNamee regains his footing and attempts to cover up; while he manages to survive the round, he is sporting a puffy right eye as a result of the cumulative impact of Westbury’s blows. McNamee gets through the second round without further troubles, but in round three a wicked right-left combination from the challenger forces him to cover up once again. Then, late in round four, things begin to turn around as Westbury sustains a cut over his left eye. According to the unofficial card, at the midway point, McNamee has steadied himself, winning a couple of rounds (rounds five and six), but the challenger, Westbury, holds a two-point lead (58-56). Into the second half of the bout, and McNamee manages to reopen the cut over Westbury’s eye and, to the dismay of Westbury and his corner, the cut is deemed severe enough for the ref to step in and call an immediate halt. McNamee manages to retain the belt via a TKO 7 due to the cuts stoppage. Post-bout career records: McNamee, 32-10-1 (19); Westbury, 26-8-1 (14). Tough loss for Westbury, who was leading on all three cards at the time of the stoppage.

May 15, 1943: A huge crowd is on hand at the Forum in Montreal to see Canadian LW Dave Castilloux make his first defense of his WBA LW title in the featured bout. First up is a supporting bout, matching veteran HW contender Elmer “Kid Violent” Ray with LABF HW titleholder, Argentinian Alberto Santiago Lovell. First meeting of the two, and both fighters are coming off recent losses, and Ray is trying to get his career back on track after having failed to win a bout in over a year, although being at End career stage could be an issue. Not much in the way of action until near the end of round four, when Lovell rocks Ray with a crushing cross. Another big cross early in the fifth round, and Ray is forced to cover up to prevent further damage. As a result, Lovell has a nice points lead (48-46 on the unofficial scorecard) after five rounds are in the books. Ray battles back with an aggressive approach to the second half of the bout, but in the final round, he falls victim to a Lovell uppercut, taking a six count before resuming. As a result of the final round KD, Lovell appears to have secured an upset victory – but wait, two of the three judges hand Ray a controversial SD 10 win (92-95 Lovell, 94-93 Ray, 94-93 Ray). Post-bout records: Ray, 48-16-1 (32) ; Lovell, 29-13-1 (23) . After this, it is time for the WBA LW title bout, with hometown favorite Dave Castilloux facing #1 challenger, NABF and LABF Champ Baby Arizmendi, who is seeking to add a WBA LW title to his resume which already includes a WBA FW title belt. First meeting of the two, and both men enter the bout with win streaks; Castilloux having won his last two, Arizmendi, his last three. After a close opening round, Arizmendi is on target with his punches and wins the second round convincingly as a result. Punches landed stats favor the challenger, but Castilloux – urged on by the hometown fight fans – dominates the inside exchanges in an entertaining round five. After five, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Arizmendi up by one (49-48). The bout remains close into the middle rounds, and, beginning in round eight, Castilloux works his way inside, taking a more aggressive approach. After 10 rounds, it is the challenger’s boxing skills that have enabled him to extend his lead on the unofficial card (97-95) after 10. Into the final third of the bout, and the stamina factor works in favor of the Mexican challenger. The issue remains in doubt right up until the final round, and Arizmendi has appeared to have done enough to lift the belt. Indeed, when the cards are read, Arizmendi takes a solid UD 15 verdict (147-139, 145-141, 144-143), although Castilloux did well to keep the score close on two of the three cards. Arizmendi, who adds the WBA LW title to his WBA FW belt, improves to 48-9-4 (10) with the win. Castilloux slips to 31-11-3 (9) with the loss.
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Old 03-18-2020, 04:10 PM   #1371
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May 1943 - Part 2 of 2

This report covers fistic action from the second half of May 1943; one WBA title bout is included in this report.

May 15, 1943: To Denver for a solid card at the Mammoth Gardens, topped by a pair of USBA title bouts. In the first co-feature, ex-WBA FW Champ faces Carlos Chavez for the USBA FW title vacated by Harold Hoshino, who recently won the WBA FW belt. (An earlier bout to fill the belt, back in March 1943, ended in a draw, thus a second title bout was arranged.) First meeting of the two and, for Chavez, it is his first title try in his final bout at Pre-Prime. Action is slow to develop, but, after the first few rounds, Wright, the veteran, appears to have the upper hand. Nonetheless, Chavez battles back with a strong round six, landing sufficient leather to cause some initial swelling under the left eye of Wright; however, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Wright in front (58-56). Into the later rounds and Chavez, who is running low on stamina, begins to press the action, although, as a boxer, he lacks the firepower to mount an effective comeback. He leaves himself open for some strong counterpunching by Wright, and thus, by the end of the ninth round, there is puffiness around Chavez’s right eye as a result. Then, in a huge turnaround, Chavez finds the range early in round 10, causing cuts to appear above both of Wright’s eyes. Some excellent cornerwork patches up the cuts and, in round 11, Wright connects with a big hook, and Chavez goes down, arising quickly after taking a count of two. The bout goes to decision, and the UD 12 goes to Wright (118-110, 118-110, 117-111) to runs his career totals to 43-14-4 (15), while Chavez slips to 18-2 (7). In the second co-feature, former WBA BW Champ Manuel Ortiz challenges Tommy Forte for Forte’s USBA BW title. First meeting of the two, and first title defense for Forte, who just won the title in March. After a couple of close opening rounds, Ortiz takes charge and By the midway point of round five, there is noticeable swelling around Forte’s right eye. Some solid boxing puts Ortiz ahead on points (59-55 on the unofficial card) at the halfway point. Into the later rounds, and Forte becomes more and more aggressive, but Ortiz calmly works on the outside, thwarting any Forte’s attempts to turn things around. Thus, the bout goes the full 12, and Ortiz walks away with the USBA title belt, by virtue of a closer-than-expected MD 12 (117-111, 114-114, 117-111), given the surprise of seeing one judge call the fight even, given the huge punches landed advantage enjoyed by Ortiz. Post-bout career marks: Ortiz, 22-4-1 (14); Forte, 27-5-2 (11).

May 21, 1943
: Next is a Friday night card in Detroit. Twin bill title action tops a packed card. In the first co-main event, Allen Matthews makes the second defense of his USBA MW title, facing challenger Walter Woods. First meeting of these two, who are both aiming to move up in the MW ranks; Woods, in particular, has been impressive in running up a five-bout winning streak to set up this title bout. A solid opening round by the challenger is cause for concern in Matthews’ corner, and the Champ responds with a strong round in the second, landing sufficient blows to cause some initial swelling to appear under the left eye of Woods. With both men landing some good shots and having some good rounds, at the midway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside sees a close bout, with Matthews clinging to a slim one-point lead (58-57). Near the end of round seven, Matthews rocks Woods with a big uppercut, but the challenger remains upright and manages to cover up to survive to the bell. As the bout enters the second half, the stamina factor favors Matthews. The bout comes to an early end in round 10, after Matthews drops Woods for the first time, then swarms all over a tired, defenseless challenger, until the ref steps in to call a halt. TKO 10 for Matthews, who retains the USBA belt and improves to 36-14-4 (25) overall. The loss leaves Woods at 27-10 (15). In the finale, the NABF WW title is on the line, as recently crowned titleholder, unbeaten hot young WW prospect “Sugar” Ray Robinson, already ranked among the top 10 WWs, makes his first defense versus veteran WW contender Freddie Cochrane. First meeting of the two, and Cochrane, who has won his last six to earn this title shot, is perhaps the toughest test yet for the 18-0 Robinson, who is still two bouts away from Prime career stage. It takes little time for the action to heat up, with Cochrane landing a hook that draws blood, in the form of a deep cut over Robinson’s right eye. This seems to fire Sugar Ray up, as he decks Cochrane with a hard shot and, after Cochrane arises at the count of eight, floors the challenger again with a short, clean combination shortly before the bell. Cochrane arises, but there is not enough time left in the round for Robinson to finish his man. In between rounds, Robinson’s corner works feverishly to close the cut (fortunately, his cut man, Eddie “the Clot” Aliano, is the best in the business). Having done some damage with the two KDs in the opening round, Robinson eases up in round two, hoping that the cut will cease to be a factor. In round three, the cut is re-opened, but Robinson ignores it and connects with a big hook that puts Cochrane on the defensive once again. In round four, with the cut once again closed, Robinson moves inside and lands sufficient blows to cause some puffiness to appear under Cochrane’s left eye. In round six, a clear warning sign as the cut over Robinson’s eye is re-opened for a second time. Once again, the cut is soon closed and, at the midway point, Robinson, by virtue of the two KDs, has a very solid points lead (60-53). Cochrane, already tiring noticeably, moves inside in an effort to target the cut, while Sugar Ray adopts a more defensive posture to protect the eye against further damage. This approach seems to be working and, in round 11, Robinson stuns Cochrane with a big uppercut to punctuate his superiority in the bout. A third KD follows in the final round, enabling Robinson to wrap up a lopsided UD 12 (119-104 on all three cards) to retain the NABF belt. Post-bout career marks: Robinson, 19-0 (13); Cochrane, 31-9-4 (9).

May 22, 1943: The Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden hosts the next fight card, featuring European and British fighers. In the main event, two top 10 Flyweight contenders meet in a non-title affair: CBU Flyweight Champ Teddy Gardner and Istvan Enekes, former EBU Flyweight titleholder. No prior meetings, so the initial rounds of the bout see little in the way of aggressive activity while both boxers circle each other, probing for an opening. After the first five rounds, Gardner has opened up a wide lead in punches landed, and is well ahead on the unofficial card (by a count of 50-47) as well. Into the later rounds, and Enekes is the more aggressive of the two, stepping up the pace and looking for a knockout opportunity. Some good work by Enekes in the later rounds manages to close the gap, and the bout goes the distance, with the nod going to Gardner, who hangs on to take a SD 10 verdict (96-94, 94-96, 96-94). Post-bout records: Gardner, 20-2-1 (10); Enekes, 39-14-2 (12).

May 22, 1943: Next is a huge card at New York’s Yankee Stadium, with a WBA title contest topping the agenda. In a preliminary bout, unbeaten FW prospect Willie “Will o’ the Wisp” Pep faces Sal the “Pride of East Boston” Bartolo in a 10-round, non-title bout. After a slow start by both boxers, and the bout remains close through the first half of the bout, as both men probe for an opening. At the midway mark, Pep holds a narrow lead (48-47) on the unofficial card. In the opening minute of the seventh round, Pep breaks through and drops Bartolo with a solid combination. Bartolo barely manages to beat the count, and he manages to last the round by effective use of the cover up strategy. After the KD, Pep remains in control and goes on to take a fairly close but UD 10 (97-92, 96-94, 96-93) to retain his unblemished, unbeaten record, now 18-0 (13). Bartolo, who gave a good accounting and was in contention for the win until the 7th round KD, ends the bout at 24-5-3 (6). Next on the agenda, serving as the main supporting bout, is a meeting of two former two-time WBA LH Champs: Billy Conn, the “Pittsburgh Kid,” on the comeback trail after losing the WBA title two months previously, to Tiger Jack Fox, facing another two-time ex-Champ, now at the end of his long career, namely, “Slapsie” Maxie Rosenbloom. Their one prior meeting, back in 1939, saw Conn lift the WBA belt from Rosenbloom with a points win. This time around, Conn gets off to a good start and, by the end of round one, there is already a telltale trace of swelling under the left eye of Rosenbloom. By the midway point of the bout, Conn has a comfortable points lead (49-46), according to the unofficial scorer at ringside. Running low on stamina and with the punches landed stats stacked against him, Rosenbloom tries to become more aggressive in the later rounds, but to no avail, as Conn goes on to take a solid UD 10 (97-94 on all three cards). Post-bout career marks: Conn, 30-6-3 (12); Rosenbloom, 54-18-6 (18). Then, in the feature, Conn’s successor as WBA LH Champ, Tiger Jack Fox, takes the ring to defend his WBA LH title against Greek challenger Anton Christoforidis. First meeting of the two and, for Christoforidis, it is his first WBA title shot despite some uneven results in recent years, including a pair of controversial DQ losses. It takes the better part of three rounds for Fox to break down the challenger’s defenses, dropping Christoforidis with a hook, but the Greek challenger arises after dropping to the deck as a delayed reaction to the hook. Just before the bell to end round five, another hook from Fox rocks the challenger. Thus, after the first five, the unofficial card has Fox well ahead on points (by a 49-45 count). Into the middle rounds, and surprisingly, Christoforidis manages to steady himself and even pulls ahead of Fox in the critical punches landed stat. After 10 rounds, however, a check of the unofficial card shows Fox even further ahead (97-92). The two continue to battle into the final few rounds, with a slight edge in stamina in favor of Christoforidis. However, midway through round 12, Fox rocks the challenger with a big right hand and, this time, Fox’s killer instinct kicks in, and he floors Christoforidis with a devastating uppercut. Although Christoforidis manages to regain his footing, he is in no shape to continue, and the ref properly steps in to save him from further punishment. TKO 12 for Fox, lifting his career totals to 57-8-1 (41), while the loss drops Christoforidis to 26-10-2 (13). A peek at the judges’ cards showed Fox well ahead on two of the cards, with a one-point margin on the third. However, for Fox’s next defense, he will hit Post-Prime career stage, so other potential challengers are lining up for a potential title shot.

May 28, 1943: Twin bill title bout action highlights a Friday night card at the Rizal Arena in Manila. In the first of these co-main events, Little Dado defends the OPBF Flyweight title against challenger Small Montana, an ex-OPBF Fly Champ. In two prior bouts, each has won once, but Montana’s 1941 win was in an abbreviated bout due to a cuts stoppage. For this bout, both boxers have slipped to Post-Prime career stage, and Dado appears to have the upper hand through the early going. By the end of round four, there is a mouse under the left eye of the challenger. The unofficial card favors Dado at the midway point, but only by a narrow one-point margin (58-57). Late in round nine, a sharp blow from Dado causes a trickle of blood to appear on Montana’s lip. The bout is headed to decision when, in the final round, a Montana hook to the head sends Dado reeling. Shaken, the Champ recovers and manages to resume after taking an eight-count. Turns out the late KD only solidified the position of the challenger, and the end result is a UD 12 for Montana (116-112, 116-112, 115-113). Post-bout records: Montana, 28-15-5 (10); Dado, 29-5-1 (13). The second title matchup, for the OPBF FW title, is another rematch, as Aussie Eddie Miller defends the belt against ex-Champ Tsuneo Horiguchi of Japan. This is the third meeting of these two, with each having won once. Horiguchi wastes little time, nailing Miller with a hard left in the opening round, causing the Champ to cover up. Miller recovers quickly, and in round three he turns the tables on Horiguchi, staggering the challenger with a huge uppercut. By the end of the round, there is a trace of swelling under the right eye of Horiguchi. Close bout, and the unofficial scorer at ringside calls it even (57-57) at the halfway point. Early in round eight, a Miller hook sends Horiguchi to the canvas. After a taking a six count, Horiguchi regains his footing and covers up to last the round. Recovered, Horiguchi bounces back with a strong round nine and, as a result, there is puffiness appearing under Miller’s left eye. The bout is heading toward conclusion when, late in round 11, Horiguchi drops Miller with a big shot, and Miller regains his footing as the count reaches four. Horiguchi knocks Miller down a second time in the final round, but Miller scrambles to his feet, and the bout goes the distance. Winner is the challenger, Horiguchi, by UD 12 (116-109, 116-109, 117-108), who regains the title he held for five years, from 1937-1942. Post-bout career records: Horiguchi, 33-10-1 (17); Miller, 21-8-1 (9).

May 29, 1943: The month wraps with a nice card at London’s Earls Court. The main event is a contest for the GBU MW title, which has been held by one fighter for the longest consecutive amount of time – 12 ½ years – than any other title. Long-time Champ Jock McAvoy makes his 13th defense against a familiar foe, Jack “Cast Iron” Casey. The two have met no fewer than five times previously, with McAvoy prevailing four times, with the other match ending in a draw. Both men, who are in their mid-30s and have been around for awhile, are at Post-Prime career stage. In this, their sixth encounter, McAvoy gets off to a strong start, and, in the opening round, he manages to open a cut in the form of a split lip that the challenger’s corner has to deal with between rounds. After the second round, the cut is under control but now there is puffiness around Casey’s left eye. The punches landed stats indicate a reasonably close bout, with a slight edge for McAvoy, who also has a narrow lead (58-56) on the unofficial card after the first six rounds are in the books. By round seven, Casey has managed to land enough blows to cause some initial swelling to appear under the left eye of McAvoy. In round eight, however, it is McAvoy who breaks through, landing a perfect hook that drops Casey to the canvas. The challenger scrambles back to his feet, covering up to last the round, but the damage has been done. More action in round nine, and an aggressive Casey manages to work his way inside and sees a nasty cut open over McAvoy’s partially closed left eye. After another round of indecisive action, the cut is reopened in round 11, and this time, there is an immediate stoppage. However, since the cut is ruled the result of an accidental clash of heads and not a punch, the scorecards are consulted and McAvoy, aided by the KD in round eight, takes a close but UTD 11 (96-93 on all three cards) to keep the belt. McAvoy improves to 38-18-6 (25) with the win. Casey dips to 37-20-5 (22) with the loss.

Last edited by JCWeb; 03-21-2020 at 06:57 PM.
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Old 03-26-2020, 01:17 PM   #1372
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June 1943 - Part 1 of 2

This report covers fistic action from the first half of June 1943; no WBA title bouts are included in this report.

Jun. 4, 1943: The month’s action commences with a Friday night card at Atlantic City’s Convention Hall. Kind of a light card, and the main event matches two top 10 LH contenders in a 10-round, non-title affair: Danny “Irish” Devlin and Harry “Kid” Matthews. First meeting of the two, and Devlin plants an uppercut on the chin that causes Matthews to cover up. As the bout wears on, Matthews’ corner is forced to deal with a rapidly swelling left eye. However, the punches landed stats indicate an extremely close bout and, at the end of the first five rounds, the unofficial scorer at ringside actually has Matthews in front (by a count of 49-46). In the second half of the bout, Matthews is content to stay on the outside and wait for Devlin to tire himself out attempting to force the action. By the final two rounds, both men are exhausted, but in round nine Devlin leaves himself open to a Matthews combination that results in a knockdown. Devlin is able to resume and manages to last the distance. In the end, Matthews is rewarded with a close but UD 10 (97-93, 96-93, 96-94), so the 10-8 9th round played a key part in the outcome. Post-bout career marks: Matthews, 22-2 (16); Devlin, 37-17-6 (16). With this win, Matthews inches further up the HW rankings and puts himself in line for a future title shot.

Jun. 5, 1943: Next card is at Chicago, and the NABF FW title is on the line in the main event. Georgie Hansford, who won the title in February, makes his first defense versus a formidable challenger, ex-WBA FW Champ Everett Rightmire. In three prior meetings, Hansford has won twice, Rightmire once. However, this is the first time the two have met with a title at stake. Rightmire, looking to re-establish his credentials after losing the WBA title to Harold Hoshino in his most recent outing, starts out aggressively, but can make little progress against some solid defense from Hansford. However, the action doesn’t heat up until round five, when Hansford lands a big shot, decking a surprised Rightmire. After barely beating the count, Rightmire arises, covers up and manages to last the round. At the midway point of the bout, Hansford has a nice points lead (58-55, according to the unofficial scorecard). Into the later rounds, and, with Hansford seeming to control the bout, Rightmire decides to become more aggressive, pressing the action after taking a round or two for the effects of the knockdown to wear off. He does land sufficient blows to cause some puffiness to appear around the right eye of Hansford. By round 10, with both men tiring, Rightmire steps up the attack, looking for a knockout or at least a knockdown. However, this does not happen, and he only leaves him open for more countershots from the Champion, who manages to cause a trace of swelling to appear under Rightmire’s left eye. The bout goes the full 12 and, while the unofficial scorer at ringside has Hansford hanging on for a close points win, the three judges scoring the fight felt differently; it was a narrow UD 12 for Rightmire (116-112, 114-113, 114-113), who rallied to win the last two rounds versus an overly cautious and perhaps overconfident Hansford. Rightmire takes the title and ups his record to 35-13-3 (14) overall. The loss leaves Hansford at 34-15-2 (11).

Jun. 5, 1943: Seattle’s Sicks Stadium hosts the next fight card, featuring recently dethroned WBA Flyweight Champ Jackie Jurich and unbeaten Flyweight prospect Dado Marino. In an unusual arrangement, the winner will be awarded the long dormant NABF Flyweight title but, as a consolation prize, the loser gets the lesser, but also vacant, USBA Fly title. With two boxers, in their first ever meeting, a lot of probing and posturing and, as expected, a long feeling-out process through the opening few rounds. The bout remains close through the first four or five rounds; at the midway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has it even (57-57). As the bout wears on, the greater experience and stamina of the savvy veteran Jurich gives him the upper hand. In round eight, Jurich fires a hard shot that drops Marino to the canvas; Marino arises after taking an eight count, then covers up to last the round. Marino battles back, becoming more aggressive as the rounds tick off, but he simply lacks the firepower to seriously trouble Jurich. However, near the end of round 11, Marino does manage to rip open a cut over Jurich’s left eye but, in the end, the cut does not prove to be a major factor in the outcome. The bout goes the distance, and Jurich takes a fairly comfortable UD 12 (117-110, 117-110, 116-111), capturing the title which had been vacant since Frankie Genaro’s retirement in 1938. Marino ends up being awarded the USBA title, previously held by Jurich prior to his stepping up to capture the WBA belt. Post-bout records: Jurich, 27-4-1 (17); Marino, 18-1 (12).

Jun. 11, 1943: Next is a Friday night gathering at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. Only bout of note is the main event, matching the “Croat Comet,” Fritzie Zivic, with another WW, Vic Dellicurti, in a 10-round, non-title bout. First meeting of the two, and Zivic, the more experienced of the two, sets the pace through the early going. By the midway point, Zivic has forged a solid points lead (49-46) on the unofficial card. Into the second half of the bout, Zivic remains the aggressor, forcing the action on the inside. The bout goes the rest of the way without incident, and Zivic goes on to take a UD 10 (99-90, 95-94, 99-90), winning by lopside margins from two of the three judges. Zivic, who recently lost his NABF WW title to the up-and-coming “Sugar” Ray Robinson, improves to 33-11-6 (15) with the win. For Dellicurti, his second straight loss against top-flight opposition drops him to 22-4 (11).

Jun. 12, 1943: The scene shifts to San Juan, Puerto Rico, for the next fistic action. Highlighting another light card is a MW encounter matching the reigning LABF MW Champ, Jose Basora, with ex-WBA Champ Ken Overlin, in a 10-round, non-title affair. The two had not met previously, and, as a consequence, there is a long sorting out process as each man probes for an opening. Not much to choose between the two in the early rounds and, by the midway point, the savvy veteran, Overlin, holds a slim one-point edge (48-47) over the hometown favorited Basora on the unofficial card. In round six, Overlin has a point deducted for low blows. Urged on by the Puerto Rican crowd, Basora seizes the initiative and becomes more and more aggressive. The bout remains extremely close headed into the final few rounds, and the stamina factor favors the younger man (Basora). With both men unmarked, the bout goes to the scorecards, and the UD 10 goes to Basora (96-93 on all three cards). Post-bout career marks: Basora, 22-2 (16); Overlin, 40-12-5 (14).

Jun. 12, 1943: Next card takes place at Pittsburgh. In the first of two co-features, former WBA MW Champ Tony Zale, “the Man of Steel,” continues on the comeback trail, facing Ernie Vigh in a 10-round, non-title bout. First meeting of the two, and Zale sets the pace in the early going, banging away on the inside and gradually building a solid points lead. Trouble for Vigh near the end of round three in the form of a cut under his left eye. By the end of the fourth round, Vigh’s left eye is beginning to puff up. However, Vigh manages to land a hard hook early in round five that sends Zale reeling. Momentarily out on his feet, the “Man of Steel” covers up, managing to last the round. A peek at the unofficial card at the halfway point shows Zale with a narrow one-point lead (48-47). Early in round seven, Zale connects with a stinging hook to the head that causes Vigh to cover up. In round nine, the cut under Vigh’s eye is reopened and, in addition to taking a pounding from Zale, the blood is flowing freely, so the ref steps in to call a halt. TKO 9 for Zale on the cuts stoppage, running his career totals to 35-4-1 (21); the loss leaves Vigh at 21-5 (15). A peek at the judges’ cards after eight showed Zale leading on two, while a third had the bout even. In the second co-feature, the USBA LH title is on the line, as Melio Bettina defends this belt against a strong challenger, former WBA LH Champ Archie Moore. First meeting of these two, and it is Bettina’s fourth title defense, although the most recent have ended in draws. Punches landed stats favor Moore in the early going and, by the end of round four, there is a trace of swelling under Bettina’s right eye. In round five, Bettina finally finds the range, hurting Moore with a right to the head, forcing the “Old Mongoose” to cover up. Moore recovers between rounds and, late in round six, he fires a jab that opens a cut on Bettina’s left eyebrow. At the midway point, Moore appears to be well in command, leading on points (60-57, according to the unofficial card), plus a solid stamina edge as the bout heads into its later rounds. In round eight, the cut over Bettina’s eye is reopened, and The bout goes the rest of the way without incident, no knockdowns, and Moore wins the USBA belt by taking a UD 12 (115-114, 117-111, 115-112). Post-bout records: Moore, 25-3-4 (18); Bettina, 28-6-6 (11).
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Old 03-27-2020, 05:17 PM   #1373
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I have to say, this Universe is the great example for my own universe! I started in 1883 and am working my way up to 1900 now... I don’t like writing things up, and use the quick play and auto scheduler way more than you, but this keeps things moving quicker. Love your work: please continue untill 2020!
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Old 03-28-2020, 02:25 PM   #1374
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Also 1 question. What are the changes you make to a fighter who moves up in weight?
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Old 03-28-2020, 04:40 PM   #1375
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Moving Up in Weight ...

… It depends. If the boxer in question is rated in the database for the higher weight class (Henry Armstrong, for example), I apply those ratings. If not, I try to remember to use the lower weight class and have the box "adjust for weight differences" clicked.
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Old 04-03-2020, 04:28 PM   #1376
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June 1943 - Part 2 of 2

This report covers fistic action from the second half of June 1943; four (!) WBA title bouts are included in this report.

Jun. 18, 1943: Next up is a Friday night card at Johannesburg’s Rand Stadium. Surprisingly few South African fighters on the card, and the only bout of note is the main event, matching two top LW contenders: Jack Kid Berg (“the Whitechapel Whirlwind”) versus Sammy “the Clutch” Angott. First meeting of the two, and Berg is on the comeback trail after losing the WBA LW title in his most recent outing. Angott, on the other hand, is coming off a successful defense of his USBA LW title. Berg starts well, and seems to be building a solid lead in the early rounds, according to the punches landed stats. By round five, there is noticeable swelling under the left eye of Angott, and, despite having a point taking away for hitting below the belt, Berg is ahead on the unofficial scorecard at the midway point (by a count of 48-47). In the second half of the bout, and Angott, who is primarily a boxer, tries to become more and more aggressive, seeking to force the action on the inside. In round seven, this tactic appears to be paying some dividends, as Berg’s corner is forced to deal with a rapidly swelling right eye. The bout remains close into the final few rounds, and Berg manages to escape with a razor thin MD 10 win (95-94, 94-94, 95-94). Post-bout career marks: Berg, 50-9-5 (16); Angott, 27-6-5 (10). There is talk of a rematch in two months’ time, although Berg may be more interested in pursuing another WBA title shot.

Jun. 19, 1943: Next card is in neutral Sweden, at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, and the main event pairs two top 10 HWs: American Roscoe Toles and German Walter “Der Blonde” Neusel. First meeting of the two, and the bout remains close through the opening few rounds. After a rather indifferent start, Toles comes on strongly in the middle rounds and, at the midway point, he has a points edge (49-47) on the unofficial scorer’s card. As the bout wears on, Neusel – sensing he is behind – becomes more and more aggressive, but Toles’ defense remains solid. the bout goes the full 10 with no cuts or knockdowns, and a strong second half from Neusel is enough to convince two of the three judges, and the end result is a SD 10 for Neusel (95-94, 94-95, 97-92). With the win, Neusel improves to 31-14-3 (21) overall. The loss leaves Toles at 36-12-3 (6).

Jun. 19, 1943: To the Cow Palace in San Francisco, scene of the first of four WBA title bouts this month, and the featured bout is amply supported by a NABF LW title bout, with Chino Alvarez and Bob “Bobcat” Montgomery matched in a contest for the vacant belt, held until recently by Baby Arizmendi, who stepped up to win the WBA LW crown. First meeting of the two, and not much in the way of action until round two, when a cut appears over the right eye of Alvarez. The cut is patched up quickly, but reopened early in round four. It takes only a few seconds for the blood to begin flowing freely, necessitating an early stoppage. Montgomery, who is declared a TKO 4 winner, raises his career record to an excellent 22-1-2 (15); he lifts the NABF title belt in triumph for the first title of his career. The loss drops the veteran Alvarez to 41-16-5 (23). The win marks Montgomery as a future WBA title contender. In the main event, Midget Wolgast, now into his second title reign, puts his WBA Flyweight title on the line, facing Scottish challenger Jackie Paterson, who has recently emerged as the GBU Flyweight titleholder. Strong start from Paterson, who impresses with a solid opening round. By the end of the third round, a welt has formed under the left eye of the Champion. Wolgast bounces back with a strong round five, ripping open a cut over the right eye of the challenger. After five, the unofficial scorecard has a slim points lead (48-47) in favor of Paterson. In round eight, the cut over Paterson’s eye is reopened. As the bout wears on, it becomes apparent that Wolgast has lost a step or two, and that the stamina factor weighs heavily in the favor of the younger challenger (Paterson). In round 10, the bout comes to a sudden end – not because of the cut over Paterson’s eye, but because the swelling around Wolgast’s eye – now almost totally closed – has led to a stoppage and a TKO 10 for Paterson, who becomes the new Champion. Thus, Wolgast’s second title reign comes to an abrupt end after just three months, compared to his long initial reign, which lasted nine years (from 1931 to 1940). Post-bout career marks: Paterson, 19-3-1 (14); Wolgast, 58-10-1 (19). With the loss, Wolgast has now hit End career stage.

Jun. 25, 1943: Next is a Friday night card at Mexico City. Only bout of note is the main event, but it is for the WBA BW title, with Champ Benny Goldberg making his second title defense. His opponent is hometown favorite, newly crowned LABF BW Champ Luis Castillo, “the Pocket Battleship.” First meeting of the two, and Goldberg wastes little time breaking down Castillo’s defenses; by the end of round two, there is already a welt forming under the left eye of the Mexican challenger. Goldberg continues to dominate the action through the early rounds, and he has a firm points lead (50-44 on the unofficial card) after five. The bout comes to a sudden end late in round six when Goldberg, hammering away at a hapless Castillo, dishes out sufficient punishment for the ref to step in and call an early halt. TKO 6 for Goldberg, who improves to 24-2-2 (11) with the win. For Castillo, his second loss in his last three outings drops him to 18-4 (10). A very dominant performance by Goldberg in all aspects; interesting to note, however, that despite winning three WBA title contests (and remaining unbeaten since hitting Prime career stage), Goldberg’s perf point totals are only the fourth best in the BW division (below those of Kui Kong Young, Manuel Ortiz, and K. O. Morgan).

Jun. 26, 1943: The scene shifts to London’s Harringay Arena, and another WBA title contest tops the agenda. In the main event, Freddie Apostoli makes his first defense of the WBA MW title, facing the challenger, reigning EBU MW Champ Marcel Cerdan. For Cerdan, it is his third try for a WBA title, and he enters the bout as a slight favorite, having bested Apostoli in one prior meeting, back in 1936, when both were at Pre-Prime. After a couple of non-descript opening rounds, Cerdan takes charge in round three, moving inside and doing some damage to win the round by a wide margin. By the end of round four, there is noticeable puffiness around the right eye of Apostoli. However, after a couple of good rounds for the Champ, the unofficial card has the bout even (48-48) after the first five rounds of action. Early in round six, Apostoli gets lucky when he catches Cerdan with a combination, flooring the challenger, who covers up and manages to last the round. Into the middle rounds, and the bout continues to be a close one, with Cerdan, still the aggressor, beginning to carry his hands low. Slight punches landed edge for Apostoli, but the challenger’s punches still are delivered with a lot of zip. As the bout wears on, Apostoli appears content to box from the inside, while Cerdan is constantly moving forward, forcing most of the action. In round eight, a Cerdan uppercut finds its target, and Apostoli goes down, arising at the count of six. Cerdan has another good round in the ninth, and the stamina factor appears to favor the challenger. With five rounds remaining, Cerdan still trails on the unofficial card (by a count of 95-94), although he has landed sufficient leather to cause Apostoli’s other eye – the left one – to puff up. After another big round for Cerdan in the 11th, Apostoli decides to come out of his defensive posture and to become more proactive. However, he leaves himself open to countershots from Cerdan and, late in round 13, a Cerdan combination sends the Champ tumbling to the canvas for the second time. While Apostoli is able to regain his footing, the damage has been done, and Cerdan goes on to take the title with a solid UD 15 (147-136, 147-136, 146-137), winning the last eight rounds on all three cards to secure the win. Post-bout career marks: Cerdan, 36-4-2 (25); Apostoli, 31-10-2 (23).

Jun. 26, 1943: Final card of the month, in New York City, also features a WBA title clash, but first, the main support bout matches and up-and-coming unbeaten FW Willie Pep in his toughest test to date, as he takes on Petey Scalzo, a former WBA FW Champion, who is on the comeback trail, having won two in a row since losing the WBA title in 1942. First meeting of the two, and Pep peppers his opponent with punches from long range, seizing the upper hand in the early going. By the midway point of the scheduled 10-rounder, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Pep with a large lead (50-45). Scalzo, who is at Post-Prime, lacks the stamina to stage a rally, while Pep remains fresh as a daisy, even as the bout heads into its later rounds. Late in round nine, Pep rocks Scalzo with a three-punch combo. The bout goes the distance, and Pep takes an impressive UD 10 (98-92, 99-91, 98-92) , upping his career totals to 19-0 (13) and continuing his rise up the FW ranks. The loss leaves Scalzo at 25-4-2 (14). In the main event, Joe Louis is on hand to make another defense of his WBA HW title, this time taking on LABF HW Champ Alberto Santiago Lovell. Second meeting of these two; their first encounter, back in 1936 when both were at Pre-Prime, ended in a first round TKO for Louis. This time around, Lovell manages to survive the opening round, as the “Brown Bomber” seems content to toy with his lightly regarded, less talented opponent. After a good round two, Louis moves inside in round three, landing some punishing blows, but Lovell is able to hang on and last the round. More of the same in round four, and a mouse forms under Lovell’s left eye by the end of the round. Lovell actually has a slight edge in round five and, after five, Louis has only a slight edge (48-47) on the unofficial card. Into the middle rounds, and Louis continues to pound away, and, while the game Argentine fighter has been taking a beating, it is not until two-thirds of the way through the eighth round that he goes down, from a Louis cross. Lovell is able to arise after taking an eight count, but relentless pressure from Louis, who lands a powerful uppercut, is sufficient to cause the ref step in to call a halt. TKO 8 for Louis. Post-bout records: Louis, 44-1-1 (42); Lovell, 29-14-1 (23).
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Old 04-09-2020, 01:44 PM   #1377
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July 1943 - Part 1 of 2

This report covers fistic action from the first half of July 1943; one WBA title bout is included in this report.

July 2, 1943: The month’s action commences with a Friday night card at Boston Gardens. The main event matches two veteran FWs, Petey Sarron and British, Commonwealth and European FW Champ Dave Crowley, in a 10-round, non-title contest. Third meeting of these two, and both prior matchups were won by Sarron; however, the good news for Crowley is that Sarron has recently hit End career stage, while Crowley is still at Prime. With two boxers, the bout devolves into a tactical battle, with both men probing for openings. Not much action of note until late in round four, when Crowley digs a left hook to the body that makes Sarron wince. However, at the midway point, the unofficial card has Sarron well ahead (by a count of 50-45). In the second half of the bout, Crowley continues to bang away and, by the end of the sixth, there is a trace of swelling under the right eye of Sarron. After a couple of strong rounds, Crowley appears to be on the verge of turning things around, keeping the issue in doubt into the later rounds. The bout comes down to the wire, and Crowley does enough to take a SD 10 (94-96, 96-94, 96-94). Post-bout career marks: Crowley, 37-25-1 (15); Sarron, 41-24-6 (11).

July 3, 1943: Next card is at Havana’s Gran Stadium, and it features a WBA title bout. Two supporting bouts (both 10-round, non-title affairs) are of note. In the first of these, EBU LW Champ Aldo Spoldi faces another top 10 LW contender, American Willie Joyce. No prior meetings of these two, and, while Spoldi seems to have the upper hand in the early going, he is felled by a wicked combination from Joyce near the end of the fourth round, bouncing back at the count of three. At the halfway point, the bout is extremely close, and the unofficial scorer at ringside has it even (47-47). Into the second half of the but, and it is Spoldi who presses the action, moving inside while Joyce, on the other hand, prefers to remain on the outside. The bout remains close to the end, with both fighters exhibiting signs of fatigue as the bout wears on. The bout goes the distance without further incident, and Spoldi takes a SD 10 (94-96, 96-94, 95-94), running his career record to 43-12-5 (17). The loss leaves Joyce at 23-5-3 (12). In the second of the two main supports, another EBU Champion, WW Gustav Eder, faces another US fighter, Georgie Crouch. Since this is their first meeting, a long feeling-out process is in order; however, in round three, Eder uppercut rips open a nasty looking cut over Crouch’s right eye. While some good cornerwork closes the cut, it is reopened in round four. At the midway point, Eder has opened a healthy lead (49-46) on the unofficial scorer’s card. In round six, the cut over Crouch’s eye is reopened a second time and, this time, it continues to ooze blood headed into the seventh round. Eder continues to grind away, while Crouch, trailing on points, becomes increasingly desperate as the bout heads into the final few rounds. Despite the cut over Crouch’s eye being reopened a third time, the bout goes the distance, and Eder takes a fairly comfortable UD 10 (97-93, 98-93, 98-93), with the cut playing a major role. Post-bout career marks: 42-11-10 (9) for Eder; 24-9-4 (12) for Crouch. Then, in the main event, Cuban fan favorite National Kid challenges Harold Hoshino for Hoshino’s WBA FW title. First meeting of the two and, after a solid opening round from Hoshino, there is some puffiness under the left eye of the challenger. Buoyed by the Cuban fight fans, Kid manages to keep the bout close and, after the first five rounds, the unofficial scorer has Hoshino with a narrow one-point lead (48-47). Furthermore, there is a trace of swelling around the right eye of the Champ. Hoshino gradually pulls further ahead in the middle rounds and, midway through round nine, with both men beginning to tire, Hoshino puts Kid on the deck with a sharp combination. Kid regains his footing at the count of seven, and he covers up to last the round. After 10 rounds, the unofficial card shows Hoshino with an even larger points lead (97-92). In round 11, Hoshino puts Kid down for a second time. The bout goes the rest of the way without incident, and Hoshino takes a fairly comfortable UD 15 (147-137, 148-136, 147-137), having broken open a close bout. With the win, Hoshino improves to 31-3-2 (16) overall. The loss leaves Kid at 22-3-2 (10).

July 9, 1943: To San Juan, Puerto Rico for the next fistic action, a Friday night card at the Escobar Stadium. No titles at stake, and the main event showcases the #1 ranked WW, hometown favorite Cocoa Kid, in a non-title bout versus 20-2 Norman Rubio. First meeting of the two, but Rubio is coming off a celebrated win over veteran Barney Ross; Kid, the reigning LABF WW Champ, has won his last three, including a MD 10 over another veteran campaigner, long-time WBA LW Champ Tony Canzoneri. The two boxers circle each other, probing for openings, through much of the early going. Slight edge for Kid in terms of punches landed and, by the midway point of the bout, this translates into a narrow one-point lead (48-47) on the unofficial card. Into the later rounds, and Rubio gradually becomes more aggressive; meanwhile, Kid has a significant stamina advantage. No cuts or knockdowns, and the bout, which goes the distance, ends up being surprisingly close, with Kid taking a MD 10 (96-95, 95-95, 97-93) despite a huge lead in the punches landed stats. With the win, Kid improves to 45-8-4 (13). The loss, Rubio’s third in his four most recent outings, leaves him at 20-3 (12).

July 10, 1943: Next up is a card north of the border at Vancouver’s Exhibition Gardens. Featured in the main event are HW contender Elmer Ray and Jack Trammell. The two have met twice before, with Ray winning both, once via TKO and once, via a MD 10. However, this time around, the situation may be different, as Ray is at End career stage, while Trammell is still at Prime. After a couple of close opening rounds, Trammell moves forward and does some damage working on the inside in round three. He follows up with a stunning hook to the head that puts Ray down for a seven-count in the fourth. However, the situation changes dramatically in round five, with Ray connecting with some sharp blows, causing cuts to open under Trammell’s right eye and also above the left eye and, before the round can come to an end, the ref steps in to call a halt. TKO 5 for Ray, who improves to 46-16-1 (33) with the win. Tough loss for Trammell, now 33-15 (16), as the fourth round KD had him well ahead on points on all three cards.

July 10, 1943: The scene shifts to Los Angeles, and the key bout is the main event, for the NABF BW title, matching defending Champ David Kui Kong Young versus challenger Manuel Ortiz, holder of the USBA BW title belt. Second meeting of these two and, in their first meeting, also in Los Angeles, Kui Kong Young took a SD 10 verdict. Close opening few rounds, and with Ortiz holding his own until Kui Kong Young takes charge, winning most of the exchanges in round five, which sees both men battling away on the inside, seeking to gain the upper hand. At the midway point of the but, Kui Kong Young has pulled ahead (by a count of 59-56) on the unofficial card. As the bout wears on, the stamina factor weighs heavily in Kui Kong Young’s favor. Undaunted, Ortiz continues to press the action, aggressively probing for openings. Round 10 turns out to be Ortiz’s best, and he manages to land a few stinging blows that cause some puffiness to appear around the left eye of the Champ. However, Kui Kong Young’s defense remains firm, and he manages to hold off a late onslaught by Ortiz and escape with a draw (115-113 Kui Kong Young, 114-114, 113-115 Ortiz), just barely escaping after dropping the last three rounds to a surging Ortiz on all three cards. Post-bout career marks: Kui Kong Young, 28-1-4 (16); Ortiz, 22-4-2 (14). While there is talk of a rematch, both these guys are also looking ahead, to a possible WBA title shot versus WBA BW Champ Benny Goldberg.

July 16, 1943: To Sydney, Australia, for another Friday Night fights “Down Under” card, and it’s a light one indeed, with the feature being a non-title contest pitting the Commonwealth LH Champ, hometown favorite Jack A. Johnson versus visiting American LH Jimmy “Irish” Webb. No prior meetings and, therefore, a long feeling-out process with neither fighter achieving a tangible advantage. At the halfway point, the unofficial scorer has Johnson in front, but only by a narrow one-point (49-48) margin. The bout remains close as the rounds tick off, and the stamina factor seems to favor Webb. Punches landed stats also favor Webb. In round eight, a cut appears over Webb’s left eye. Johnson steps up the pressure in the final two rounds, but his attack lacks steam and, in the end, the cut is not a factor. The result is a SD 10 which gives the nod to Webb (94-97 Johnson, 97-94 Webb, 97-94 Webb), much to the dismay of Johnson and his many supporters here in Sydney. Post-bout records: Webb, 26-7-1 (10); Johnson, 20-4 (16).
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Old 04-15-2020, 10:11 AM   #1378
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July 1943 - Part 2 of 2

This report covers fistic action from the second half of July 1943; one WBA title bout is included in this report.

July 17, 1943: Neutral Sweden is the site of the next fight card, with Flyweights topping the action in Gothenburg’s Ullevi Stadium. In the feature, former EBU Fly Champ Istvan Enekes faces Raoul DeGryse; it is a rematch of an earlier bout in 1940 which ended in a UD win for Enekes. Some solid boxing in the early going by Enekes enables him to build a points advantage (49-47 on the unofficial card) at the midway point. Into the second half of the bout, and DeGryse simply lacks the firepower to mount a rally, and so Enekes is able to grind out a UD 10 win (98-93, 99-92, 97-94). Post-bout career marks: Enekes, 40-14-2 (12); DeGryse, 23-8-2 (14).

July 17, 1943
: Next card is at Detroit’s Briggs Stadium. In the main event, “Sugar” Ray Robinson, still unbeaten in his young career, makes the second defense of his NABF WW title, taking one Jimmy “Mud Flats Kid” Garrison, in the first meeting of the two. Robinson gets off to a slow start, falling behind after a couple of rather ambivalent opening rounds. Garrison, for his part, adopts a more cautious approach, forcing “Sugar Ray” to dictate the pace of the bout. However, by round five, Robinson comes to life, recovering from his sluggish start with a strong round, ripping open a cut over Garrison’s right eye, and also causing some puffiness to appear under that same eye. Late in round six, the bout comes to a sudden end as Robinson decked Garrison with an overhand right, and the challenger is unable to beat the count. KO 6 for Robinson, who wraps up the Pre-Prime stage of his career with a perfect 20-0 (14) career mark. The loss leaves Garrison at 28-9-3 (2). Another big win for “Sugar Ray,” cementing his position as a future star.

July 23, 1943
: To Johannesburg, South Africa for the next fistic action, and the featured match for the WBA LW title sees homegrown fighter and current Commonwealth LW Champ Laurie Stevens in his first ever WBA title shot, challenging Baby Arizmendi, who was won WBA titles in both the FW and LW divisions. First meeting of the two and, after a couple of uneventful opening two rounds, Stevens steps inside to try to put pressure on the Champ. Arizmendi holds off the challenger and, in round four, moves inside and does some damage, causing some initial swelling to appear under the left eye of Stevens. After the first five, the unofficial scorer has Arizmendi ahead (by a count of 49-47). In round six, Stevens lands a hard hook, rocking the Mexican Champ who covers up and manages to last the round. Stevens follows up with another strong round in the seventh, and there is some puffiness around Arizmendi’s left eye as the Champ returns to his corner at the end of the round. After another good round for the challenger in round eight, Arizmendi decides to adopt a less passive approach, challenging his South African challenger on the inside. With the stamina factor favoring Stevens, the challenger eases up a bit as the bout heads into the final rounds, with the issue very much in doubt. After ten, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Stevens in front (97-94), having awarded all five of the middle rounds to Stevens. Then, with both men swinging away in round 12, Stevens uses his jab to set up a hard cross, staggering Arizmendi who, all of a sudden, cannot fend for himself. With seconds remaining in the round, the ref steps in to call a halt. With the TKO 12 win, Stevens becomes the first South African to win a WBA title, improving to 34-9-1 (21). The loss leaves Arizmendi 48-10-4 (10).

July 24, 1943: Next up is a card at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Topping the agenda is a NABF title contest, but first up, in the main supporting bout, are two ranked MW contenders, Al “Savage Slav” Hostak and Teddy Yarosz. Hostak holds a prior UD win in 1939, and he expects to repeat his earlier success, given that Yarosz is now at Post-Prime career stage. The bout is a close one through the first half of the bout, with Yarosz holding his own, and the unofficial scorer at ringside has Yarosz with a slim lead (48-47) at the midway point. In round six, Hostak gets on track, dominating the action and landing sufficient blows to cause some initial puffiness under the left eye of Yarosz. As the bout heads into the later rounds, Hostak continues to take the fight to Yarosz, but Yarosz battles back, winning rounds eight and nine, going on to take a very close MD 10 (96-94, 96-94, 95-95), surprising Hostak and his supporters and running his career record to 40-28-5 (13) with the win. Hostak is 35-9-1 (27) after the loss. In the feature, Lloyd Marshall defends his NABF LH title, facing challenger Tony Shucco, a former NABF LH titleholder. Both men have also briefly held the WBA LH title, but this represents their first meeting inside the square circle. After a couple of listless opening rounds, Marshall connects with a three-punch combo early in the third, staggering Shucco. Shucco manages to survive the round by covering up, but it goes into the books as a big round for Marshall. Then, in round five, Shucco manages to find the range with some effective punches, and he does sufficient damage to cause some puffiness to appear around the left eye of Marshall. At the midway point of the bout, Shucco has managed to pull ahead on points (58-56), according to the unofficial card. Into the second half of the bout and Marshall, with the stamina edge, begins to assert himself, gradually wearing down a very tired opponent in Shucco. Marshall rocks Shucco with another effective three-punch combination just before the bell in round nine; despite his exhaustion, Shucco manages to battle back, taking the fight to Marshall in the final two rounds, and Marshall is fortunate to secure a draw (114-115 Shucco, 115-113 Marshall, 114-114), retaining the title. Post-bout career records: Marshall, 24-4-3 (22); Shucco, 38-16-4 (14).

July 30, 1943: To South America for a Friday night card at the Nueva Circa in Caracas, Venezuela. Topping the agenda is a LABF title contest, but an important supporting bout is first, matching two top BW contenders in a 10-round, non-title affair. Two former WBA Champions Pablo Dano and Panama Al Brown square off for the fourth time in their respective careers, with Brown holding a 3-0 edge in their prior meetings. Decent but cautious start by both men, and the bout remains close through the opening rounds. At the midway point, the unofficial scorer has Panama Al ahead (by a count of 49-46), and Brown has a slight lead in the punches landed stat as well. After Brown takes round six with another solid performance, Dano decides to move inside and press the action on the inside. After a good round in the seventh, Dano begins to tire, and his punches lack sting as the bout draws to a close. With no knockdowns and both men unmarked, the bout goes to decision, and Brown takes a comfortable UD 10 (98-92 on all three cards). This boosts Brown’s career totals to 70-15-2 (25), while Dano, who will hit End career stage with his next outing, ending the bout at 42-19-6 (18). Then, in the feature, Jose Basora makes the third defense of his LABF MW title; his opponent, ex-LABF MW Champ Antonio Fernandez, is a familiar foe; the two met twice before, both for this same belt, with Basora winning both times, capturing the belt via a MD 12 in his native Puerto Rico in early 1942. This time around, starts well, aggressively moving inside in round three to put the pressure on the Chilean challenger. However, Basora is off target and Fernandez quickly turns the tables, winning rounds three and four. By the end of round five, Basora is showing signs of wear and tear, with a noticeable welt forming under his right eye. At the midway point, the unofficial scorer has Basora on top (by a 59-56 count), despite the fact that the punches landed stat gives an edge to Fernandez. As the bout wears on, Basora remains the more active of the two, mixing an outside and inside attack, while Fernandez continues to box from the outside. Basora’s aggressive seems to pay off, as a trace of telltale swelling appears around Fernandez’ right eye by the end of round nine. In round 10, a Basora hook puts Fernandez on the deck, and the challenger barely beats the count, arising at the count of nine and covering up to last the round. The final two rounds have a desperate and exhausted Fernandez trying to mount a rally, but to no avail, as Basora retains the belt, but not without some controversy, as the SD 12 verdict (115-112, 113-114, 115-112) means one judge had Fernandez winning. Post-bout career marks: Basora, 23-2 (16); Fernandez, 35-18-4 (12).

July 31, 1943: The month wraps with a solid card at the Olympia in London. Two key bouts are on the menu. In the first co-feature, veteran LH contender and ex-WBA Champ “Slapsie Maxie” Rosenbloom faces the current GBU LH Champ, “Fearless Freddie” Mills, in a matchup that spans two generations, with Mills being cheered on by a friendly hometown crowd. It is the second meeting of the two, with Rosenbloom taking a MD 10, back in 1941, also in London, but since then, Maxie has slipped into End career stage, so there is some reason for confidence in the Mills corner. Rosenbloom comes out swinging, and by the end of round two, he has inflicted sufficient blows to cause some initial puffiness around Mills’ right eye. Mills manages to bounce back with some sharp punching of his own and, by round five, there is also some swelling under the right eye of Rosenbloom. Additionally, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Mills ahead on points (49-46) at the midway point after awarding rounds three, four and five to the British fighter. In second half of the bout, Mills continues as the aggressor, and both men begin to show signs of fatigue as early as round seven. In the final few rounds, trailing, Rosenbloom rises to the occasion, outhitting Mills in terms of punches landed, winning the last two rounds; this enables him to scoop up a close but UD 10 (96-94, 96-95, 96-94). With the win, “Maxie” runs his career record to 55-18-6 (18), while the loss leaves Mills at 24-7-1 (14). In the second co-feature, homegrown Flyweight boxers put their talents on display, as Teddy Gardner takes on EBU Flyweight Champ Peter Kane for Gardner’s Commonwealth Flyweight title; Kane’s EBU belt is not at stake, and neither is the GBU Fly title recently vacated by Jackie Paterson who moved up to win the WBA Fly title belt. First meeting of the two and, after a big opening round for Kane, the two fighters settle in to a tactical battle, with Kane managing to work his way inside and drop Kane with a big hook late in round six. Although Kane is able to regain his footing, the damage was done, and Kane has a comfortable lead at the halfway point (59-54), according to the unofficial scorecard. Kane continues to hammer away with another strong round in the seventh, which sees some puffiness appear around the right eye of Gardner. However, a big turnaround takes place in round eight, as Gardner battles back, ripping open a cut over Kane’s right eye and also landed sufficient leather to cause the eye to puff up as well. Some good cornerwork patches up the cut, but it is reopened in round nine, which closes with a furious rush by Kane, ending with Gardner being saved by the bell after a hard shot from Kane resulted in a second knockdown. With the cut not a factor and with Gardner looking exhausted, Kane follows up with a third KD (via an uppercut) in round 11 and goes on to take a fairly lopsided UD 12 (116-109 on all three cards) to add the CBU title to his EBU belt. Post-bout records: Kane, 27-4-1 (11); Gardner, 20-3-1 (10).
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Old 04-24-2020, 05:06 PM   #1379
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Aug. 1943 - Part 1 of 2

This report covers fistic action from the first half of August 1943; no WBA title bouts but there will be four in the second half of the month.

Aug. 6, 1943: The month commences with a Friday night card at the Syracuse War Memorial Auditorium. Featured in the main event is a USBA WW title, with Eddie Dolan defending that belt against challenger Jackie Wilson. Second meeting of the two, with Dolan having taken a SD 10 win in some non-title action. This time around, with a belt on the line, Dolan gets off to a strong start, winning the opening three rounds. Dolan continues to dominate the action in the middle rounds and, at the midway point of the bout, he holds a comfortable points lead (60-54) on the unofficial card. Into the later rounds, and Dolan simply continues to grind away, gradually wearing down his opponent as the bout wears on. Never seriously challenged in this one, Dolan goes on to take a UD 12 (115-114, 117-112, 117-112), easing up in the final few rounds after suffering a cut over his left eye late in the bout. Post-bout career marks: Dolan, 39-10-5 (14); Wilson, 26-7-2 (16).

Aug. 7, 1943: Next is an exciting card at Philadelphia. A NABF title clash tops the agenda, but first up are a compel of interesting preliminary contests. In one of these, highly regarded LH prospect Ezzard Charles is in action, facing an aging veteran, Harry Balsamo. It is billed as “the Cincinnati Cobra” versus “Harlem’s Battling Brakeman” is at Detroit’s Briggs Stadium. Great start by Charles, who unleashes a flurry of blows in the opening round and does not let up until he decks Balsamo with a big hook late in round three. Balsamo is unable to beat the count, and it goes down as a KO 3 for Charles, who remains unbeaten at 16-0 (14). For Balsamo, it is the final chapter of his career, as he retires with a 22-13-2 (15) career mark. In the main supporting bout, popular LW contender Lenny “Boom Boom” Mancini faces Pedro “Toro de Cayey” Montanez, a former LABF LW titleholder who is nearing the end of his career. Better stamina and defense from Mancini, who seems content to outwait Montanez, stepping up the pace once the Puerto Rican veteran has punched himself out. By round four, some accurate punching from “Boom Boom” has caused some initial swelling to appear around the left eye of Montanez. By the halfway point of the bout, Mancini has opened up a nice points lead (49-45) on the unofficial card. As the bout heads into the later rounds, Montanez tires badly and offers little in resistance, so it ends up as a solid UD 10 win for Mancini (97-92, 98-92, 97-92). Post-bout marks: 22-6-3 (6) for Mancini; 35-16 (17) for Montanez. Finally, time for the main event, and Charley Burley faces challenger George Abrams for Burley’s NABF MW title. First meeting of the two, and Abrams is coming off a solid win over ex-WBA Champ Teddy Yarosz to set up this matchup with Burley, now the #1 ranked MW contender. After a couple of uneventful opening rounds, Burley moves inside in round three and does some good work, building up points. Abrams, however, is able to hold his own and, at the midway point, the unofficial scorer at ringside has the bout even (57-57). Burley continues to press forward, and by round eight, he has landed sufficient blows to cause some puffiness to appear under Abrams’ right eye. As the bout heads into the later stages, Abrams begins to become more aggressive, sensing that the bout is devolving in Burley’s favor. However, Burley remains firmly in control the rest of the way, and he takes a well deserved UD 12 (116-113, 117-111, 117-112), defending the NABF title for the sixth time, his 12th win in a row, for a post-bout record of 33-1 (23). The loss leaves Abrams at 23-6-2 (10).

Aug. 7, 1943
: To Western Canada, specifically the Edmonton Gardens, for the next fight card. As expected, Canadian boxers are featured, including in the main event, which sees Lou Brouillard making his fifth defense of his Commonwealth MW title. His opponent, the “Rochdale Thunderbolt,” GBU MW Champ Jock McAvoy, is a familiar foe; the two have met three times previously, with a win, a draw and a loss for each. As the bout devolves, McAvoy assumes the role of aggressor, with Brouillard relying on defense and general boxing skills to keep his opponent at bay. Nothing much happens until midway through round four, when a Brouillard cross drops McAvoy on his back; the British challenger scrambles to his feet as the count reaches five, and McAvoy successfully covers up to last the round. Into the middle rounds, and the bout seems to be going Brouillard’s way: he has a nice edge in the punches landed stat, plus the unofficial scorer at ringside has him ahead on points (by 58-55) at the halfway point. McAvoy does appear to have sufficient stamina to mount a rally, and he comes through with a strong round in the seventh, his blows inflicting sufficient damage to cause some initial swelling to appear under the left eye of Brouillard. McAvoy appears to have plenty left for the final few rounds, while Brouillard appears to be gassed. A short hook to the midsection by McAvoy causes the Canadian Champ to cover up but still remain upright in round 11. The bout goes right up to the final bell with the issue very much in doubt, due to a strong finish by McAvoy. Despite one “hometown” judge holding out for Brouillard, McAvoy convinces the other two and takes a SD 12 (112-114, 114-112, 114-112), ending Brouillard's title reign and improving to 39-19-6 (25) overall. Brouillard, who was already at End career stage, drops to 37-18-3 (17) with the loss.

Aug. 13, 1943: To South Africa next for a Friday night card at Johannesburg’s Rand Stadium. Only bout of interest on the comparatively light card is the main event, matching a couple of former WW regional titleholders on the comeback trail, namely, ex-USBA WW Champ Izzy Jannazzo and ex-EBU WW Champ Bep Van Klaveren. Solid opening round from Jannazzo, whose punches find the range and cause some puffiness to form under the left eye of the Dutch fighter. By the midway point of the bout, Van Klaveren is doing better, landing repeatedly and causing some initial swelling around Jannazzo’s left eye; the unofficial card has the Dutchman in front (49-48) at this point. This close bout sees both fighters taking a more aggressive approach, to the delight of the fight fans, headed into the later rounds of the bout. No one seems to have the upper hand as the rounds tick off in a tense battle. The bout goes the full distance without any cuts or knockdowns and, after the scorecards are read, the UD 10 nod goes to Jannazzo, by the narrowest of margins (96-95 on all three cards). A peek at the cards indicates that Jannazzo came from behind, winning the last two rounds from all three judges. Post-bout career records: Jannazzo, 36-7-4 (13); Van Klaveren, 38-16-9 (12). The win re-establishes Jannazzo’s credentials as a top flight WW contender, despite the recent loss of the USBA WW title to Eddie Dolan.

Aug. 14, 1943: To Havana’s Gran Stadium for the next fistic action, and featured is a LABF FW title bout, with Filio Julian Echevarria making his third title defense against Cuban fan favorite Diego Sosa whom, though still at pre-Prime, is making his first appearance in a main event in his first ever title bout of any kind. First meeting of the two, so, as expected, a long feeling-out process and very limited action through the opening rounds of the contest. Suddenly, action picks up midway through round three, when Sosa drops Echevarria with a combination. The Champ quickly regains his footing, then covers up and manages to survive the round. With the momentum of the fight having swung in the challenger’s favor, Sosa finds himself unable to take immediate advantage, with Echevarria’s defense stiffening as the bout heads into the middle rounds. In round six, however, an overhand right from the Cuban challenger finds the range, toppling Echevarria to the deck for a second time. Despite the two KDs, at the midway point, the unofficial scorer has Sosa with only a narrow one-point lead (57-56). Punches la landed stats are roughly even, and Sosa has a slight advantage in the stamina category, despite not having gone beyond 10 rounds in his career thus far. The bout remains close as it heads into the later stages, with Sosa continuing to play the role of an aggressive challenger, much to the delight of the Cuban fight fans here in Havana. The final few rounds see a weary Echevarria, now carrying his hands low, looking exhausted and listless while Sosa, the fresher of the two, pursues his opponent around the ring but also is more frequently off target with his punches. It comes down to the judges’ decision, and, to the delight of the pro-Sosa crowd, their man take a MD 12 verdict (114-113, 114-114, 115-112) to capture the title – this despite losing the last three rounds on all three cards. Post-bout career marks: Sosa, 17-2-1 (14); Echevarria, 41-19-6 (12). The win wraps up the pre-Prime stage of Sosa’s career but, for Echevarria, he is now just a few bouts away from retirement.

Aug. 14, 1943: Next fistic action takes place in St. Louis, where Ben “the Belter” Brown faces Allen Matthews for Matthews’ USBA MW title. First meeting of the two; Brown has won his last three to set up this title shot, while Matthews has remained unbeaten (two wins and draw) since falling short in a match with Charley Burley for Burley’s NABF title belt. The opening rounds see a lot of jockeying for position, with both boxers probing for an opening. Late in round three, a Brown uppercut lands, and a seriously looking gash appears over Matthews’ right eye. The cut is reopened and leads to a stoppage a couple of rounds later, but it is ruled the result of an accidental butt, not a punch, so the outcome is decided based on the judges’ cards after four. This enables Matthews to retain the title via a technical draw (39-37, 38-38, 38-38), a tough break for Brown who was ahead on the punches landed, plus many observers saw the cut caused by a punch, and not a butt. So, for the second time in three title defenses, Matthews prevails in a controversial ending (and early defense saw him prevail on a disputed foul call). Post-bout career records: Matthews, 36-14-5 (25); Brown, 29-8-3 (18).

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Old 05-01-2020, 04:26 PM   #1380
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Aug. 1943 - Part 2 of 2

This report covers fistic action from the second half of August 1943; as promised, four WBA title bouts are covered in this report.

Aug. 20, 1943: Friday Night fights “Down Under” take place at Melbourne, with a contest for the Commowealth LW title, recently vacated by Laurie Stevens, who stepped up and captured the WBA LW crown. Long-time GBU LW titleholder Harry Mizler is one of the protagonists contending for the vacant belt; the other, despite still being at Pre-Prime career stage, is young Aussie LW slugger Vic Patrick. First meeting of these two, and also the first title shot of any kind for Patrick; for Mizler, now at Post-Prime career stage, this represents his fourth try at this same belt, having come up short on three prior occasions (twice losing to Jack Kid Berg and, more recently, to Laurie Stevens. Patrick, who has plenty of hometown crowd support, starts strongly, winning the opening round, then stunning the veteran Mizler with a solid jab early in round two. Mizler wisely covers up to last the round, and big uppercut from Patrick early in the third round causes a similar reaction. By the midway point, Patrick has a nice lead (58-55) on the unofficial card, but Mizler has gradually done well enough to work his way back into the bout. Headed into the second half of the bout, both the punches landed stats and the stamina favor weigh in Patrick’s favor, but he is unable to put away the very stubborn British Champion until – in the final minute of the ninth round, an overhand right finds the range, and Mizler drops to the canvas, unable to beat the count. KO 9 for Patrick, who becomes the new Commonwealth LW Champion. Post-bout career marks: Patrick, 17-1 (13); Mizler, 25-18-6 (6).

Aug. 21, 1943: Next up is a card at Gothenburg, Sweden, and in the main event, Max Schmeling, still unable to arrange a WBA title shot versus Joe Louis, makes another defense of the EBU HW title, facing countryman Walter Neusel for the fifth time. Of the previous meetings, Schmeling won three (with one draw), the two most recent for this same EBU HW belt both going in Max’s favor. Schmeling takes charge from the opening bell, landing repeatedly to the extent that there is a welt forming under Neusel’s right eye by the end of the first round. Neusel steadies himself and does well in round two, and both fighters land some solid blows in an action-packed third round. Into the middle rounds, Schmeling seems to be in control but Neusel is putting in a solid effort and managing to keep the bout reasonably close. Near the end of round six, Schmeling staggers Neusel with a big hook and, at the midway point, the Champion has a solid points lead (59-55). Into the second half of the bout, and Neusel begins running low on energy, as Schemling continues to grind his way toward another successful title defense. In round eight, Schmeling finally breaks through Neusel’s defenses, dropping the challenger with a solid cross. Neusel takes a seven count before resuming, wisely covering up to last the round. A short, clean hook results in a second KD late in round 10, but there is not enough time remaining in the round for Schmeling to follow up. Confident of victory, Schmeling eases up in the final two rounds, coasting to a one-sided UD 12 win (117-107 on all cards), defending the EBU HW title for the seventh time. For Schemling, this is his 20th win in a row, with his last loss to Joe Louis coming in 1939, for a post-bout record of 66-6-1 (44). The loss leaves Neusel at 31-15-3 (21).

Aug. 21, 1943: Next, it is time for some WBA title action, this headlining a solid card at San Francisco’s Cow Palace. In a main supporting bout, regional Champs collides, as OPBF Flyweight Champ Small Montana faces newly anointed USBA Fly Champ Dado Marino, who backed into the vacant title in a dubious manner by losing a title bout for the more prestigious NABF Fly belt. At any rate, neither of these two titles are on the line in this 10-round, non-title affair. Additionally, the two have met once before, last year at this same arena, with Marino taking a split decision. With two boxers working mainly from the outside, the opening few rounds are relatively quiet, and the bout remains close. At the end of round four, Marino is receiving some attention from his corner to close a cut lip. At the midway point, despite several close rounds, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Marino in front (50-47). Into the second half of the bout, and the stamina factor favors the veteran, Montana, but Marino clings to a slight edge in terms of punches landed and, for what it’s worth, he has the hometown crowd and perhaps some favorable judging on his side as well. As the bout heads towards its conclusion, Montana, sensing things slipping away, tries to become more aggressive, but some solid defense from Marino prevents the Filipino boxer from making any progress. The bout goes the full ten, and Marino takes a MD 10 (97-96, 96-96, 97-94), with the scores reflecting another close contest between these two. Post-bout records: Marino, 19-1 (12); Montana, 28-16-5 (10). With the win, Marino wraps up the Pre-Prime stage of his career, while Montana is on the road toward retirement. In the main event, the WBA BW title is the prize as Benny Goldberg makes his third title defense against a three-time former Champ, Brit Johnny King, who currently holds the EBU, British and Commonwealth BW titles. First meeting of the two, and there is not much to choose between the two through the opening few rounds, with King taking on the role of the slugger/aggressor, while Goldberg seems to be the slicker boxer. After five are in the books, the unofficial card has Goldberg in front (by a count of 49-47); however, there is a trace of swelling around Goldberg’s left eye, indicating King’s punches have had some effect on the Champ. In the middle rounds, King begins to press on the inside, and he has a strong showing in rounds seven and eight. In round 10, King rocks the Champion with a stiff uppercut, but Goldberg remains upright, making effective use of the cover up strategy to last the round. However, after 10 rounds, King has cut Goldberg’s lead to just one (96-95), according to the unofficial card. After another big round for King in the 11th, Goldberg’s title is definitely in jeopardy. With the title in the balance, both fighters move inside to attempt to gain the upper hand in the final few rounds. With King surging, the bout goes to the final bell, and the judges find King’s rally convincing enough to award him the title via a UD 15 (147-139, 144-141, 144-141), with King taking five of the last six rounds from all three judges. For King, he lifts the WBA BW belt for the fourth time, raising his career stats to 57-9-3 (22). For Goldberg, it is only his third career loss, dropping him to 24-3-2 (11) overall.

Aug. 27, 1943
: Next card, a Friday night affair in Pittsburgh, is a good one. Not only is there a USBA title contest to top the bill, the co-feature matches FW prospect Willie Pep, who has already risen quickly up the ranks, with veteran Mike Belloise in a 10-round, non-title affair. First meeting of the two and Pep, the younger man by some 11 years, sets up shop on the outside while Belloise plans to mix up his tactics. After the first few rounds, Pep appears to be in command, dancing around the ring like a seasoned veteran instead of the 21-year old boxer that he is. By the end of round four, there is a noticeable trace of swelling under the left eye of Belloise. After five rounds, the unofficial scorer has Pep with a nice points lead (49-46). In round six, first signs of trouble for Pep, as a solid blow from Belloise connects and rips open a cut over Pep’s right eye. In between rounds, Pep’s corner goes to work on the cut, closing it, but now Belloise has a target to shoot at. Pep has the stamina edge in the later rounds, and he does all that he can to avoid a heavy confrontation, protecting the cut against reopening at all costs. Late in round eight, Belloise’s other eye (the right) begins to puff up. The cut under control, Pep goes on to register a comfortable UD 10 win (100-91 on all three cards). Pep wraps up the Pre-Prime stage of his career with a perfect 20-0 (13) mark. Belloise ends the bout at 31-15-7 (11). Finally, in the main event, the “Sweetwater Swatter,” Lew Jenkins, takes on Sammy “the Clutch” Angott for Angott’s USBA LW title – a belt that was once held by Jenkins. The two met once before, back in 1936, when both were at Pre-Prime, and Jenkins took a UD 10, a result he hopes to repeat tonight. After a couple of pedestrian opening rounds, Jenkins moves inside in round three, looking to do some damage, but he is thwarted by some solid defense from Angott. Then, late in round four, a dangerous looking cut appears on the forehead of Jenkins, the likely result of an accidental clash of heads. The cut leads to an early end to the festivities, midway through round five, and it goes to the scorecards, all of which show a huge lead for Angott. The UTD 5 result (40-36 on all cards) has Angott retaining the belt, much to the chagrin of Jenkins and his supporters. Post-bout career records: Angott, 28-6-5 (10); Jenkins, 28-4-3 (13). Tough luck for Jenkins, but a good result for Angott, who is positioning himself for a WBA title shot some time in the near future.

Aug. 28, 1943: To London’s Harringay Arena for the next fight card, and it’s a huge one, with a WBA title clash topping the lineup, amply supported by a couple of interesting supporting matchups. In the first supporting bout, HWs do battle as GBU HW Champ Tommy Farr, the “Tonypandy Terror,” faces U. S. boxer Pat Comiskey in a 10-round, non-title bout. First meeting of the two, and Comiskey, after a strong round two, moves inside in round three and attempt to pressure the Welsh veteran. Farr exhibits some defensive skills to take round three, but in the fourth round Comiskey catches him with a big uppercut that forces the wily veteran to cover up to las the round. Farr steadies himself in round five and, at the midway point, the unofficial scorer has a close bout, with Comiskey slightly ahead (48-47). Into the second half of the bout, which is a typical boxer vs slugger confrontation, with Comiskey in the role of the aggressive slugger and Farr, the slick boxer. In round seven, another sweet uppercut from Comiskey snaps Farr’s head back and, once again the British veteran uses the cover up strategy to avoid further damage, but it’s another good round for Comiskey. The bout remains close into the later stages, with Comiskey continuing to press forward, putting pressure on his veteran opponent. The bout goes the full ten without any cuts or knockdowns, although there is a bit of swelling around Comiskey’s left eye. While one judge has Farr as the winner, the other two go for Comiskey, who takes a SD 10 (97-93, 94-96, 96-94), boosting his record to 23-1 (15), and giving his overall career a big boost with this win over an established top rated HW contender. For Farr, now at Post-Prime career stage, he ends the bout at 50-19-4 (16). In the second of the two supporting bouts, another veteran UK boxing legend, Jack Kid Berg, the “Whitechapel Whirlwind,” faces another up-and-coming American LW, Bob “Bobcat” Montgomery, the newly crowned NABF LW Champ. First meeting of the two and, like Farr in the prior bout, Berg has also slipped into Post-Prime career stage. Berg starts slowly, but early in round three, a nasty cut appears over Montgomery’s right eye, the result of an apparent accidental head butt. In round four, an overhand right from Montgomery sends Berg dropping to the deck, but Berg scrambles to his feet at the count of three and covers up to last the round. After five, the unofficial card has the “Bobcat” well ahead on points (49-45). Into the second half of the bout and Berg, who is already running low on stamina, takes a more aggressive posture, risking a second knockdown. In the eighth round, Berg manages to reopen the cut over Montgomery’s eye but, otherwise, he is unable to make much progress in turning the bout around. The bout goes the rest of the way without incident, and Montgomery takes a surprisingly lopsided UD 10 (98-90, 96-92, 97-91). Post-bout career marks: Montgomery, 23-1-2 (15); Berg, 50-20-5 (16). Finally, in the main event, Henry “Homicide Hank” is on hand to put his WBA WW title on the line, facing a British challenger, reigning Commowealth and GBU WW Champ, Ernie Roderick, who is in his first WBA title contest after toiling for years in the trenches and contending for the regional titles. No prior meetings, but Armstrong wasters little time, going on the offensive in round one, ripping over a cut over Roderick’s right eye. The cut occupies the attention of his corner between rounds, and it is effectively closed for the time being. Armstrong continues to hammer away, dominating the early action, and the cut is reopened early in round three. The cut continues to ooze blood during round four, another good round for Armstrong, but at least Roderick gets through the round relatively unscathed. After five, it’s a huge early lead for Armstrong (50-45), according to the unofficial scorer at ringside. In round six, the cut over Roderick’s eye is reopened a second time. Midway through the seventh, Armstrong drops Roderick with a nice combination. Roderick manages to beat the count and covers up to last the round. Despite a game effort by the British challenger, the end finally comes with seconds remaining in round 10, after the cut over Roderick’s eye is reopened a third time, resulting in an immediate stoppage. TKO 10 for Armstrong, who runs his record to 42-6-3 (25), puts in another strong performance. Good effort from the overmatched challenger, Roderick, who ends the bout at 29-16-3 (17).

Aug. 28, 1943: The month concludes with a bang as fight fans at New York City’s Yankee Stadium will be treated to some double barrel WBA title action, with two WBA title bouts on the same card. In the main supporting bout, two top five BWs face off, with K. O. Morgan facing veteran Filipino boxer Little Pancho. This will be the fourth meeting of two, with Morgan hoping to reverse the trend in prior bouts which has Pancho with the edge (one win and two draws), perhaps taking advantage of the hometown crowd, plus the fact that Pancho is now at Post-Prime career stage. Morgan is a former WBA BW Champ, while Pancho, a long-time OPBF BW Champ, tried for the WBA title twice, in one bout (back in 1933) holding the Champion to a draw. Morgan starts well, his punches finding the range in round two, with some noticeable results, notably some puffiness around the left eye of Pancho. Late in round four, Morgan rocks Pancho with a sharp combination, and the Filipino boxer covers up to last the round. At the halfway point, Morgan has a fairly solid points lead (50-45) on the unofficial card. For the rest of the bout, Morgan gradually wears down a weary looking Pancho, going on to take a one-sided UD 10 (98-92, 100-90, 100-90) to run his career record to 38-14-8 (17); the loss leaves Pancho at 45-13-7 (10). After bout, however, Morgan will join Pancho at Post-Prime career stage. In the first of two WBA title bouts, Tiger Jack Fox makes his second title defense against the man he defeated – in a split decision – to capture the WBA LH title belt, ex-WBA Champ Billy Conn. Great start from Conn, whose two-fisted attack shows early results, as both of Fox’s eyes show signs of swelling as early as round two. Conn continues to land repeatedly, working well on both the inside and the outside, frustrating Fox. After the first five rounds are in the books, Conn is well ahead (by a count of 49-46) on the unofficial card. Into the middle rounds, and Fox tries to become more aggressive, but instead, Conn is able to open a cut under Fox’s left eye – more trouble for the Champion. Two thirds of the way through the bout, the unofficial scorecard had Conn even further ahead (98-92). Trailing and low on stamina, Fox launches an all-out attack in the final few rounds in a desperate attempt to retain the title. In round 11, a stiff jab from Conn rips open a cut over Fox’s right eye. Finally, late in round 13, the cut under Fox’s right eye is reopened, and, once the ring physician is consulted, a halt is called – Conn regains the title via a cuts stoppage that goes into the books as a TKO 13 win for the "Pittsburgh Kid." Post-bout career records: Conn, 31-6-3 (13); Fox, 57-9-1 (41). Next up in the finale, is HW Champ Joe Louis, whose latest challenger for his WBA HW title is a familiar face, Max Baer, the “Livermore Larruper,” who is hoping to improve in his earlier result versus Louis, backed in 1939, when he did not survive the opening round. This time, Baer survives the opening round, but Louis zeroes in with some accurate punching, winning round two and then catching Baer in a neutral corner in round three, firing away with a barrage of blows, forcing another early stoppage, with just two seconds remaining. The TKO 3 boosts Louis, who has not lost in five years, to 45-1-1 (43). The loss drops Baer, now at Post-Prime career stage, to 36-18 (31).

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