My Universe

[JCWeb]

After a brief hiatus to focus on some ATG tournaments, it's back to action in my regular Uni. This report covers fistic action from the first half of June 1939, encompassing a total of 52 bouts.

June 2, 1939: The month kicks off with a Friday night card at the Amor Bahn in Munich, Germany. No titles on the line, and only one bout of note on an abbreviated, five-bout card. It matches veteran German WW Gustav Eder with Jack McNamee, the former CBU WW Champion who recently won the OPBF WW title. First meeting of the two. In round two, McNamee sustains a cut just inside the right eyebrow. The eye becomes a target for Eder and, by the end of the third round, the eye begins to swell. The cut is reopened in round six, and Eder continues to take advantage, building a solid points lead while McNamee’s corner struggles with the cut and swollen eye. By the end of round nine, there is also swelling around the right eye of Eder as well. The bout goes the distance and, to the delight of the pro-Eder crowd, Eder takes a UD 10 (98-92, 96-94, 98-92) to advance his career totals to 32-8-9 (9). McNamee ends the bout at 23-7 (15).

June 3, 1939: Next is a card at Havana’s Gran Stadium, featuring a LABF title bout amply supported by a non-title affair matching two top 10 BWs: Pablo Dano and Raul Casanova. The bout remains close through the opening rounds, and is even (48-all) at the midway point; Dano breaks it open in round seven, when he decks the Mexican fighter with a perfect combination that puts Casanova down and out. KO 7 for Dano runs his record to 36-11-5 (16); the loss drops Casanova to 25-6-1 (14). Then, in the feature, the “Cuban Bon Bon,” Kid Chocolate, challenges Filio Julian Echevarria for the latter’s LABF FW title. It is the third meeting of the two, with the tro prior results being a draw and a split decision win for Chocolate. This time, Kid Chocolate builds a solid punches landed lead in the early rounds. By the end of round five, there is a trace of swelling under the right eye of Echevarria. Solid points lead (59-55 on the unofficial card) for Chocolate at the midway point, and he maintains his edge all the way to the final bell, racking up a solid UD 12 win (117-111, 118-110, 118-110). Post-bout career marks are 37-8-7 (16) for Chocolate; 33-13-4 (12) for Echevarria.

June 3, 1939: Good, solid card on the West Coast at Los Angeles’ Olympic Auditorium. Headliner is for the USBA BW title, currently held by K. O. Morgan. Challenger is #2 rated BW Pete Sanstol. Third meeting of the two, and it is the rubber match as each has won once in the past, Morgan via KO back in 1933, and Sanstol via a UD 12 in 1935. The bout remains close through the opening rounds, with Morgan moving inside to become the aggressor, forcing the action. In round three, a severe cut is opened over the right eye of Sanstol, making an inviting target for Morgan. K. O. manages to pull ahead by the midway point (58-56 on the unofficial card). Sanstol appears to be content to remain on the outside, husbanding his resources, but in round eight the bout turns nasty as Sanstol is called for several low blows. The ref rules the fouling to be flagrant, and the end result is a controversial DQ call. Morgan, who was slightly ahead on all three cards, retains the belt via the DQ-8 result. Post-bout career marks: Morgan, 29-11-5 (16); Sanstol, 37-11-5 (9). The win propels Morgan to a top 10 spot in the BW rankings, but the controversial result leads to calls for a rematch in two months’ time (after the cut over Sanstol’s eye has had time to heal).

June 9, 1939: Next is a Friday night card at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. Main event matches veteran LW contender Sammy Fuller with some top home-grown talent, Canada’s own Dave Castilloux. First meeting of these two. Castilloux moves inside and becomes the aggressor in round three. However, in the fourth round, the Canadian fighter sustains a cut over his left eye. It is a narrow lead for Fuller (48-47, according to the unofficial ringside observer) at the midway point of this 10-round, non-title bout. In the second half of the bout, Castilloux becomes even more aggressive, while Fuller is content to outbox his opponent while remaining at long range. The bout goes the distance and, to the disappointment of the pro-Castilloux crowd, Fuller walks away with a UD 10 win (96-94, 97-93. 96-94). Big win for Fuller, lifting him to 46-14-1 (11) and placing him as the #2 rated LW. Good effort from Castilloux, whose career totals remain an excellent 21-4-3 (8) despite the loss.

June 10, 1939: Next fight card is at Liverpool in the UK. Featured matches reigning EBU FW Champ Ginger Foran with reigning GBU FW Champ Frank Parkes for Foran’s EBU FW title belt; it is a battle of two Brits for the EBU title, but Parkes’ GBU title is not at stake. The two have not met before, but that doesn’t stop Parkes from initiating the action in the opening round, when he connects with a perfect uppercut to send Foran to the canvas. Foran arises at the count of five but the damage has been done. Parkes follows up with a big round two, and he builds an unassailable points lead (60-53, according to the unofficial ringside scorer) by the midway point. In the second half of the bout, Foran goes on the attack in attempt to retain the belt. However, he runs into some solid defense from Parkes. Round 11, Parkes is cut under his left eye but the cut does not proved to be problematic. Parkes, the challenger, goes on to the lift the belt via a lopsided UD 12 (120-107, 119-108, 118-110). Post-bout career totals: Parkes, 21-3 (14); Foran, 25-9-3 (11).

June 10, 1939: Next card is back in the States, at the Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis. No titles at stake, and the headliner matches two ranked WWs, with Jimmy “Mud Flats Kid” Garrison facing Joe Legon, the newly crowned LABF WW titleholder, who is visiting from Cuba. First meeting of the two, and Legon moves inside in round three in an effort to seize the initiative in what appears to be a very close bout. After the first five, the unofficial scorer has Garrison up by one (48-47). In the second half of the bout, Legon picks up the pace, gradually becoming more and more aggressive. A key moment occurs in round eight, which sees both men looking for the knockout. Legon connects with a big hook, forcing Garrison to cover up. Garrison lasts the round, and bounces back with a huge round in round nine. In the end, both fighters are exhausted, but manage to last the distance, with the end result – a draw (96-96, 97-94 Legon, 96-97 Garrison) – seeming justified. Both men retain their status as top WW contenders with excellent career records: 23-2-2 (2) post-fight for Garrison, compared to a post-bout 22-1-4 (11) career mark for Legon.

[Lee]

A belated congratulations on keeping this baby running for 10 years!!

[JCWeb]

Thanks, actually started it in 2005 but didn't begin posting anything until 2006.

This year I have deliberately slowed the pace a bit (one month in real time to match one year in Universe time) to give me an opportunity to move forward with some ATG tournaments, which I hope to keep progressing as well.

[JCWeb]

This report covers fistic action from the second half of June 1939, encompassing a total of 65 bouts. Two WBA title fights are included.

June 16, 1939: Friday night card at Syracuse’s War Memorial Auditorium features top 20 MW Solly Krieger facing Aaron Wade, off to a 22-2 career start and looking to move up in the MW ranks. (Normally, this would be a supporting bout, but at this venue it serves as the main event as none of the other bouts rise to the same level of quality.) Anyway, it’s a 10-round, non-title contest, and the two have not met before. Krieger is the aggressor in the early going, but some good boxing skills keep Wade unscathed and, in the fourth round, he uncorks an overhand right that forces Krieger to take a seat on the canvas. From this point on, the character of the bout changes as Wade takes charge, piling up a points lead and then adopting a defensive posture in the later rounds. Leading by four on the unofficial card at the midway point (50-45), Wade wards off a late surge from an overly aggressive Krieger to take a UD 10 (96-93, 97-92, 97-92) to run hi career record to 23-2 (12), easing him into a top 20 spot. For Krieger, the loss leaves him at 30-15-1 (13).

June 17, 1939: Next is a card at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. No titles at stake, but twin bill main event action has both large (HW) and small (Fly) fighters featured. In the first co-feature, LABF Flyweight Champ Small Montana, lacking any meaningful competition in that region, takes on Spanish flyweight Fortunato Ortega. Ortega holds two prior wins, the most recent coming earlier in 1939 in Manila, via a MD 10. This time around, Ortega races to an early lead (49-46 on the unofficial card, at the midway point) but he is bothered by a rapidly swelling right eye. Montana rocks Ortega with a big left in round seven and is able to stage a minor rally that falls a bit short. Ortega prevails via another MD 10 (96-96, 96-94, 96-94). Post-bout records: Ortega, 24-8-4 (12); Montana, 21-10-3 (8). In the second co-feature, Tommy Farr faces “Der Blonde,” German HW Walter Neusel. Farr holds two prior wins, back in 1934 and 1935, when these two battled for the EBU HW title. In this 10-round, non-title affair, Farr gets off to a strong start and leads at the midway point (49-46 on the unofficial card). At this point, a fired-up Neusel becomes more aggressive and has his moments, particularly in the eighth round, when he rocks Farr with a strong cross, forcing Tommy to cover up. In the end, Farr manages to escape with a SD 10 (96-94, 94-96, 96-94) for his third win over Neusel in three tries. Post-bout career marks are 44-13-2 (16) for Farr; 24-10-2 (18) for Neusel.

June 17, 1939: Huge crowd has gathered for a top-notch fight card in Philadelphia. Two ranked HWs do battle in the main support, leading up to a WBA title clash. In the co-feature, #7 ranked HW Lee Ramage faces #12 Art Lasky. First meeting of the two, both are at Post-Prime, and all of Lasky’s wins have come inside the distance. In round one, a couple of accidental butts and Lasky is showing the effects with cuts opened over both eyes. Concerned about the prospects for an early stoppage, Lasky goes to work in round two, decking Ramage with a combination, then following up with a cross to the head for a second KD, then another KD is sufficient for a TKO 2 win for Lasky on the three knockdown rule. Post-bout, Lasky improves to 26-8-2 (26) and regains a spot among the top 10 HW contenders. Ramage falls to 33-10-1 (11). In the feature, an aging “Slapsie Maxie” Rosenbloom faces an in-form Billy Conn, for Rosenbloom’s WBA LH title. Conn has reeled off three straight wins versus ranked LHs Bob Olin, Jimmy Adamick and ex-WBA Champ John Henry Lewis to earn his first title shot of any kind. Rosenbloom, now at Post-Prime career stage, may be ready to be dethroned. After a lackluster pair of opening rounds, Rosenbloom moves inside in round three and attempts to apply some pressure. Conn’s defense holds and, in round four, he is able to hurt Rosenbloom with a short hook on the inside. Slight edge to Conn in round five, which sees both men exchange blows on the inside. Conn has a narrow lead (49-47) at this point, according to the unofficial ringside observer. Not much action in rounds six and seven, but in round eight Rosenbloom moves inside, with some success. However, Conn battles back with a big round in round nine and, at the two-thirds point, he continues to hold the points lead (97-94 on the unofficial card). Rounds 10 and 11 fall to Conn by a wide margin, and Rosenbloom is forced to go for broke in order to try to keep the title. Conn retreats into a defensive posture that leaves little chance for Maxie to score a decisive blow. Billy Conn, the “the Pittsburgh Kid,” goes on to take the title via a UD 15 (147-139, 146-141, 146-140), running his career totals to an excellent 21-1-2 (11). Rosenbloom dips to 47-13-6 (18) with the defeat. Conn, like Joe Louis and Henry Armstrong, has become a hot commodity and promoters are contemplating a possible move to challenge Louis for the HW title, while others mention a title defense against the #1 LH contender, Tiger Jack Fox.

June 23, 1939: Next is a Friday night card at Manila’s Rizal Arena. No titles, but twin feature bouts headline the card. First, two top 10 BWs do battle, as hometown favorite Speedy Dado faces Lou Salica. First meeting of these two. In round three, Dado lands a hard shot that forces Salica to cover up; the American returns to his corner sporting a mouse under his left eye. Then, in round five, Dado is cut over the left eye. Close bout (48-47, in favor of Dado) at the midway point. The cut is re-opened in round eight, and Salica targets the cut as his best chance of winning the bout. Dado is able to protect the cut, last the distance, and emerge the victor in a hard-fought SD 10 (94-95, 95-94, 95-94). Post-fight career marks: Dado, 36-7-2 (14); Salica, 24-5 (9). In the second co-feature, OPBF MW Champ Ceferino Garcia faces ex-WBA MW Champ Ken Overlin. Another first-time meeting of the two. Overlin’s superior boxing skills prove too much for the Filipino vet, as he builds a solid points lead (49-46 at the midway point) and goes on to a fairly comfortable UD 10 (98-92, 99-91, 97-93) to run his career totals to 34-4-5 (12). Garcia ends the bout at 39-19-2 (24).

June 24, 1939: Back to the UK for a huge fight card at the Earls Court in London, headlined by a long-awaited WBA title match. The main support matches long-time top LH contender, Len Harvey, still the GBU LH titleholder, with rising star Gus Lesnevich. Lesnevich starts well, getting out to a huge punches landed advantage. He puts Harvey on the defensive, but Harvey manages to keep the bout close with some strong defense. Lesnevich clings to a narrow points edge (49-48 at the midway point, according to the unofficial ringside scorer) and becomes more aggressive in the later stages, concerned about a possible hometown judging coup favoring the veteran British fighter. In the end, Lesnevich does just enough to take a UD 10 (96-95, 97-94, 97-95). Post-bout career marks: 25-3-1 (14) for Lesnevich; 48-23-3 (19) for Harvey. Then, in the main event, a long-awaited WBA BW title bout takes place, with the holder (Johnny King) defending against #1 contender and two-time former Champ, Panama Al Brown. King holds two prior wins over Panama Al in three prior meetings, but Brown won the most recent, a UD 10, back in 1937. Both men have remained unbeaten since then, and Brown is viewed by many as an “uncrowned Champion.” Brown gets off to a strong start, building an early points lead. King assumes the role of the aggressor, but he finds Brown to be an elusive target. By the end of round five, Brown has landed enough blows to cause substantial swelling around King’s right eye and, most significantly, Brown holds a solid points lead (50-46 on the unofficial card). In the middle rounds, King tries to become more aggressive, but Brown’s slick defense and solid boxing skills dominate most of the action. Brown continues to pile up a huge points lead (100-91 heading into the final five rounds). In round 11, Brown smothers King with a barrage of punches that puts the Champ on the canvas. King arises at the count of two, but then sustains a cut over his left eye later in the round. Brown eases up, confident in his defensive ability. The end comes a few rounds later when King, having trouble seeing through his swollen right eye, is examined by the ringside physician. The ref, in consultation, with the ringside doctor, calls a halt. Brown is the Champion for a third time via a TKO 13. Post-fight, Panama Al improves to 60-10-1 (20). King slips to 46-6-1 (18) after the loss.

June 30, 1939: The month wraps with a Friday night card back in the States at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Only one bout of note, and it is for the USBA HW title, currently held by Jersey Joe Walcott. Walcott’s opponent is the always dangerous Elmer (“Kid Violent”) Ray. One prior meeting (back in 1936) for this same USBA belt resulted in a UD 12 win for Ray, and Walcott is seeking to avenge that loss. In the opening round, a sharp combination from Walcott drops Ray to the canvas. Ray barely beats the count, arising as the count reaches nine. Another big round for Jersey Joe in round two, with Ray suffering a severe cut on his forehead. The cut is still bleeding by the end of round three and, when it is re-opened in round four, an immediate stoppage is ordered. TKO 4 for Walcott, who retains the title belt. Post-bout career records: Walcott, 37-5 (23); Ray, 42-9 (28).

[JCWeb]

This report covers fistic action from the first half of July 1939, encompassing a total of 49 bouts.

July 1, 1939: A solid card at Detroit starts off the month. No titles on the line, but an interesting bout on the undercard matches ex-WBA MW Champ Eddie “Babe” Risko with unbeaten hot prospect Charley Burley. Burley gets off to a good start, and by round three he is in command, scoring well. Burley moves inside in round four and, in the fifth round, the two trade blows on the inside. Big edge for Burley (49-46 on the unofficial card) at the midway point. In round six, a wicked uppercut to the head from Burley decks Risko for a count of four. A second KD – from a Burley cross – follows a round later. Then, in round eight, with Risko absorbing even more punishment, the ref steps in to call a halt. The TKO 8 win runs Burley’s career totals to a very impressive 19-0 (17); the loss drops Risko to 29-8-4 (11). Then, in the feature, another former WBA titleholder, John Henry Lewis, takes to the ring to face Tony Shucco. The two have met twice before, each winning once, with Shucco taking the most recent bout (a UD 12 win in 1938 for the NABF LH title). Shucco gets off to a strong start with a big round one. After a couple of even rounds, Shucco settles in to fighting outside while Lewis combines an inside and outside attack. Slight edge to Shucco (48-46) at the midway point, according to the unofficial ringside observer. In round six, a Shucco combination catches Lewis, who is momentarily stunned. Lewis becomes more aggressive as the bout wears on, and Shucco shows signs of wear and tear with swelling noticeable under both eyes. The bout goes to decision, and Shucco takes a narrow SD 10 (95-95, 96-94, 95-94) to repeat his earlier win over the rapidly aging Lewis. Post-bout career records: Shucco, 31-12 (11); Lewis, 23-7-3 (18).

July 4, 1939: Next is the traditional Fourth of July card, this time in Boston. Headliner is a HW tilt, for the NABF HW title. Abe Simon, who has lost just once in 24 career starts, makes his first defense of that belt against Lou Nova, who has yet to crack the top 20 in the HW rankings. Simon is the aggressor in the early going, moving inside to do some damage in round three. Nova manages to keep the bout reasonably close until round eight, when Simon uncorks a big left that forces Nova to cover up. Simon, his killer instinct taking hold, follows with a right cross that puts Nova on the deck for a four-count. A second KD follows in round 10, and then Nova walks into a Simon hook in the final round but manages to last until the final bell. Lopsided UD 12 win for Simon (116-109, 115-110, 116-109) who moves up to establish himself as a top HW contender. Post-fight career marks are 23-1-1 (17) for Simon; 18-4 (15) for Nova.

July 7, 1939: It’s north of the border for the next fistic action, a Friday night card in Edmonton, Canada. Featured is Canadian FW Pete DeGrasse, the reigning CBU FW titleholder, who faces veteran Freddie Miller in a non-title affair. The two have met three times previously, with a win, a loss and a draw apiece; most recent result was a DQ win for DeGrasse in a WBA title bout, so this is a bit of a revenge match for Miller on the Canadian boxer’s home turf. Miller starts well and builds a solid points advantage in the first half of the bout. DeGrasse, who shows better stamina, becomes more aggressive in the later rounds, but to no avail as Miller walks away with a fairly lopsided UD 10 (99-90, 99-91, 99-90) to run his record to 36-11-1 (15). DeGrasse, who retains the CBU FW belt, slips to 37-15-4 (10) overall.

July 8, 1939: Next card is at Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field. Two top 10 MWs face off in the main event, as the “Boxing Bellhop,” Freddie Apostoli, faces Teddy Yarosz. The bout remains close through the first four rounds, with a slight edge to Yarosz. In round five, Apostoli cuts the lead to 48-47 (according to the unofficial ringside observer). Round six goes to Yarosz. Apostoli gets more aggressive in the later rounds and does well enough to secure a majority draw (94-96 Yarosz, 95-95, 95-95). Post-bout career marks: Apostoli, 22-3-1 (19); Yarosz, 33-12-3 (11).

July 14, 1939: Back to the UK for a rare Friday night card at the Stadium in Liverpool. Twin bill title bout action topping the card, both bouts in the Flyweight division. First, for the EBU Flyweight title, Jackie Brown defends against Italian Enrico Urbinati. First meeting of the two, and Urbinati – a last-minute selection – enters the title bout on a three-bout losing streak, so this is touted as a relatively “easy” defense for Brown. Brown builds a points lead in the first half of the bout, and the margin is four (59-55, according to the unofficial scorecard) at the midway point. In round nine, Brown suffers a split lip; the cut is re-opened in round 11 but otherwise not a major problem. Game effort from Urbinati but, in the end, Brown takes a solid UD 12 (117-112, 119-109, 120-109) to retain the belt. Post-bout marks: Brown, 36-14-3 (12); Urbinati, 15-6-1 (8). In the second co-feature, the Commonwealth Fly title is on the line, as Jimmy Gill defends against Benny Lynch. Lynch, who has two prior wins over Gill, is now at Post-Prime, and Gill enters the bout with some confidence, riding a three-bout winning streak. Action is slow to develop, with Lynch pulling out a slight lead in the early going. At the midway point, the unofficial scorer has it even (57-all) and, in round eight, a cut is opened over the right eye of Lynch. The is still bleeding over the next three rounds, but Lynch perseveres and is able to lift the belt via a UD 12 (116-112, 117-112, 117-111) to move to 30-7 (16); the loss leaves Gill at 25-6-3 (10).

July 15, 1939: Next up is a huge card at a little-used venue, the Escobar Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Tripleheader action with no fewer than three title matchups headlining the card, all featuring Puerto Rican fighters who are defending or challenging for the titles. First up is Sixto Escobar (possibly the man the Stadium is named for) taking on Cuban Humberto Espinosa for the LABF BW title, recently vacated by Panama Al Brown who moved up to claim the WBA title belt. After a couple of close early rounds, Espinosa presses the attack but all he gets for his trouble is a rapidly swelling left eye. Rounds five and six fall to the Cuban, who closes the gap to even (58-58, according to the unofficial scorecard) at the midway point. Escobar, seeing his early edge disappear, begins to become more aggressive in the second half of the bout. Despite these efforts, the end result is a draw (115-115, 116-114 Espinosa, 115-116 Escobar) and the title remains vacant. Post-bout career marks: 30-6-3 (10) for Escobar: 21-4-4 (10) for Espinosa. In the second co-feature, crowd favorite Cocoa Kid puts his NABF WW title on the line, facing Izzy Jannazzo in Jannazzo’s second career title bout (he lost an earlier try for the USBA WW belt to Henry Armstrong in 1938.) Kid has the upper hand through the first four rounds of the bout and, by round five, there is noticeable swelling under the right eye of Jannazzo. Kid clings to a narrow two-point lead (58-56, according to the unofficial card) at the midway point. Action picks up in round nine, with Jannazzo going on the offensive. An accidental clash of heads opens a gash over the right eye of the challenger. Kid, leading on points, retreats into a defensive shell but this allows Jannazzo to take the last two rounds and secure a draw (113-115 Jannazzo, 116-112 Kid, 114-114); this result enables Kid to retain the belt. Post-bout records: Kid, 35-5-4 (11); Jannazzo, 27-4-1 (13). Then, in the third and final co-feature, Pedro Montanez defends his LABF LW title, facing veteran Argentine challenger Justo Suarez. First meeting of the two, and it is Montanez’s first title defense of the belt he won in 1938. After a big round two, Montanez builds an early lead and then drops Suarez with a big hook in round six. A second KD follows in round seven, then two more in rounds eight and nine. Suarez regains his footing each time and manages to last the distance but the end result is a lopsided UD 12 win for Montanez (117-106, 118-106, 120-106) who runs his career record to 32-7 (16), compared to 29-16-1 (17) for Suarez.

[JCWeb]

This report covers fistic action from the second half of July 1939, encompassing a total of 64 bouts. Two WBA title bouts are included in this report.

July 15, 1939: Next fistic action takes place at the Dodge Theater in Phoenix, Arizona. No title bouts on the card, and the headliner features former WBA WW Champ Vittorio Venturi, coming all the way from Italy to face top 20 WW contender Andy Callahan. First meeting of the two. Callahan takes a slight edge in the early going, but the end comes suddenly near the end of round five when Venturi flattens Callahan with a big hook. Callahan cannot beat the count, so it is a KO 5 win for Venturi. Post-bout career records: Venturi, 43-15-8 (12); Callahan, 31-12-6 (10).

July 21, 1939: Friday night card at Manila’s Rizal Arena. Headliner double feature with Filipino fighters. In the first co-feature, OPBF BW Champ Little Pancho faces his GBU counterpart, Tom Smith, in a 10-round, non-title affair. Pancho is on target early and forges a huge points lead. Smith is unable to mount a rally, and Pancho takes a comfortable UD 10 (99-92, 99-92, 98-93). Pancho, now 35-9-5 (9), has put himself in the picture for a crack at the WBA BW title. Smith, on the other hand, returns home to the UK, now 19-6-4 (10) after the loss. Second co-main event is in the Flyweight division, and it matches unbeaten Fly prospect Little Dado with Yoichiro Hanada from Japan. First meeting of the two, and there is not much to choose between them in the first few rounds. By the midway point, Hanada is ahead by a narrow margin (48-47) on the unofficial card. Dado then takes charge, winning rounds six and seven. Hanada becomes more aggressive, winning round eight. Dado recovers in the final two rounds, and Hanada suffers from a swollen right eye in the later rounds. MD 10 for Dado (97-93, 96-96, 96-94), who remains unbeaten at 17-0 (11). The loss drops Hanada to 22-7-1 (8).

July 22, 1939: Action back in Europe at the Sportpalast in Berlin. The EBU LH title is on the line, with German Adolf Heuser defending against ex-Champ Gustave Roth. First meeting of the two. Buoyed by support from the home crowd, Heuser starts well, while Roth suffers a cut under his right eye. In round five, a cross from Heuser puts Roth on the deck. The Belgian arises at the count of two, then covers up to last the round. Nice lead (59-54, according to the unofficial ringside observer) for Heuser at the midway point. In the second half of the bout, it becomes apparent that Roth lacks the firepower to mount a rally. With Heuser well ahead on points, the cut under Roth’s eye is re-opened and leads to a late stoppage. TKO 12 for Heuser on the cuts stoppage. Post-bout career marks: Heuser, 34-8-1 917); Roth, 37-16-3 (13). The win lifts Heuser into the top 10 in the LH rankings.

July 22, 1939: Next card is at Yankee Stadium in New York City, and it is a packed card headlined by a WBA title bout. First up, in a non-title bout, is long-time LH Champion Tommy Loughran, still looking to make his mark in the HW ranks; his opponent is Patsy Perroni. Action is slow to develop, with a slight early edge in punches landed for Loughran. Then, in round five, a quick hook to the head from Perroni forces Loughran to cover up. The scores are even (48-all) at the midway point, according to the unofficial card. The bout remains close into the later rounds, with Loughran attempting to pick up the pace and apply more pressure. Tommy takes the final round to walk away with a MD 10 win (97-94, 95-95, 96-94). Post-bout career totals: Loughran, 62-13-4 (20); Perroni, 31-16-2 (6). Then, in the second main supporting bout, unbeaten LH Eddie Booker challenges Tiger Jack Fox for the latter’s USBA LH title. Fox, who enters the bout on a eight-bout winning streak, pulls out an early lead but there is not much in the way of hard shots landed in the early rounds of the bout. Toe-to-toe action in round five favors Fox, who has compiled a tidy lead (59-55, on the unofficial card) at the midway point. Then, the bout takes a sudden turn in round eight, when Fox is warned and then disqualified for head-butting. Surprisingly, Booker takes the title via a DQ-8 result; it is the second DQ loss of Fox’s career. Booker, who was trailing on all three cards, remains unbeaten at 21-0 (13); the loss leaves Fox at 45-5 (32). There are rumors of a rematch in two months’ time. After this shocking result, the crowd settles in for the WBA FW title contest with Chalky Wright facing ex-Champ and #1 contender, Baby Arizmendi of Mexico. The two split two prior bouts, each winning once, including a TKO 14 for Wright in a 1936 WBA title bout. This time, after a couple of close opening rounds, Wright moves inside and takes control in round three. Both men land some good shots in round four, a good action round. Then, in round five, Arizmendi hits below the belt and, as in the prior bout, the ref does not hesitate to rule the fouling to be flagrant, warranting an immediate disqualification. Wow, two back-to-back DQ results on the same card! The DQ-5 result improves Wright’s career stats to 33-10-4 (14). Arizmendi drops to 38-9-2 (10) after the loss.

July 28, 1939: Back to the UK for a Friday night card at the Olympia in London. Twin bill title bout action, with a WBA title bout preceded by a Commonwealth title matchup. First of these is for the CBU WW title, and the protagonists are Ernie Roderick, who also holds the GBU WW belt, and Jimmy “Baby Face” McLarnin, multiple times a WBA Champ who is on the comeback trail since being dethroned by Eddie Dolan in a controversial DQ loss. First meeting of the two, and there is a long feeling-out process that sees little advantage for either man through the first four rounds. Roderick seizes the initiative and holds a slight edge in punches landed and points (58-57, according to the unofficial ringside observer) by the midway point. McLarnin, despite suffering from being at Post-Prime career stage, digs in for the second half, applying more pressure. Roderick, however, hangs on and manages to escape with a SD 12 win (117-112, 113-116, 115-113) to run his career record to 23-8-3 (6), having won five in a row. McLarnin ends the bout at 53-11-1 (24). In the finale, Freddie Steele, the “Tacoma Assassin,” takes on EBU Champion and unbeaten French challenger Marcel Cerdan, the “Casablanca Clouter,” for Steele’s WBA MW title belt. First meeting of the two, and the action heats up near the end of the opening stanza after Steele connects with a straight right, forcing Cerdan to cover up. Steele follows with a big round two, but Cerdan bounces back to dominate in rounds three or four. After the fourth round, there is noticeable swelling under both eyes of the Champion. However, the unofficial card favors the Champ, Steele, by a wide margin (50-45) after the first five rounds. Steele continues on the attack, and by the end of round seven, there is a trace of swelling around the left eye of Cerdan. Round eight, another turn, this time in favor of Cerdan, who lands a hard shot to the jaw of the Champ, forcing Steele to cover up. The unofficial scorer has Steele leading by 97-93 heading into the final five rounds. In round 12, more damage done by the challenger as Steele suffers a split lip. Steele manages to hold off a late Cerdan rally in the final few rounds, taking the final round on all three cards to escape with the title and a SD 15 victory by the narrowest of margins (142-143, 143-142, 143-142). It is Steele’s fourth successful title defense, and the first loss of Cerdan’s career. Post-fight career marks: Steele, 45-6-1 (29); Cerdan, 24-1-2 (18). Possible fight-of-the-year candidate.


July 29, 1939: Final card of the month is at the Miami Stadium, and the feature is for the NABF LW title currently held by Wesley Ramey. Ramey’s challenger is Al Roth; the two met once before, back in 1937, resulting in a SD win for Ramey, who is making his second title defense. Early punches landed edge for Ramey, but the bout remains close (38-all after four rounds, 57-all after six), according to the unofficial scorer. The bout devolves into a tactical battle between two strong, evenly-matched boxers. Late in the bout, Roth gains the upper hand, but he has to battle swelling under both eyes (appearing in round 11) to go on to record a MD 12 triumph (116-112, 114-114, 116-112) to lift the belt. Post-bout career marks: 33-6-1 (11) for Roth; 29-9-6 (10) for Ramey.

[JCWeb]

This report covers fistic action from the first half of August 1939, encompassing a total of 54 bouts.

Aug. 4, 1939: The month commences with a Friday night card at Buffalo. Headlined in the feature bout are two WWs, Fritzie Zivic – now ranked in the top 10 – and veteran My Sullivan. Zivic holds a KO win in four in a prior meeting, back in 1935. After a close opening three rounds, Sullivan puts Zivic down with a short, clean combination late in the fourth round; Zivic is saved by the bell. Then, a round later, Zivic turns the tables, stunning Sullivan with a sharp combination. With Sullivan leading (48-47, according to the unofficial card) at the midway point, Zivic becomes even more aggressive in round six, putting Sullivan on the canvas with a barrage of blows. Three more KDs follow in round seven, leading to an automatic TKO 7 win for Zivic. Post-bout career records: Zivic, 26-7-3 (15); Sullivan, 32-17-4 (17).

Aug. 5, 1939: To Europe for a solid card in Rome, topped by an EBU title fight. In the co-feature, former WBA HW Champion Max Schmeling, on the comeback trail after his latest loss to Joe Louis, faces fellow German Erwin Klein, a fairly “soft” opponent who is expected to offer little to trouble the two-time Champ. Midway through the second round, Klein walks into a Schmeling combination and goes down and out. KO 2 for Schmeling, running his career totals to 47-6-1 (32). Klein drops to 20-3-1 (9) after just his third career loss. In the main event, Dutchman Bep Van Klaveren defends his EBU WW title against a familiar foe, Italian Michele Palermo. The two have met three times before, with Van Klaveren coming out on top with two wins and a draw. Moving inside, Van Klaveren takes charge in round three, and Palermo comes away with some slight swelling under his right eye. The bout remains close through the middle rounds, with Van Klaveren landing the heavier blows while Palermo exhibits superior boxing and defensive abilities. Van Klaveren picks up the pace in the later rounds and is fortunate to retain the title with a majority draw (113-115 Palermo, 114-114, 114-114). Post-bout career records: Van Klaveren, 28-11-7 (11); Palermo, 26-5-6 (9).

Aug. 5, 1939: Action back in the UK, at the Stadium in Liverpool. The main event features HWs, as British Champ Tommy “The British Brown Bomber” is paired with American Roscoe Toles in a non-title affair. Martin holds a prior win, back in 1937, via a UD. Two boxers go at it in a fairly boring bout. Toles builds a slim points lead through the first five rounds (48-47, on the unofficial card) and manages to win both of the last two rounds to register a UD 10 victory (97-93 on all three cards). The win leaves Toles at 28-6-3 (6), while the loss leaves Martin at 23-7-1 (14).

Aug. 11, 1939: Next is a Friday night card at Denver’s Mammoth Gardens. Dual main event action, headlined by a USBA title tilt. The co-feature is in the LW division, with long-time top contender Sammy Fuller facing Chino “Patent Leather Kid” Alvarez in non-title action. First meeting of the two. Slight early edge to Fuller, but the bout is decided by a cut that becomes more serious as the bout wears on, leading to an early stoppage and a TKO 6 win for Alvarez. Tough loss for Fuller. Post-bout career marks are 33-10-4 (21) for Alvarez, and 46-15-1 (11) for Fuller, who will be at Post-Prime in his next bout. The main event is for the USBA Flyweight title, and it matches long-time but aging Champion Ruby “Dark Cloud” Bradley with up-and-comer Jackie Jurich. It is Bradley’s fourth defense of the USBA belt, but the first in over two years, and Bradley has fallen into Post-Prime status in the meantime. Jurich comes out swinging, and by the end of round two, there is a trace of swelling around the right eye of Bradley. More bad news for Bradley comes in round five, when Jurich rips open a cut over the defending Champ’s right eye. Jurich continues to pile up points while Bradley’s corner tries – unsuccessfully – to deal with the cut. The bout comes to an early end in round nine, when the cut results in a stoppage win for Jurich, already well ahead on points. The TKO 9 win gives Jurich the belt and wraps up the Pre-Prime stage of his career at 17-3 (13). The TKO loss means Bradley, now 35-20-7 (9), will move to End career stage with his next outing.

Aug. 12, 1939: Next fistic action is at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. Veteran Canadian HW is set to challenge Tommy Farr for the latter’s Commonwealth HW title. Farr holds two prior wins over Gains, the most recent coming in early 1938 via a split decision. After a couple of uninspiring rounds, Farr takes charge in rounds three and four. Gains, now at Post-Prime career stage, is unable to penetrate Farr’s defenses and begins to tire as the bout enters the second half with Farr in command (58-56, according to the unofficial scorer). By the end, there is noticeable swelling around the right eye of Gains. UD 12 for Farr (116-111, 117-111, 116-112) to run his career record to 45-13-2 (16). Gains, who has certainly seen better days, ends up the bout at 44-17 (25).

Aug. 12, 1939: Next card is at Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis. Main event is a rematch of a draw bout from just two months earlier, as the “Mud Flats Kid,” Jimmy Garrison, faces Cuban WW Joe Legon, the current LABF WW Champion. In addition to the prior draw, Legon has lost just once and remained unbeaten for the past three years. The bout remains close through the opening rounds, and Legon becomes more aggressive, landing some solid shots that result in swelling around the right eye of Garrison by the end of round four. However, the unofficial scorer has Garrison up by one (48-47) at the midway point. In round six, Legon unleashes a big uppercut that buckles Garrison’s knees and forces the American fighter to cover up. The rest of the bout remains uneventful except for a warning issued to Legon for a low blow near the end of the eighth round. End result, another draw, although one judge had Legon the winner, the other two had it even (93-97 Legon, 95-95, 95-95). Post-bout career marks: Garrison, 23-2-3 (2); Legon, 22-1-5 (11). Could a third meeting of these two be in the offing?

[JCWeb]

This report covers fistic action from the second half of August 1939, encompassing a total of 61 bouts. Two WBA title bouts are included in this report.

Aug. 18, 1939: Friday night action at Havana’s Gran Stadium features some interesting bouts headlined by a LABF title affair – amply supported by two main supporting bouts. First of these matches up-and-coming HW prospect Archie Moore, who shoots for a top 20 ranking against established but aging contender Jimmy Adamick. The bout remains close for a couple of rounds, but then Moore breaks through in the third, using his jab to set up a vicious right cross that puts Adamick down and out. KO 3 for Moore lifts him to 15-1-2 (13) overall) and top 20 status with just a couple of more bouts at Pre-Prime. Adamick, now 23-9-1 (21) is in a downward spiral and will hit End career status in his next outing. In the second main support, Cuban fans are exciting to see their own, LABF MW titleholder Kid Tunero, take on 23-3 Aaron Wade in another non-title affair. It is the first meeting of the two, and the bout remains close throughout with Tunero battling a rapidly swelling left eye from the midway point onward. Wade tries to get more aggressive, but Tunero holds him off and -- with the help perhaps of some “hometown judging,” prevails in a SD 10 (94-96, 97-93, 97-93). Post-fight career marks: Tunero, 30-9-5 (9); Wade, 23-3 (12). Then, in the finale, fan favorite Kid Chocolate puts his LABF FW title on the line against a familiar foe, Venezuelan Enrique Chafferdet; Chocolate holds a prior UD win back in 1037 and is hoping for a repeat. Chocolate moves inside to become the aggressor in the third round. Then, in round four, the challenger is cut over his left eye. Bothered by the cut, Chafferdet is ineffective for most of the rest of the bout, enabling Chocolate to pile up a large points lead and go on to retain the title via a solid UD 12 (118-111, 116-113, 117-112), perhaps with some hometown judging, but nothing was going to save Chafferdet from defeat in this one. Post-bout records: Chocolate, 39-8-7 (16); Chafferdet, 35-17-7 (10).

Aug. 19, 1939: Next card is at the Olympia in London, and it features a Commonwealth title matchup for the CBU LW crown, currently held by Jack Kid Berg. The challenger is Harry Mizler, and neither Mizler’s GBU LW title nor Berg’s EBU LW title are on the line. Berg, who holds a prior UD win over Mizler from 1938, seems confident, pulling ahead gradually after the bout is reasonably close for the opening four rounds. Inside exchanges in round five favor Berg, who gradually wears down the light-hitting Mizler, who is suffering from a rapidly swelling left eye as well as running low on energy in the later rounds. Solid UD 12 win for Berg (119-110, 119-110, 118-111) lifting him to 40-14-5 (14) overall, while the loss leaves Mizler at 19-11-4 (5).

Aug. 19, 1939: Action back in the US, and it’s a big card at Detroit’s Briggs Stadium. The main attraction is a WBA title bout featuring HW Champ Joe Louis. But, first up, in the main supporting bout, is recently dethroned LH Champ “Slapsie Maxie” Rosenbloom, now on the comeback trail after losing the WBA title to Billy Conn; Rosenbloom’s opponent is Pal Silvers, a veteran journeyman who has recently achieved top 10 LH contender status. With both fighters at post-Prime, Rosenbloom seems to stand an excellent chance, and he is able to build an early points lead. However, Silvers – who enters the bout having won his last three and five of his last six outings – is able to battle back and keep the bout close. In the end, Rosenbloom manages to eke out a narrow MD 10 win (96-94, 95-95, 96-94), taking rounds eight and nine from all three judges. Post-bout career marks: 48-13-6 (18) for Rosebloom; 39-15-5 (15) for Silvers. In the feature, Joe Louis takes on Joe Banovic for Louis’ WBA HW title. It is the second time these two have met for the belt, Louis winning via a TKO 3 during his first stint as WBC Champion in 1936. However, Banovic has piled up three impressive wins – including a stoppage versus Art Lasky, a MD over Roscoe Toles, and a MD versus Tommy Loughran – to earn a second title shot. This time, Louis wastes little time, landing a big uppercut in the first minute to put Banovic on his back. After taking a two-count, Banovic arises, attempts to cover up, but falls victim to a vicious Louis onslaught, as Joe uses a hook followed by a two-punch combination to deliver the coup-de-grace. KO 1 for Louis. The second successive first-round stoppage runs Louis’ career totals to 28-1 (2 6), while Banovic ends the bout at 39-15-2 (11).

Aug. 25, 1939: Back to Europe for the next card, which is a Friday night affair at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. Featured main event is for the EBU BW title, currently held by Spain’s Baltazar Sangchili, and the challenger – moving up in weight class – is long-time EBU Flyweight Champ Istvan Enekes of Hungary. It proves to be a difficult outing for Enekes, who gets himself in trouble in the very opening round as Sangchili lands a hard uppercut that stuns the Hungarian, forcing Enekes to cover up. Sangchili is unable to finish matters, but he does manage to rip open a severe gash over the right eye of the challenger. Enekes manages to bounce back with a strong round two, causing a trace of swelling to appear under the left eye of Sangchili. However, the cut is bad one and is still oozing blood when it is reopened by Sangchili in round three, leading to an immediate stoppage. TKO 3 for Sangchili. Enekes vows to seek a rematch, but that might not be in the cards. Post-bout career records: Sangchili, 34-11 (19); Enekes, 37-8-1 (10).

Aug. 26, 1939: Next fistic action is at the Rizal Arena in Manila, Philippines. WBA title action returns to the Far East as Panama Al Brown chooses to make a defense of his recently won WBA BW title (his thirds separate stint as Champion), taking on Pablo Dano, another former WBA Champion. Panama Al enters the bout riding a 13-bout winning streak and has two prior non-title bout wins over Dano. In round two, Brown rips open a gash over the right eye of Dano. Early points edge to Brown (49-46 on the unofficial card, after five rounds). Dano battles back in the middle rounds, moving inside and landing some effective blows to take rounds seven and eight. In round eight, he stuns Panama Al with a hard hook, forcing the Champ to cover up. At this point, there is noticeable swelling around Brown’s left eye, but Panama Al responds with a huge round nine, going on the attack and scoring repeatedly. The cut over Dano’s eye, which has been well controlled by his corner throughout most of the bout, is re-opened in round 10 and then again in round 13, leading to a late stoppage. It goes down as a TKO 13 for Brown, who was ahead on all three cards anyway. The win pushes Brown’s career totals to 61-10-1 (22), while the loss leaves Dano at 36-12-5 (16).

Aug. 26, 1939: The month wraps with a card at Yankee Stadium in New York City. Co-featured is a matchup of two top 10 LHs, as ex-Champ John Henry Lewis faces Fred Lenhart in a non-title encounter. No prior meetings of the two, and the bout appears to be going Lenhart’s way in the third round when he moves inside, landing a right to the chin that forces Lewis to cover up. However, later in the round, Lenhart gets careless, is called for some flagrant low blows and, to the fight fans’ displeasure, disqualified for the repeated fouling. DQ-3 win for Lewis, running his career record to 24-7-3 (18). Lenhart ends the bout at 35-17 (26). Disappointing to see such an early end to a bout that promised to be an entertaining slugfest. In the main event, the NABF BW title – dormant since Panama Al Brown vacated the belt after winning the WBA title – is on the line, as USBA BW Champion K. O. Morgan takes on Lou Salica, in Salica’s first title try of any kind. First meeting of the two, so a long feeling out process is in order. Not much happening until round four, when a cut is opened over the right eye of Salica, ruled to be the result of an unintentional butt. Morgan holds a slim lead (58-56 on the unofficial card) at the midway point. Second half of the bout, Salica becomes more active, but is also bothered by the cut which reopens a couple of times. A big round 11 helps seal a UD 12 win for Morgan (115-113 on all three cards), who adds the NABF title for the second time in his career (he held the belt briefly back in 1936). Post-bout career marks: Morgan, 30-11-5 (16); Salica, 24-6 (9).

[JCWeb]

This report covers fistic action from the first half of September 1939, encompassing a total of 48 bouts.

Sep. 1, 1939: The month commences with a Friday night card at Atlantic City. Featured is a non-title bout between #2 ranked LW contender, LABF Champion Pedro Montanez, and veteran contender Frankie Klick. Montanez has won 10 of his last 11, going back to 1936, his only setback during that time frame coming in an unsuccessful try for the WBA LW title, losing to lng-time Champ Tony Canzoneri. The bout remains close for the first five rounds, but in rounds six and seven, Montanez emerges as the stronger of the two, gradually pulling ahead. Then, in round eight, he demonstrates his superiority by dropping Klick with a big shot for the bout’s only knockdown. Solid points win for Montanez, who eases up in the final round or two to take a UD 10 (96-93 on all three cards). Post-fight career marks: Montanez, 33-7 (16); Klick, 37-18-7 (13).

Sep. 2, 1939: Next card is a good one north of the border at Vancouver’s Exhibition Gardens. Featured are a pair of Commonwealth title bouts. Main support for the twin bill title action is a LW bout matching Canada’s Dave Castilloux, now in the Prime stage of his career, with former CBU LW titleholder, Laurie Stevens from South Africa. First meeting of these two. Stevens gets on top early, while Castilloux enjoys the support of the hometown crowd. His evening comes to an early end, however, when Stevens hammers home a solid combination that puts Castilloux down and out in round five. KO 5 for Stevens runs his career record to 24-5-1 (16). Castilloux ends the bout at 21-5-3 (8). In the first co-feature, Canadian Pete DeGrasse puts his CBU FW title on the line, facing Frank Parkes, who already holds the GBU and EBU FW titles and is after title belt number three. First meeting of the two, and it is DeGrasse’s sixth defense of the title he won back in 1936. DeGrasse gains the upper hand in the early going, and he manages to forge a solid points lead (59-55, on the unofficial card) by the midway point. By round seven, there is a trace of swelling around the right eye of Parkes. Nonetheless, Parkes becomes a busier fighter and begins to close the gap in the later rounds. Then, in round 10, DeGrasse – still ahead on points – gets frustrated and begins hitting below the belt. The fouling is viewed to be flagrant, and DeGrasse is disqualified. Boos from the pro-DeGrasse crowd descend on the ring announcer as Parkes is declared the winner via a DQ-10. Post-bout, Parkes moves to 22-3 (14) after winning his third title belt. DeGrasse slips to 37-16-4 (10), but a re-match is in the works, back in Parkes’ nativer England, in a couple of months’ time. Finally, in the second co-feature, two veteran MWs do battle in a rematch as Jock McAvoy faces Lou Brouillard for the Commonwealth MW title McAvoy took from Brouillard back in 1938. Brouillard starts well, but McAvoy closes group by stepping up the pace and forcing the action on the inside. Close bout throughout, the unofficial ringside observer has it even (56-all) at the midway point. McAvoy continues to press forward in the second half of the bout, with mixed results. The bout goes the distance, and the end result – a draw (113-112 McAvoy, 113-113, 112-113 Brouillard) – seems justified, although the judges disagree on the result. Post-bout records; 32-13-5 (21) for McAvoy; 30-11-3 (14) for Brouillard.

Sep. 8, 1939: Next is a Friday night fight card at the Dodge Theater in Phoenix. Main event is a non-title affair matching two WWs: long-time contender and ex-Champion Young Corbett III versus Paul Junior. First meeting of the two, with Corbett now at Post while Junior is still in his Prime. The die is cast in the opening round, when Junior sustains a severe cut over his right eye. Corbett takes advantage, building an early points lead. Then, the bout comes to an early end when the cut becomes too severe to allow the fight to continue. It goes down in the books as a TKO 5 for Corbett on the cuts stoppage. Post-bout career marks: Corbett, 54-17-6 (13); Junior, 27-15-7 (14), With the win, Corbett is able to retain his top ten contender status.

Sep. 9, 1939: Back in the UK for the next fistic action, this time at the Stadium in Liverpool. Featured is a meeting of two top Flyweights, as long-time NABF Champ and #1 contender Frankie Genaro, who faces his CBU counterpart, Brit Benny Lynch. The two have met once before, with Lynch KO’ing Genaro in 1936 in London. Genaro is at End career stage, while Lynch is at Post-Prime. The bout remains close for the first four rounds, then at the outset of round five, Lynch connects with a big uppercut that forces Genaro to cover up. The unofficial card has Lynch opening a wide lead (49-45) at the midway point. No cuts or knockdowns in this one, and Genaro battles back to take rounds seven and eight, but then Lynch snuffs out any comeback by taking the last two rounds to seal a UD 10 win (95-94, 96-93, 95-94) to run his career record to 31-7 (16) and move to the #1 contender spot. The loss leaves Genaro at 51-20-6 (19).

Sep. 9, 1939: Some exciting action once again in Detroit, Michigan, with a couple of unbeaten prospects on the undercard with a USBA title tilt as the main attraction. First up, unbeaten LH prospect Lloyd Marshall effectively ends the career of Battling Bozo, a former top contender, delivering a solid performance for a TKO 9 win to run his record to 17-0-1 (17), good enough for a top 10 spot in the LH rankings. Bozo ends up his career at 33-17-3 (12). Then, unbeaten MW prospect Charley Burley, in his final bout at Pre-Prime, faces his sternest test yet, taking on top 10 MW contender Freddie Apostoli, the “Boxing Bellhop.” After a close pair of opening rounds, Burley moves inside for round three and delivers the knockout blow with a vicious uppercut. Impressive KO 3 win for Burley, who wraps up his pre-Prime career with a perfect 20-0 (18) mark to move into elite contender status. Apostoli, who didn’t seem to know what hit him, is now 22-4-1 (19). In the feature, Lou Ambers puts his USBA LW title on the line against Tony Chavez, with Ambers having registered an earlier win via a UD in a non-title encounter in 1938. This time, Chavez keeps the bout close as the unofficial scorer has it even (57-all) at the midway point. Then, in round eight, Chavez is cut over his right eye. Ambers gradually pulls ahead, leading by a narrow margin (86-85) heading into the final three rounds. Chavez rebounds with a big round in the 10^th, and Ambers is sporting a puffy right eye as a result of the accumulated blows. But, to Chavez’s dismay, the cut is re-opened in round 11 and leads to an immediate stoppage. TKO 11 for Ambers on the cuts stoppage. Post-fight career marks: Ambers, 30-2-1 (18); Chavez, 27-8-2 (11).

Sep. 15, 1939: Next is a “Friday Night Fight Down Under” card at Sydney Stadium. Main event if an OPBF WW title matchup between reigning Champ Jack McNamee and Jack Carroll, a one-time WBA WW Champion now at the tail-end of his career. The two have met twice before, each winning once. McNamara seizes control of the bout as early as round two, and continues pounding away. After four rounds, Carroll begins to carry his hands low, leaving him vulnerable to more punishment as the bout progresses. Huge points lead for Carroll (60-54, according to the unofficial ringside observers) at the midway point. McNamee puts Carroll on the deck with a big combination in round nine and, although Carroll is able to arise, he is unable to fend off the blows from McNamee, and so the ref calls a halt to save Carroll from further punishment. TKO 9 for McNamee, who retains the OPBF title. McNamee’s career totals improve to 24-7 (16) with the win, while Carroll dips to 39-23-6 (14).

[JCWeb]

This report covers fistic action from the second half of September 1939, encompassing a total of 62 bouts. Two WBA title bouts are included.

Sep. 16, 1939: Back to Europe for a good, solid card at the Palais des Sports in Cannes, France. The main event is an EBU title fight, preceded by a BW matchup featuring current GBU BW king Tom Smith, who faces Italian Gino Bondavalli in a 10-round, non-title affair. Not much action in the opening three rounds; after that, Smith gradually begins to pull ahead, exhibiting some superior boxing skills. Later in the bout, Bondavalli tries to become more aggressive, but this is ultimately unsuccessful, enabling Smith to scoop up a solid UD 10 win (98-94, 97-94, 99-92), pushing his career totals to 20-6-4 (10), while Bondavalli ends up the bout at 19-7-2 (7). The feature is for the EBU Flyweight title, currently held by Jackie Brown, and his opponent is Spaniard Fortunato Ortega, who scored a TKO win over Brown back in 1937. It is Ortega’s third try for the EBU belt, having lost twice before to Istvan Enekes of Hungary. Brown’s boxing ability gives him the early edge, and he forges a three-point lead (59-56 on the unofficial card) at the bout’s midway point. Ortega, who is suffering from the effects of a swollen left eye for the entire second half of the bout, is unable to mount a comeback and fails for a third time to capture the EBU belt. End result is a solid UD 12 for Brown (116-113, 117-114, 116-112), who has now racked up five straight wins to emerge as a top contender in the Flyweight division. Post-fight career marks: Brown, 37-14-3 (12); Ortega, 24-9-4 (12).

Sep. 16, 1939: Next card is at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Headliner is a WBA title bout amply supported by a NABF title contest. In it, the NABF HW title is on the line, with Abe Simon defending against challenger Nathan Mann. Simon won their one prior encounter when both were at Pre-Prime, back in 1936. Mann earned his first title shot by going unbeaten (five wins, one draw) in his last six outings; meanwhile, Simon has won his last four to up his career totals to an impressive 23-1-1. Simon moves inside to force the action in round three; Mann responds with a good round in round four, and the bout remains close (58-all on the unofficial card) through the midway point. Simon exhibits superior stamina, but the challenger seizes the initiative, doing well to take rounds seven through nine. Trailing, Simon goes for the KO in the final two rounds, hurting Mann with a couple of good shots in the final round, but otherwise doing little damage. No cuts or knockdowns, so the bout goes to the scorecards, and Mann lifts the belt via a SD 12 (115-114, 112-117, 115-114), with the scoring from the one judge voting for Simon seeming way out of whack. Post-bout, Mann improves to 21-4-2 (16); Simon’s second career setback leaves him at 23-2-1 (17). Then, in the feature, it is a rematch of a controversial bout from earlier in the year as Eddie Dolan faces Jimmy McLarnin for the WBA WW title Dolan won on a controversial DQ call; since then, McLarnin has fought once, showing his age in dropping a CBU title bout to the unheralded Ernie Roderick. This time around, an early cut plays a major role as McLarnin suffers a gash over his left eye in the second round of the bout. Despite some excellent work from McLarnin’s corner, the cut is re-opened in round four, and then again in round five, spurting out a large amount of blood, enough to lead to an immediate stoppage. Dolan, who was ahead on all three cards anyway, is declared the winner via a TKO 5. The win leaves Dolan at 30-5-4 (12). This may turn out to be the last hurrah for the aging but distinguished ex-Champ McLarnin, who is now 53-12-1 (24) and perhaps just one or two bouts away from retirement, whereas there is talk of a big money fight between Dolan and WBA LW Champ Henry "Homicide Hank" Armstrong.

Sep. 22, 1939: Coliseum Arena in New Orleans is the venue for the next Friday night card, with no title bouts but a pair of intriguing co-features topping the card. First of these two pairs veteran LW contender Roger Bernard with unbeaten Lew Jenkins, the “Sweetwater Swatter,” in perhaps the toughest test of Jenkins’ career thus far. Bernard adopts the boxer role, while Jenkins is the slugger. Round three, first big shot of the bout is landed by Jenkins, who stuns Bernard with a big uppercut. Jenkins converts this early success to a solid points edge (49-46, on the unofficial card) at the midway point. By round seven, there is noticeable swelling around the right eye of Bernard; however, Jenkins is also absorbing his share of punishment, and his right eye begins to puff up a round later. The bout remains close until round nine, when Jenkins drops Bernard with a hook, enabling him to go on to take a UD 10 (96-93 on all three cards) to remain unbeaten, now 20-0-2 (11). Bernard drops to 36-17-3 (13) after the loss. In the main event, two LHs do battle as Tiger Jack Fox faces Melio Bettina. Big round three for Fox, and Bettina returns to his corner with some puffiness under his left eye. Solid lead for Fox at the midway point (49-46 on the unofficial card) does not translate into a win, as Bettina – trailing – becomes more aggressive and cuts into Fox’s lead. Nonetheless, in round nine, Fox drops Bettina with a big shot for the bout’s only KD and appears to be headed for a points win. Fox becomes a bit too cautious, and Bettina is able to come from behind a secure a draw (94-94 on all three cards). Post-fight records: Fox, 45-5-1 (32); Bettina, 22-2-2 (11).

Sep. 23, 1939: Big card at the Polo Grounds in New York City, and excitement is in the air with anticipation of a WBA title bout topping the agenda. First up, on the undercard, unbeaten BW Tommy Forte improves his career stats to a perfect 19-0 (10) with a solid UD 10 win (100-92, 99-92, 99-91) over aging veteran Bobby Green, who ends the bout at 42-27-8 (16). Then, in the co-feature, the USBA MW title is on the line, as Johnny “Bandit” Romero defends against Ken Overlin, a former WBA MW Champ who holds a prior win over Romero back in 1937. Romero dominates the early action, causing noticeable swelling to appear under the right eye of Overlin, building a solid lead (58-56, according to the unofficial ringside observer) by the midway point. Overlin battles back, trying to be more aggressive as the bout enters the later rounds. From round nine on, Romero shows the effects, with a rapidly swelling right eye but, in the end, he prevails: UD 12 for Romero (115-113, 116-112, 116-112) to retain the belt and improve his career record to 38-13 (21). The loss leaves Overlin at 34-5-5 (12). Then, it is time for the main event, as popular WBA LH Champion Billy Conn makes the first defense of that title, facing unbeaten contender Eddie Booker. Booker assumes the mantle of aggressor from the early going, with Conn using his defensive and boxing skills to forge an early points lead. By the end of round five, Conn is up by four (50-46, on the unofficial card) and there is a trace of swelling under the right eye of Booker. Conn, content to work outside, continues to stifle Booker’s attack until round eight, when Booker breaks through with his best round of the fight, landing some effective blows. Then, near the end of round nine, Booker catches Conn with a big cross and forces “the Pittsburgh Kid” to cover up. Round 10 sees Conn back on track, regaining a solid lead (98-94, again according to the unofficial scorer) into the final five rounds. Conn continues with a strong round in the 11^th, then retreats into a defensive shell as an exhausted Booker is unable to mount an effective rally. Thus, a comfortable UD 15 win for Conn (147-138, 146-139, 146-141) to improve his career record to 22-1-2 (11), while handing Booker, now 21-1 (13) his first career defeat. After the win, there is talk about Conn moving up to HW to perhaps challenge Joe Louis for the WBA HW title.

Sep. 29, 1939: Next is a Friday night card at Manila’s Rizal Arena, featuring some top Asian fighters in a pair of non-title bouts headling the action. In the first of these, OPBF FW Champion Tsuneo Horiguchi takes on long-time top FW contender Freddie Miller. Miller gains the upper hand, piling up a points lead and also doing sufficient damage to cause some swelling around the left eye of Horiguchi. Miller is up by four (50-46, according to the unofficial ringside observer) at the midway point. Horiguchi battles back, staging a late rally that falls just short. UD 10 for Miller (96-93, 96-94, 96-93). Post-bout career marks: 37-11-1 (15) for Miller; 24-6 (15) for Horiguchi. Turns out to be Miller’s last bout at Prime as he hits Post-Prime starting in 1940. Second co-feature matches long-time OPBF MW titleholder Ceferino Garcia, a fan favorite, with rising star Tony Zale, the “Man of Steel,” who is currently the NABF MW Champ and one of the top contenders for the WBA MW crown. Zale gets off the mark early, registering some heavy blows that cause Garcia’s left eye to puff up as early as the end of round one. Zale continues to dominate the action, building a solid early lead (50-46 on the unofficial card) by the midway point. Garcia begins to tire and offers little resistance in the second half of the bout. No KDs but Zale comes close when he staggers Garcia with a big uppercut in round nine. Zale goes on to take a UD 10 (96-94, 97-93, 97-93), and it seems some generous hometown judging had the bout closer than the punches landed stats may have indicated. Zale, now 25-2 (19), appears to be headed toward a WBA title shot soon, while Garcia, at 39-20-2 (24), appears to be prepared to lapse into the Post-Prime phase of his career.

Sep. 30, 1939: The month wraps up with a solid card at the Earls Court in London, England. In the co-feature, long-time LH contender Len Harvey faces Heinz Lazek in a non-title affair; it is a revenge match for Harvey, who lost a split duke to Lazek back in 1937 for the EBU HW title. This time around, Harvey gets off to an excellent start, dropping Lazek who hits the deck in a delayed reaction to a hook in the opening stanza. Lazek recovers, and in round four, he nails Harvey with a big uppercut that forces the Brit to cover up. Harvey manages to take a points lead into the later rounds, doing just enough to hang on for a UD 10 win (95-94, 97-93, 97-94) to reverse the earlier result and move back among the LH contenders once again. Post-bout career marks: Harvey, 49-23-3 (10); Lazek, 29-7 (20). Then, in the main event, Max Schmeling is on the comeback trail, challenging Jack Peterson for Peterson’s EBU HW title belt. First meeting of the two, and Peterson has hit Post-Prime career stage and thus, appears to be easy pickings for the two-time former Champion. Schmeling gets off to a strong start, domingating the action in the opening round. Round two also sees Schmeling on top, and he opens a cut on Peterson’s mouth. A left hook to the body from the “Black Uhlan” has Peterson sucking up air, gasping for breath, and then covering up to remain afoot and last the round. After an even round four, Schmeling once again takes charge in the toe-to-toe action in round five, dropping Peterson for an eight count with a huge shot, then quickly following up with two more KDs to bring an early end to the bout. TKO 5 for Schmeling, who captures the EBU HW belt and improves his overall career totals to 48-6-1 (33). Peterson ends the bout at 28-11 (18), and will hit End career status with his next bout, probably some time in early 1940.

[JCWeb]

Back again with the regular Uni after spending some time running the ATG tournaments. This report covers fistic action from the first half of October 1939, encompassing a total of 45 bouts.

Oct. 6, 1939: The month commences with a solid Friday night card at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City. Double-barreled non-title bout action headlines the agenda. First of the co-features matches former WBA WW Champ Ruby Goldstein, now in the Post-Prime of his career, facing long-time fringe contender, King Tut. This is a rematch of a bout earlier in the year that resulted in a TKO win for Goldstein, who enters the bout on a three-bout winning streak. Not much action until round three, when Goldstein sustains a cut over his right eye. Undeterred, Goldstein takes charge in round four, decking Tut with a big hook and, by the end of the round, Tut is showing signs of swelling under his right eye. Trailing at the midway point (50-46 on the unofficial card), Tut becomes more aggressive in the second half of the bout. In round eight, Tut manages to re-open the cut over Goldstein’s eye but, a round later, the bout comes to a sudden end when Goldstein uncorks an overhand right that puts Tut down a second time, this time for good. KO 9 for Goldstein, running his career totals to 44-13-4 (29); the loss leaves Tut at 33-17-4 (19). In the second co-feature, Two HW contenders do battle, with Roscoe Toles facing Jack Trammell. The two met once before, back in 1933, when both were still at Pre-Prime, with Toles taking a split duke. This time, Toles surges ahead with a big round three, causing a trace of puffiness around the right eye of Trammell. Then, in round four, Toles rips open a cut over Trammell’s injured eye. Toles pulls ahead on points then hangs on for a UD 10 win (98-93, 99-91, 98-92). Post-fight career marks: Toles, 29-6-3 (6); Trammell, 26-9 (11).

Oct. 7, 1939: Next card is in Europe at the Amor Bahn in Munich, Germany. Featured are two top 20 HWs, Germany’s Walter Neusel and Jack Peterson, the reigning GBU HW Champ. (Yeah, in real-life this bout wouldn’t have happened a little more than a month after the war had been declared between their respective countries.) Anyway, it’s a non-title affair, and the first meeting of the two. After a strong opening round, Martin dropped a right on the chin of Neusel, staggering the German, who covered up to survived, but there was noticeable swelling around his right eye as he returned to his corner at the end of the round. After a good action round for both in the fourth round, Martin continued his early dominance, pulling ahead at the midway point (49-46, according to the unofficial scorer). Neusel tries to be more aggressive in the second half of the bout, but he is hampered by a cut opened over his left eye in round seven. Then, in round eight, Martin breaks through once again, dropping Neusel with a short, clean uppercut, then following with a second KD later in the round. At this point, the ref stepped in to save Neusel from further punishment, so the bout goes down as a TKO 8 for Martin. Post-bout, Martin improves to 24-7-1 (15); the loss leaves Neusel at 24-11-2 (18).

Oct. 7, 1939: Chicago’s Comiskey Park sets the scene for the next fistic action. Again, no titles at stake, and the headliner matches ex-WBA MW Champ Holman Williams, on the comeback trail after suffering three defeats in the past two years to MW Champ Freddie Steele. Williams’ opponent is Teddy Yarosz, who has recorded three wins and a draw in his most recent outings. First meeting of the two, and the action is slow to develop. Williams moves ahead with a big round four, and Yarosz’s left eye shows signs of swelling after taking a pounding. Unofficial card has Williams up by two (49-47) at the midway point. Yarosz, bothered by the swollen eye, lacks the firepower to mount an effective rally, and by the end of the bout, he is carrying his hands low. UD 10 for Williams by a fairly substantial margin (97-93, 99-92, 99-92) to run his career record to 28-6 (18). Yarosz drops to 33-13-3 (11) after the loss.

Oct. 13, 1939: A USBA title bout headlines a Friday night card at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. Jimmy “Muds Flats” Garrison faces Georgie Crouch for the USBA WW title recently vacated after Henry Armstrong won the WBA LW title. Garrison, who has the better boxing skills, appears to have the upper hand, but Crouch is more aggressive, moving inside to do some damage in round three. The bout devolves into a defensive struggle, and is scored even (57-all) by the unofficial scorer through six. Garrison heads into the later rounds holding a solid lead in the punches landed stats, but Crouch has the greater stamina. No cuts, swelling or knockdowns, as the bout goes the distance, fairly uneventful in the later rounds – and the judges award a UD 12 to Garrison (115-113, 116-112, 116-112) who captures the title. Post-bout career records: Garrison, 24-2-3 (2); Crouch, 18-3-3 (11).

Oct. 14, 1939: Next is a good, solid card at Manila’s Rizal Arena, with Canadian Horace Gwynne once again making the trip to face some top, homegrown talent. The current CBU BW Champion faces one-time WBA BW kingpin Speedy Dado in a 10-round, non-title affair. First meeting of the two, and it becomes a tactical battle between two skilled boxers. After an even first couple of rounds, Dado gradually pulls ahead on points, taking advantage of the fact that Gwynne is at Post-Prime career stage. This results in Dado holding a sizable points edge (49-46) on the unofficial card at the midway point of the bout. Gwynne tries to become more aggressive but is ineffective as he tires badly in the later rounds. Thus, Dado goes on to take a fairly comfortable UD 10 win (98-93, 97-94, 99-92) in front of an appreciate hometown crowd. The win lifts Dado to a career record of 37-18-2 (14) while the loss drops Gwynne to 24-7-1 (14).

Oct. 14, 1939: An NABF LH title bout tops the next card at Montreal, where home crowd favorite Charley Belanger is defending that belt versus challenger Tony Shucco. The two are facing each other for the first time, but Shucco’s slick boxing skills are too much for the aging, 37-year old Canadian fighter whose best days are clearly behind him. Belanger is unable to turn the bout into a slugfest, with the possible exception on round five, where he does enough to cause a slight mouse to appear under the left eye of Shucco. However, Shucco manages to build a solid points lead (58-55 on the unofficial card) at the midway point, and he coasts to victory with the aid of a 10-8 round in round eight despite not scoring a knockdown. By the end of the contest, Belanger is exhausted and suffering from a rapidly swelling right eye. UD 12 for Shucco by a decisive margin (118-109, 119-108, 117-110) to take the belt, even earning the plaudits of the pro-Belanger crowd. Post-bout career marks are 32-12 (11) for Shucco, 42-20 (19) for Belanger.

[JCWeb]

This report covers fistic action from the second half of October 1939, encompassing a total of 55 bouts, including one WBA title bout.

Oct. 20, 1939: Friday night card at Havana’s Gran Stadium is topped by a twin bill of LABF title bouts. First of these features Sixto Escobar facing Raul Casanova for the LABF BW title recently vacated by Panama Al Brown, who stepped up and won the WBA BW belt. Three prior meetings have all resulted in wins for Escobar, who enters the ring confident of victory. Two-thirds of the way into the opening stanza, Escobar rocks his Mexican foe with a big hook, and after just one round, there is a trace of swelling around the right eye of Casanova. Early points edge for Escobar (58-56 at the midway point, according to the unofficial ringside observer), yet both men remain aggressive into the second half of the bout. A solid hook from Casanova stuns the favored Escobar in round seven, which proves to be Casanova’s best round. From round nine on Escobar begins to tire, and in the 10^th, Escobar lands a big combination, putting Casanova down for an eight count. A second KD follows, and Escobar pulls away to take the belt via a comfortable UD 12 (117-109, 117-109, 116-110) to run his career totals to 31-6-3 (10), while Casanova falls to 25-7-1 (14) – four of those losses coming at the hands of Escobar. In the second co-feature, Joe Legon defends his LABF WW belt against another Mexican, Battling Shaw. Legon, who won their prior encounter in Mexico back in 1938, appears even more confident with this title defense on home turf. A solid uppercut from Legon drops Shaw on his back in round three. Shaw arises, but goes down again later in the bout, in round eight. True to his nickname, Shaw battles back, taking rounds nine, 10 and 11 to make the final scores a bit closer. Still, a solid UD 12 for Legon (115-112 on all three cards). Post-fight career marks: Legon, 23-1-5 (16); Shaw, 30-16-4 (14).

Oct. 21, 1939: Next card is in Europe at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. No titles on the line, and the feature matches two Flyweights, with established contender Emile Pladner facing 17-0 Filipino sensation Little Dado, making his first trip overseas to face the French veteran. Dado gets off to a good start, landing well in the first two rounds. Then, in round three, Pladner moves inside and is more effective, taking the round. Dado connects with an overhand right in round three, sending Pladner to the canvas. Pladner arises at the count of nine, only to go down from a Dado hook for the second KD of the round. This time, Pladner takes a nine count and is able to cover up without further damage. The damage is in the scorecards, which favor Dado, who seals the win with a third KD from a cross in round seven. Pladner again manages to beat the count and last the distance. The three KDs are more than enough to result in a fairly lopsided UD 10 win for Dado (99-88, 98-89, 99-88), who remains unbeaten, now 18-0 (11). The loss drops Pladner to 32-23-2 (11).

Oct. 21, 1939: Denver’s Mammoth Gardens is the venue for the next fistic action. A WBA FW title bout headlines the card, amply supported by a co-feature matching a pair of top 10 FW contenders hoping for a possible title shot against the winner. In the co-feature, veteran Enrique Chafferdet faces a rising star, 20-0 Harold Hoshino, in Hoshino’s first outing at Prime career stage. Hoshino starts well and, in the fourth round, he is able to penetrate the Venezuelan’s defenses and score at will. At the midway point, the unofficial scorer has it as a shutout for Hoshino (50-45) while Chafferdet is already looking beaten, with some major puffiness under his left eye. In round eight, a Hoshino combination decks Chafferdet, who manages to continues after taking an eight count. Hoshino goes on to take an impressive UD 10 win (98-91, 98-91, 99-90) to remain unbeaten, now 21-0 (14). The loss leaves Chafferdet at 35-18-7 (10). Next up, wrapping an excellent card, is the WBA FW title confrontation, with Chalky Wright making his third defense of that belt, facing challenger Frankie Covelli. Covelli has remained unbeaten in his last six outings (four wins, two draws) to earn the title shot. After a long feeling out process, with little in the way of action for the first three rounds, Wright takes charge with a big round in round four. Midway through the fifth round, a Wright cross stuns Covelli. Early edge to Wright (49-47) on the unofficial card after the first five rounds. By the end of round seven, there is noticeable swelling around the left eye of the challenger, as Wright has been controlling the bout, mainly from the outside. Covelli then becomes more aggressive, launching a major in surge in rounds eight through 10 to even the score (96-96), according to the unofficial ringside observer. In the final rounds, better stamina on the part of Wright begins to tell, and in round 13, he drops Covelli who takes a five-count before resuming. With the late KD, Wright is able to retain the belt via a UD 15 (147-142, 145-141, 145-141). Post-bout career records: Wright, 34-10-4 (14); Covelli, 31-11-8 (7). Fight fans, having witnesses both co-features, are now clamoring for a title bout between Wright and the impressive-looking Hoshino.

Oct. 27, 1939: Back to the Easten USA for a Friday night card at Uline Arena in Washington, DC. Two top 10 LWs – each a former titleholder – do battle in a crossroads bout among contenders in the main featured bout. The two protagonists are Wesley Ramey, a two-time NABF LW Champ, coming off a recent loss of that title, versus ex-LABF Champ Chino Alvarez. It’s a classic boxer (Ramey) vs slugger (Alvarez) confrontation but, in this matchup, Ramey’s superior boxing skills are sufficient to keep Alvarez at bay. Consequently, Ramey pulls ahead to a comfortable points lead, his task made easier by a cut over the left eye of Alvarez sustained in the bout’s later stages. Comfortable UD 10 win for Ramey (99-91, 99-91, 100-90) moves his career record to 30-9-6 (10) and puts him in position for another shot at either a NABF or USBA title, or possibly even a WBA title matchup. For, Alvarez, now 33-11-4 (21), it’s back to the drawing board.

Oct. 28, 1939: Next is a good, solid card at London’s venerable Harringay Arena, and featured are a twin bill of Commonwealth (CBU) title contests. First of these is for the CBU HW title, currently held by Brit Tommy Farr, who faces South African Ben Foord for the belt, in Foord’s first try for a title of any kind. The determined Foord, who will reach Post-Prime career stage in 1940, starts strongly, and is up by a narrow margin (58-57) on the unofficial card at the midway point. Farr elects to remain on the outside while Foord, the aggressor, mixes up and inside and outside attack. Farr exhibits superior stamina and, with a late surge, manages to retain the belt via a majority draw (112-114 Foord, 113-113, 113-113). Post-bout, Farr moves to 45-13-3 (16) while Foord, who performed well, ended the bout at 22-8-1 (10). Second co-feature is for the CBU LW title, currently held by the “Whitechapel Whirlwind,” Jack Kid Berg, who faces a familiar foe, South African Laurie Stevens, who previously held the belt. This is the third meeting of the two, with Berg holding the edge with a win and a draw in their prior encounters. Berg gets off to a great start, piling up an early points lead, and by round five there is little Stevens can do, as he is forced to deal with a rapidly swelling right eye. Easy points win for Berg (119-110, 120-109, 120-109), as only one round – the eighth – was close enough to go either way. Post-bout career marks: Berg, 41-14-5 (14); Stevens, 24-6-1 (16).

Oct. 28, 1939: The month wraps with a huge card in Boston. Headliner is a USBA title clash, but the co-feature matches two top LH contenders in a non-title affair, as Gus Lesnevich faces Pal Silvers. Lesnevich took a UD in a prior meeting with Silvers and is hoping for a repeat performance as a stepping stone to a possible title shot. Lesnevich pulls in front in the early rounds, and by the midway point he is comfortable ahead on points (50-46 on the unofficial scorer’s card). In the later rounds, Lesnevich’s superior stamina, boxing and defense enable him to retain the lead and also thwart any effort by Silvers to turn the bout around. Solid UD 10 win for Lesnevich (98-92, 98-93, 98-93) to move his career record to an excellent 26-3-1 (14); the loss drops Silvers to 39-16-5 (15). Then, in the main event, Pete Sanstol faces Georgie Pace fo the USBA BW title vacated by K. O. Morgan after Morgan moved up and won the vacant NABF crown. Two boxers square off, with Sanstol having the edge with a prior UD 10 win over Pace in 1938. The two engage in a tight, defensive struggle, with little in the way of action, making it tough for the judges to score. Slight points edge to Sanstol at the midway point (58-56, according to the unofficial card). In the later rounds, Pace becomes more and more aggressive and, in round eight, he succeeds in opening up a gash over the right eye of Sanstol. The cut is in a bad spot, and it proves to be a difficult one for Sanstol’s corner to control. The end comes a couple of rounds later, via a cuts stoppage, with Pace being declared the winner via a TKO 10 at a time when Sanstol was ahead on points on all three cards. Post-bout marks: 23-7-1 (17) for Pace, and 38-12-5 (9) for Sanstol. Tough loss for Sanstol, who is angling for a rematch but it will take some time for the injured eye to heal.

[JCWeb]

This report covers fistic action from the first half of November 1939, encompassing a total of 56 bouts, including one WBA title bout.

Nov. 3, 1939: This month’s action commences with a Friday night card in Philadelphia. No titles at stake, but headlining the agenda is an intriguing HW battle between Philadelphia’s own Tommy Loughran, who has been struggling since moving up from LH, and the hard-hitting Art Lasky. Both men have won their last two outings and are angling for a title bout. The two have not met before, and both are at Post-Prime career stage. Lasky takes charge in the opening round, connecting with a devastating hook that sends Loughran crashing to the canvas. Loughran arises, attempts to cover up, but Lasky manages to drop him a second time with an overhand right just before the bell. Big opening round for Lasky. A third KD follows in round four when Lasky connects with a vicious uppercut to the head of Loughran. Once again, Loughran picks himself off the canvas and manages to survive. Then, in round five, Loughran begins to find the range and outboxes Lasky. The margin at the midway point is just one point (47-46) on the unofficial card, as Loughran manages to hold a punches landed advantage despite the three KDs by Lasky. The bout continues in the same vein, with Lasky landing a few big shots while Loughran tries to rely on guile and defense. The bout goes to decision, and Lasky takes a close but UD 10 (94-93 on all three cards), which remarkably, is his first decision win – all the others coming via stoppages – to lift his career record to 27-8-2 (26). Loughran ends the bout at 63-14-4 (20). The win puts Lasky back into the HW title hunt.

Nov. 4, 1939: Next card is in Europe at the Sports Palace in Rome. Good, solid card. Of note is the feature, an EBU title matchup, preceded by a non-title bout featuring two top five WW contenders: newly-crowned CBU (as well as GBU) WW Champ Ernie Roderick, who takes on Izzy Jannazzo. Roderick enters the bout riding a five-bout winning streak, but he has not faced an opponent with the weapons of Jannazzo. Jannazzo boxes well and builds an early points lead, although the unofficial scorer has Roderick holding a narrow lead (48-47) at the midway point. Late in the bout, in round eight, Roderick begins bleeding from a cut under his right eye. Jannazzo goes on to register a narrow UD 10 victory (96-95 on all three cards). Post-bout career marks: Jannazzo, 28-4-1 (13); Roderick, 23-9-3 (6). The main event is also in the WW division, an EBU WW title contest between two familiar foes: Dutchman Bep Van Klaveren, now making his fifth title defense, and Italy’s Vittorio Venturi, one-time WBA WW Champ still on the comeback trail. It will be the fifth meeting of these two, with Van Klaveren holding the edge with two prior wins to one for Venturi, plus one draw. This time around, the early edge in the momentum favors Venturi until round four, when Van Klaveren connects with a left hook to the body, followed by a powerful jab that forces the Italian to cover up. Van Klaveren, now firmly in control, has forged a narrow lead (58-57, on the unofficial scorer’s card) at the midway point. The Dutchman goes on to take rounds seven through nine, powering his way to a fairly comfortable UD 12 (116-112, 115-113, 115-113), holding off a late surge from a very exhausted Venturi. The win pushes Van Klaveren’s career stats to 29-11-7 (11), perhaps putting him in line for a WBA title shot. The loss drops Venturi to 43-16-8 (12).

Nov. 4, 1939: Buenos Aires’ Luna Park is the scene for the next card, with the LABF sponsoring the agenda so no surprise to see an LABF title bout headlining the action. First up, in the main supporting co-feature, is a bout involving two top 10 FWs who are Latinos: Filio Julian Echevarria and countryman Simon Chavez, both from Venezuela. Chavez is attempting to bounce back after three straight losses, having fallen from the lofty perch of WBA titleholder. He faces the veteran Echevarria, now at Post-Prime, in an effort to reverse the situation. Chavez comes alive in the fourth round, landing some damaging blows to cause swelling around both eyes of his opponent and fellow countryman. Chavez holds a solid points lead (49-46, on the unofficial card) at the midway point. Then, Echevarria becomes more aggressive and begins to turn things around, winning rounds six through nine. By the end of the ninth round, there is noticeable swelling around the right eye of Chavez, whose passive approach to sit on his early points lead has proven disasterous. A strong second half showing from Echevarria enables him to take a UD 10 victory (96-94, 96-94, 97-96). Post-bout records: Echevarria, 35-13-4 (12); Chavez, 25-12-2 (6). Then, in the feature, Jimmy Mendes defends his LABF HW title against challenger Alberto Santiago Lovell in front of the Argentinean’s hometown fans; first meeting of these two, and it is the first defense of this particular title in almost two years. Two sluggers do battle, with Lovell moving inside in round three to do some damage, then continuing to score well to take a points lead at the midway point (58-56, according to the unofficial ringside scorer). Mendes responded well with a big round seven, unloading with an overhand right to the jaw that forced Lovell to cover up. Then, late in the round, he floored Lovell but the challenger was saved by the bell, enabling the bout to continue – after a huge 41-point round for Mendes. Mendes continuing to batter away in round eight, dropping Lovell with a big cross. This time there was no saving by the bell, and Lovell did not beat the count. KO 8 for Mendes, raising his career totals to 35-10-4 (28); however, in his next bout (in 1940) he will hit Post-Prime career stage. Game effort by Lovell, who ends the bout at 20-7-1 (15).

Nov. 10, 1939: Back to the Easten USA for a Friday night card at Miami. Some top LH action in the co-feature, preceding an NABF title encounter to top an exciting fight card. In the co-feature, #3 ranked LH Tiger Jack Fox, still looking for a WBA title shot, faces Danny Devlin, a fringe contender who has made slow progress through the ranks to his current #12 position, based on a couple of good recent wins. First meeting of the two. Opening round sees Fox take charge, ripping open a gash over the right eye of Devlin. More problems for the overmatched Devlin in round three, when he begins to suffer from rapidly developing swelling around the injured eye. Fox does not leat up, landing a huge shot near the end of the round that puts Devlin down and out. KO 3 win for Fox moves him to 46-5-1 (33) overall and back in line for a possible WBA title shot. Devlin’s career takes a hit, as he drops to 29-13-5 (13) and is still outside the top 10 looking in. Then, in the main event, Al Roth makes his initial defense of the NABF LW title a tough challenge, facing current USBA LW Champion Lou Ambers. Roth, winner of his last six, takes on Ambers for the first time, with Ambers having gone 11-1-1 in the past three years, including a draw with then Champion Tony Canzoneri in a WBA title matchup. Ambers comes out swinging, dropping Roth for a count of three in the opening round; Roth covers up to survive. Early edge to Ambers, who continues to dominate the early action to forge a solid points lead at the midway point (59-54, according to the unofficial card). Roth tries to become more aggressive in the second half of the bout, but Ambers’ defense remains solid. As a result, Ambers goes on to lift the belt via a UD 12 (115-112, 117-111, 117-110). Post-bout career marks: 31-2-1 (18) for Ambers, 33-7-1 (11) for Roth.

Nov. 11, 1939: Next up is action in the UK at the Stadium in Liverpool. Topping the card is a GBU title bout, amply supported by a co-feature matching Jackie Brown, current EBU and GU Flyweight Champion, with Jackie Jurich, recently crowned USBA Flyweight Champ, who has just hit Prime career stage. First meeting of the two, and both men carry nice winning streaks into the bout, with Brown having won his last five; Jurich, his last three. Jurich gets off to an excellent start, landing repeatedly and causing noticeable swelling around the right eye of Brown from the early stages of the bout. Brown seems to have difficulty dealing with Jurich’s aggressiveness, enabling Jurich to build an early points advantage. Brown is able to stabilize the situation heading into the later rounds and, with the aid of some “hometown” judging, he manages to salvage a draw (96-94 Brown, 92-98 Jurich, 95-95). Post-bout career totals: 37-14-4 (12) for Brown; 17-3-1 (13) for Jurich. Then, time for the main event, which is a GBU LH title encounter featuring aging veteran Len Harvey facing challenger Bert Gilroy. First defense of this title by Harvey in almost two years. Gilroy seems undeterred by Harvey’s daunting reputation, moving inside to establish firm control in round three, landing some punishing blows and causing a trace of swelling under Harvey’s right eye as a result. No cuts or knockdowns, but Gilroy is constantly in Harvey’s face, causing the swelling to gradually worsen until Harvey, practically blind in one eye, is saved from further punishment. TKO 10 for Gilroy for a rare stoppage due to swelling as opposed to cuts. The win lifts Gilroy (who was well ahead on all three cards at the time of the stoppage) to 20-5-2 (14) overall while Harvey, who is likely to be nearing the end of his career after a few more bouts, sinks to 49-24-3 (19).

Nov. 11, 1939: Action is back in the States with a huge card in San Francisco. A WBA title clash headlines the action, and the co-feature matches a pair of top HW contenders as Elmer Ray faces fan favorite Max Baer. It’s the fourth career meeting of these two, with Baer holding a 2-1 lead in their prior encounters. At this point, Baer is looking to re-establish his credentials as a credible HW contender, having been blasted out in less than one round by Joe Louis for the WBA HW belt in his last outing. After a strong opening round for Baer, the momentum swings to Ray who takes the second round, then moves inside in round three, putting Baer on the defensive with another strong round. Baer bounces back in round four, ripping open a cut over the right eye of Ray; some good cornerwork has the cut patched up between rounds. Two-thirds of the way through round five, which sees both men trying to muscle their way inside, Ray tags Baer with a big left, forcing Max to cover up to last the round. At the midway point, the unofficial scorecard has Ray on top (49-47) but the issue remains in doubt with these two sluggers doing battle. Baer is able to regain his composure and take round six to close the points gap. After another strong round in the seventh, the two ramp up the pace, each looking for the KO punch in round eight. The cut over Ray’s eye is re-opened, but again some good cornerwork manages to keep the cut under control. Then, in round nine, Ray decks Baer with a vicious shot; Max bounces up after taking a six-count. Baer manages to recover quickly, decking Ray for a three-count near the end of the round. The crowd is ecstatic – two KDs, one for each fighter, in the same round! The bout comes down to the 10^th and final round. Baer finds the range with an overhand right, decking Ray for a second time. Ray regains his footing and carries on, but the second KD in the final round by Baer was sufficient to sway the judges and earn him a close but UD 10 (95-94, 95-94, 96-93). Despite only being a non-title bout, this is a Fight-of-the-Year candidate due to the many momentum swings and the series of KDs in the final two rounds. Post-bout, Baer improves to 29-13 (25) compared to 42-10 (28) for Ray. After this, the WBA Flyweight title bout between long-time Champ Midget Wolgast and CBU Champ Benny Lynch takes place. Lynch has earned the title shot by winning his last two, while Wolgast has won six in a row since his unsuccessful try for the WBA BW title. Wolgast gets off to a strong start, but Lynch has his moments, particularly as the aggressor in round three. Slight points edge for Wolgast (48-47) after five, according to the unofficial ringside observer. Lynch, working mostly on the outside, does well to keep the bout close into the middle rounds. In round eight, Wolgast moves inside in an effort to control the action to a greater degree; he takes the round and does even better in winning round nine as well. With Lynch beginning to tire, Wolgast scoops up more points, winning rounds seven through 10 to pull ahead by an even wider margin (97-93, according to the unofficial card). Swelling around the left eye of Lynch becomes more and more of an issue as the fight enters the later rounds. Both men land some good shots in round 12, a good action round. Wolgast then retreats into a defensive shell, sitting on his solid points lead in rounds 13 – 15. No cuts or KDs, and Wolgast goes on to record his 23^rd straight title defense, taking a UD 15 (145-140, 146-139, 144-141). With an eight-year title reign back to 1931, Wolgast, now 50-5-1 (18), is the longest reigning of the current Champions, but he will hit Post-Prime in his next outing. Game effort by Lynch, who is already at Post-Prime, ending up the bout at 31-8 (16).

[JCWeb]

This report covers fistic action from the second half of November 1939, encompassing a total of 56 bouts, including one WBA title bout.

Nov. 17, 1939: Next is a Friday night card in Pittsburgh. Only bout of note is the feature, matching two LH prospects: Archie Moore and Jimmy Webb, with Webb already at Prime while Moore has a couple of more outings at Pre-Prime. “Irish Jimmy” comes out swinging, surprising Moore and taking round one. Moore moves inside, doing some damage in the third round. In round four, Moore begins gradually pulling ahead on the punches landed stats, gradually wearing down Webb. Webb manages to grab round five, reducing Moore’s points lead to one (48-47) on the unofficial card. But, with Webb beginning to tire, Moore’s superior stamina begins to tell in the second half of the bout. Moore takes round six, and in the seventh he connects with an upperut that sends Webb toppling to the canvas. A combination from Moore results in a second KD later in that same round, with Webb barely managing to regain his footing after taking an eight-count. The end comes a few rounds later, with Moore blasting away with some unanswered shots; the ref then stepped in to save Webb from further punishment. TKO 9 for Moore to lift his career record to 16-1-2 (14). Post-bout, Webb is now 18-4-1 (9). The win is sufficient to put Moore into the top 20 in the LH rankings, and he is just one bout away from hitting his Prime career stage.

Nov. 18, 1939: Next card is in Europe at the Palais des Sports in Cannes, France. No titles are on the line, but a couple of solid matches involving top 10 rated fighters top the agenda. The fist of these co-features matches two top BWs, as K. O. Morgan, current NABF BW Champ, visits from the States to take on his EBU counterpart, Spaniard Baltazar Sangchili. First meeting of the two, and the early edge goes to Morgan, who lands some good shots, enough leather to cause swelling to appear around the left eye of the Spaniard. Then, in round five, Sangchili is cut over the injured left eye, and the unofficial scorecard shows a good lead (49-46) for Morgan at the midway point. The cut is reopened in the following round, round six, and begins to spurt blood uncontrollably. The cuts stoppage means it goes down as a TKO 6 for Morgan, lifting his career totals to 31-11-5 (17) overall. Sangchili ends the bout at 34-12 (19). In the nightcap, two top MWs put their skills on display, as ex-WBA MW Champ Holman Williams faces the “Casablanca Clouter,” Marcel Cerdan, reigning EBU MW Champ and a fan favorite here in France. First meeting of the two, and Cerdan is coming off his first career loss to WBA MW Champ Freddie Steele, clearly angling to put himself in position for a rematch. Early trouble for Cerdan who suffers a cut on his forehead in round two. The cut is in a bad spot and continues to ooze blood, and when it is re-opened a couple of rounds later, the bout is halted. Another cuts stoppage, a TKO 4 win for Williams, a result that does not sit well with the pro-Cerdan crowd. Post-bout career records: Williams, 29-6 (19); Cerdan, 24-2-2 (18).

Nov. 18, 1939: Next, back to the States for a good evening of boxing at Chicago’s Comiskey Park. Twin features top the bill, both in the MW division. In the first of these, unbeaten Charley Burley makes his first outing at Prime, facing a top 10 contender and one-time WBA Champion in Ken Overlin. Not much happens until round four, when Burley unleashes a barrage of blows, causing a trace of swelling to appear around the right eye of Overlin. Burley mixes an inside versus outside attack, comfortably switching back and forth between boxer and slugger, while Overlin elects to work mainly on the outside. Then, in round five, Overlin opens a cut on the bridge of Burley’s nose. Despite the cut, Burley holds a points lead (49-46. according to the unofficial card) at the midway point of the bout. The cut continues to ooze blood a round later, but Overlin continues to struggle with his timing and is unable to take advantage. Burley closes round seven with a big flurry, landing some stinging shots. Round eight goes to Overlin, and once again the cut becomes an issue. Finally, when the cut is re-opened a second time in round nine, a halt is ordered. Despite protests from Burley’s corner, the bout is over, and it goes as at TKO 9 for Overlin on the cuts stoppage. The win improves Overlin’s career stats to 35-5-5 (13) overall; for Burley, his first career loss leaves him at 20-1 (18). Then, in the feature, popular NABF MW titleholder Tony Zale, the “Man of Steel,” puts that title on the line against his USBA counterpart, Johnny “Bandit” Romero. Zale is riding an impressive nine-bout winning streak, and Romero has won two since his last loss, via a TKO, to Zale, back in 1938. This time around, a strong start for Zale, who rips open a cut over the right eye of the challenger in the second round. Then, in round three, more heavy leather from Zale, causing some swelling to appear around the left eye of Mendes. Round four, and there’s still a trickle of blood from the cut eye. The cut is in a difficult spot and, despite some good cornerwork, Mendes is still vulnerable as Zale reopens the cut in round five, and this time the flow of blood cannot be staunched. Another cuts stoppage, and this time it’s a TKO 5 for Zale, retaining the NABF MW title belt. Post-bout career marks: 26-2 (20) for Zale; 38-14 (24) for Romero.

Nov. 24, 1939: Action shifts to the Far East for a Friday night card at Manila’s Rizal Arena. A pair of OPBF title bouts headlines the card. First up, Small Montana makes the first defense of his OPBF Flyweight title belt in over four years; his opponent, making his first title try, is Japan’s Yoichiro Hamada. Despite his relative inexperience, Hamada gives a good accounting, keeping the bout close and doing battle despite suffering a split lip in round two. In fact, at the midway point, the unofficial scorer has Hamada up by a point (58-57). At this point, Montana begins to bear down, pulling ahead after taking rounds eight and nine, and also taking advantage of his superior stamina. No KDs and Hamada’s cut remains under control, meaning the bout goes the distance, and Montana retains the title via a MD 12 (116-113, 115-115, 115-113), thereby improving to 23-10-3 (8) overall. Hamada drops to 22-8-1 (8) with the loss. Then, in the second co-feature, it is the OPBF BW title that is on the line, with two Filipinos doing battle, as Little Pancho defends against challenger Chris Pineda. The two have met five times before, with the record showing two wins, two losses and one draw apiece. Cautious start by both men with little in the way of heavy leather being thrown; Little Pancho quietly forges a solid points lead (59-55, according to the unofficial card) by the midway point. Pineda picks up the pace and stages a minor rally, taking rounds nine and 10 to keep the bout close, also managing to cause some difficulty for the corner of the Champion, who begins to show the effects of a rapidly swollen right eye. Pancho battles on, finishing strongly to take a close but UD 12 (116-112, 115-113, 117-111). Post-bout career marks: Pancho, 36-9-5 (9); Pineda, 26-15-3 (8).

Nov. 25, 1939: Next up is a fairly light but high quality card at London’s Earls Court. Twin Commonwealth title bouts headline a five-bout card. In the first of these, the CBU FW title is on the line, as Frank Parkes faces challenger Pete DeGrasse. It is a rematch of an earlier bout where Parkes took the title from DeGrasse via a controversial DQ result. This time, the early edge goes to DeGrasse, who is the more active of the two, while Parkes appears listless and repeatedly is off target with his punches. Solid points lead for DeGrasse (59-55, on the unofficial card) at the midway point. By round nine, there is noticeable swelling around the right eye of Parkes, who is unable to mount a rally. Thus, DeGrasse regains the belt, taking a UD 12 verdict (116-111, 117-110, 117-110) to improve his career stats to 38-16-4 (10). The loss leaves Parkes, who still has many good years in front of him, at 22-4 (14). The final bout on the card matches another Brit, Jock McAvoy, defending the Commonwealth MW title belt against a Canadian challenger, Lou Brouillard. Once again, the bout is a rematch of an earlier title bout that resulted in a draw; in addition, McAvoy had a prior UD win over Brouillard in a 1938 title encounter as well. The Canadian challenger, Brouillard, comes out swinging, and by round two there is already a trace of swelling apparent under the left eye of McAvoy. Brouillard converts his good start into a punches landed edge and eventually, a solid points lead: the unofficial scorer at ringside has him well ahead (59-55) by the midway point of the bout. McAvoy tries to recover, becoming more aggressive as the bout enters the later stages, but it falls way short, as Brouillard manages to lift the belt via a UD 12 (119-110, 119-110, 115-113), with one judge showing some bias toward the defending Champion and hometown fighter. Post-bout career totals: Brouillard, 31-11-3 (14); McAvoy, 32-14-5 (21). Tough night for the fans in London, who saw two British fighters thoroughly trounced as their titles went to the visiting Canadian challengers.

Nov. 25, 1939: Final card of the month is a huge one, at New York’s Madison Square Garden, topped by a WBA title bout and amply supported by a pair of attractive co-features. In the first of these, action is in the BW division as unbeaten prospect Tommy Forte, in his last bout at Pre-Prime, faces a severe test as he takes on veteran Lou Salica. Forte is the aggressor through the early rounds, and he is able to forge a points lead (49-46, on the unofficial card) at the halfway point of the scheduled 10-rounder. Salica is able to battle back, mounting a strong rally in the second half of the bout. In the later rounds, Forte must battle a rapidly swelling right eye as well as a strong effort from his opponent. The end result – a draw (96-94 Forte, 95-95, 95-95) – seemed justified, with Forte dominating the first half and Salica, the second. Post-bout career marks: Forte, 19-0-1 (10); Salica, 24-6-1 (9). Then, in the second co-feature, the USBA FW title is on the line as Jimmy Perrin defends against a first-time title challenger, Everett Rightmire. First meeting of these two, and the bout remains close through the early rounds, with the scores being even (57-all, according to the unofficial card) at the midway point. At this point, both the punches landed count and the stamina favors the challenger, Rightmire, who manages to rip open a cut over the right eye of Perrin in the 10^th round. Perrin manages to survive, but Rightmire manages to eke out a close but UD 12 (115-113, 115-114, 116-113) on the basis of a strong second half, claiming the belt. The win lifts Rightmire to 28-7-3 (13), while the loss drops Perrin to 21-6-2 (8). Then, in the finale, Joe Louis defends his WBA HW title against challenger Jersey Joe Walcott, who has waited patiently for this title shot after holding the USBA HW title for awhile. The “Brown Bomber” gets off to an excellent start in the opening round, causing some initial swelling to appear under the left eye of Jersey Joe. Louis takes the second round as well, moving inside to do more damage in round three. Walcott responds by taking round four with a strong inside attack of his own. Then, in round five, Louis breaks through, dropping Walcott with a combination and following up with a second KD later in the round. Huge early points edge (49-45, according to the unofficial scorer) for Louis at this point. Louis continues to dominate the action in the middle fifve rounds, scoring with a big left in round nine that forces Walcott to cover up. An overhand right from Louis results in the bout’s third knockdown in round 10. Finally, the end comes a round later, when a Louis cross puts Walcott on the canvas again, then two more KDs in follow to result in an automatic TKO 11 for Louis based on the three knockdown rule. Post-bout, Louis is now 29-1 (27) – the only career loss coming to Schmeling in a controversial title bout – and Walcott is 37-6 (23). Joe Louis will end 1939 as the dominant HW in the boxing universe.

[JCWeb]

This report covers fistic action from the first half of December 1939, encompassing a total of 46 bouts, including one WBA title bout.

Dec. 1, 1939: The month commences with a Friday night card at Syracuse’s War Memorial Auditorium. Main event showcases two ranked HW contenders, as Joe “Bingo” Banovic faces Charley “Big Charley R” Retzlaff in a 10-round, non-title affair. Retzlaff has slowly and steadily moved up the ranks, winning seven of his last eight, while Banovic is attempting to rebound from a WBA title loss to Champ Joe Louis. In the early going, Banovic holds the edge in terms of punches landed, but Retzlaff is the more aggressive of the two. At the midway point, the unofficial scorer at the ringside has the bout even (48-all). A late surge from Retzlaff puts Banovic in trouble, and some heavy blows cause swelling around the right eye of Banovic. As a result, Retzlaff goes on to take a upset, SD 10 verdict (95-96, 96-95, 96-95) in a very close bout. Post-bout career records: 33-16 (25) for Retzlaff; 39-16-2 (11) for Banovic, who this observer felt was too passive which cost him the fight.

Dec. 2, 1939: Down South for a solid fight card at the Coliseum Arena in New Orleans. First up in the co-feature are two MWs: one, a former WBA Champ in Eddie “Babe” Risko, who is now on the downside of his career, matched with rising prospect Coley Welch, who is on the verge of the Prime of his career. Welch is the more active of the two in the early going, and he manages to pile up a nice edge in the punches landed stats. This translates to a narrow points lead (48-47, according to the unofficial ringside scorer) at the midway point. In round six, Welch’s progress is slowed by a cut over his right eye. At this point, Risko becomes more aggressive, targeting the cut. Undeterred, Welch holds on to take a UD 10 (97-94 on all three cards) to push his record to 18-1-1 (9), wrapping up his Pre-Prime career with a spot just inside the top 20. The loss drops the veteran Risko to 29-9-4 (11). Then, in the main event, the USBA LW title – recently vacated by Lou Ambers who stepped up to capture the NABF crown – is up for graps, with Lew Jenkins, aka “the Sweetwater Swatter,” facing Tommy Spiegel for the vacant belt. Jenkins is undefeated in 22 pro fights (including two draws) while Spiegel has won five straight to set up his first title try. The bout is close through the early rounds, and there is a clash of heads near the end of round two that results in a cut on Jenkins’ forehead. Jenkins responds positively, decking Spiegel with a barrage of blows in round three. By round five, Spiegel has been effective from long range, causing some initial swelling to appear around the right eye of Jenkins. But, the cut remains the major issue, and it leads to an early end midway through round six. The scorecards after five are totaled, and Jenkins is declared the winner via a UTD 6 (48-46 on all three cards), with the one KD providing the two-point margin. Post-bout career records: Jenkins, 21-0-2 (11); Spiegel, 26-6-1 (6).

Dec. 8, 1939: The scene shifts to Montreal for a Friday night card at the Forum there. Solid card with an intriguing co-feature as long-time NABF Flyweight Champ Frankie Genaro, still a top contender despite reaching End career stage, faces a rising star in unbeaten prospect Little Dado, who comes into the bout at 18-0. Action is slow to develop as both men start cautiously and, after several close rounds, a slight edge for Dado, the more accurate puncher, at least according to the unofficial card (49-48, after five rounds). In the second half of the bout, Genaro tries to be more aggressive and he manages to take round seven after fighting successfully on the inside. Dado, unfazed, is able to land a big shot to put the aging vet on the deck in round nine, thus sealing a close but UD 10 win (95-94 on all three cards) for the young upstart. Post-bout, Dado remains perfect at 19-0 (11) while Genaro slips to 51-21-6 (19). Then, in the main event, the NABF FW title is on the line as Baby Arizmendi defends that belt against a familiar foe, Battling Battalino. The two have met three times before, with Arizmendi holding a 2-1 edge although each has beaten the other in 15-round WBA title action. Arizmendi is coming off a disappointing DQ loss in a WBA title matchup with Chalky Wright, so a win here would put him in line for a possible rematch in 1940. Early edge to Battalino, who is in his last bout at Prime as 1940 was his real-life retirement year. Battalino’s good form results in a solid points lead (59-56, according to the unofficial ringside scorer) at the midway point. Arizmendi begins to press in the second half of the bout, and he manages to win rounds seven and eight to pull even. Both men are tiring badly as the bout reaches the crucial final few rounds. Arizmendi appears to ease up a bit in the last two rounds, whereas Battalino becomes more aggressive. End result is a UD 12 for Arizmendi (116-113, 115-114, 117-112), with a strong showing in the second half proving the decisive difference. Post-bout career marks: 39-9-2 (10) for Arizmendi; 40-13-2 (14) for Battalino.

Dec. 9, 1939: Next up is a card in the UK at the Stadium in Liverpool. Only one bout of interest, and it is a rematch for the GBU BW title. The holder, Tom Smith, defends against Benny Sharkey, whom he defeated for the title in April via a split decision. Sharkey is the more aggressive of the two, and he comes out swinging, putting Smith down with a hook to the head in the opening round. Smith bounces back up at the count of two but is slow to recover. Sharkey follows up with a second KD in round five, connecting with a combination. Smith again regains his footing and lasts the round, but when he returns to his corner he is sporting a rapidly swelling right eye. Huge points lead for Sharkey at the midway point (59-53, according to the unofficial ringside scorer). Smith tries to become more aggressive in the second half of the bout, but his punches lack steam, and he just opens himself up for more punishment. Smith’s other eye – the left – begins to puff up as well, and in round 11, Sharkey stuns Smith with a three-punch combo. In the end, Sharkey walks away with the belt, taking a comfortable UD 12 (115-110, 116-109, 119-108). For Sharkey, now 34-14-2 (19), it is his last bout at Prime. The loss drops Smith to 20-7-4 (10).

Dec. 9, 1939: Next up is a big card at Pittsburgh, featuring the “Pittsburgh Kid,” Billy Conn, defending his WBA LH title. First up, though, a pair of supporting bouts. In the first of these, two ranked LHs do battle in a non-title affair, as Melio Bettina faces Bob Olin. Bettina takes charge early, flooring Olin with a big shot in the opening round and is able to amass a huge lead by the midway point (50-45, on the unofficial card); Olin offers little resistance the rest of the way as Bettina goes on to a very comfortable UD 10 win (99-91, 98-92, 99-91) to run his career record to 23-2-2 (11). Olin, now at Post-Prime, slips to 33-16-3 (10). Next supporting bout is in the MW division, matching long-time contender Teddy Yarosz with another up-and-comer, Al Hostak. Strong start by Hostak, who comes out aggressively and drops Yarosz twice in round five. Hostak appears to be well on his way to an easy points win when he suffers a cut over his right eye in round six. Yarosz targets the cut, but he cannot make any progress; thus, Hostak racks up a solid UD 10 win (96-92, 97-93, 97-91). Post-bout career marks: Hostak, 27-4 (13); Yarosz, 33-14-3 (11). In the main event, Billy Conn puts his WBA LH title on the line against Adolf Heuser, the reigning EBU LH titleholder. Both men have done well recently; Conn enters the bout riding a five-bout winning streak, while Heuser has prevailed in his last three outings. Heuser moves inside in round three, assuming the role of aggressor, while Conn is content to work from the outside. Conn is able to land early and often, but Heuser manages to keep the bout close; the unofficial scorer has Conn with a narrow lead (48-47) after five rounds. Big round six for Conn, landing some heavy leather and causing a trace of swelling to appear around the left eye of the challenger. But, starting in round seven, Conn begins to get careless, and the ref warns him for hitting below the belt. More low blows in round eight, and Conn is disqualified – a controversial decision that does not sit well with his hometown fight fans here in Pittsburgh. As a result, Heuser becomes a very unpopular WBA Champion, with the controversial DQ-8 win lifting his career record to 35-8-1 (11). Tough loss for Conn, who is now 22-2-2 (11) and may need to rethink his goal of a WBA HW title matchup with Joe Louis.

Dec. 15, 1939: Friday Night fights “Down Under,” this time in Melbourne, Australia, as an OPBF title bout tops a fairly light but quality-laden card. Also of interest is a co-feature matching long-time top BW contender and one-time WBA BW Champion Speedy Dado, with hometown favorite, up-and-coming BW Mickey Miller. First meeting of the two, and the die is cast when Dado sustains a cut over his right eye near the end of the second round. Early punches landed edge to the more experienced Dado, also known as “the Brown Doll.” The cut is reopened in round four, once again in round five, and clearly Miller’s best hope is to target the cut. In the end, this proves successful, as the bout is halted after the cut is reopened a third time – and Miller is awarded a TKO 6 via the cuts stoppage. Post-bout career marks: Miller, 25-7-2 (16); Dado, 37-19-2 (14). The win pushes Miller close to the top 10, while the bout wraps up the Prime stage of Dado’s career, as he will hit Pre-Prime with his next bout, in 1940. In the feature, the OPBF MW title is on the line; Filipino vet Ceferino Garcia faces Aussie challenger Fred Henneberry. It is the fourth meeting of the two; the career matchup stands at one win, one loss and one draw apiece. First meeting with a title at stake, and the last outing saw Garcia winning back in 1935. Big difference this time out, is the fact that Garcia is now at Post-Prime career stage. Good start for the challenger, who uses his jab effectively to keep the more aggressive Garcia from penetrating. By round four, there is noticeable swelling under the right eye of Garcia. Then, Henneberry manages to rip open a gash over the injured eye. Bleeding from the cut is momentarily halted by some good cornerwork between rounds, but then – with the cut reopening a round later – the ref calls an immediate halt. The title passes to Henneberry via TKO 5 on the cuts stoppage. At the time of the stoppage, Henneberry held an early points edge (39-37 on all three cards). With the win, Henneberry improves to 30-12-2 (12), while Garcia dips to 39-21-2 (24). Tough night for the Filipino fighters, both losing on cuts stoppages, but a great night for the hometown fans who witnessed a couple of big upset wins by Australian fighters.

[JCWeb]

This report covers fistic action from the second half of December 1939, encompassing a total of 64 bouts, including two WBA title bouts.

Dec. 16, 1939: Next action takes place at the Sports Palace in Rome, Italy. Headliner is in the Flyweight division, pairing long-time EBU Fly Champ Istvan Enekes with Frenchman Valentin Angelmann. Loser of two in a row for only the second time in his career (a pair of EBU title losses, first his Fly title and then an unsuccessful try for the BW title), Enekes returns to his home base for his first-ever meeting with Angelmann, a long-time fringe contender who has steadily moved up to #5 in the rankings by winning five of his last six. Early rounds show Enekes with an edge in the punches landed stats; the Frenchman responds with a solid round five, reducing the points gap to one (48-47, according to the unofficial scorecard) at the midway point. Enekes is back on top, dominating the action in round six and, by round seven, there is noticeable swelling around the right eye of Angelmann. From this point on, Angelmann becomes more and more aggressive, while Enekes adopts a very defensive posture. The result is a late surge from Angelmann that, in the end, is enough to steal a MD 10 win (97-95, 96-96, 96-95) from the favored Enekes, who was much too passive in the later rounds and paid for it, as Angelmann won the last two rounds to cinch the win. Post-bout career records: 34-18-1 (12) for Angelmann, who has established his credentials as a credible title contender, whereas Enekes, now 32-9-1 (10), must deal with a low point in his career, having lost three successive bouts for the first time.

Dec. 16, 1939: Back to the States for the next card, at Chicago’s Comiskey Park. A pair of 10-round non-title contests top the card. WWs are featured in the first of these, as Barney Ross takes on Andy Callahan. Fourth career meeting of the two, with Ross holding a 2-1 edge but Callahan took the most recent, in May, with Ross having slowed a bit, having hit Post-Prime career stage. The time, Ross looks sharp in the early going and forges an early points lead (48-48, according to the unofficial ringside scorer) at the midway point, despite a strong round four for Callahan which saw Ross come away with a rapidly swelling left eye. Ross presses the action in the second half, responding with a big round in the eighth to re-establish control. A late surge by Callahan in the last two rounds enables him to snag a majority draw (96-94 Callahan, 95-95, 95-95). The result leaves Ross at 33-11-4 (11), and Callahan at 31-12-7 (10). In the feature, CBU LH Champ Charley Belanger takes on hard-hitting Gus Lesnevich; Belanger is coming off two straight losses while Lesnevich has won his last two after an unsuccessful try for the WBA LH title. Early edge to Lesnevich, as Belanger is cut over his right eye in round two. Belanger, at Post-Prime now, appears slow and unable to react to Lesnevich’s superior hand speed. Solid lead for Lesnevich at the midway point (50-45, on the unofficial card), and Belanger is unable to cope with the cut and Lesnevich. Lesnevich shifts to defensive mode for the final two rounds, content to pound out a one-sided UD 10 (99-91, 99-91, 97-93). Post-bout career marks: Lesnevich, 27-3-1 (14); Belanger, 42-21 (19).

Dec. 23, 1939: Big card at New York’s Madison Square Garden, attracted by the effort of one Henry “Homicide Hank” Armstrong to capture at third WBA title (having won the FW and LW crowns, he now seeks to add the WW belt as well). First, a pair of supporting bouts, with two LH prospects – Archie Moore and unbeaten Lloyd Marshall – doing battle in a rematch, having fought to a draw in 1938. Moore is the early aggressor, and he is rewarded with a huge round four that sees Marshall on the defensive, and there is noticeable swelling under Marshall’s left eye as he returns to his corner at the end of the round. Then, in round five, a big shot from Archie puts Marshall on the deck briefly. After compiling a large lead at the midway point (49-46, on the unofficial card), all Moore needed to do was to avoid trouble in the later rounds, but trouble came in the form of a cut opened over his left eye in round eight. The cut was also accompanied by some minor swelling, but Moore did enough to prevent any further damage, going on to claim a solid UD 10 win (98-91, 98-91, 97-93) to run his career totals to 17-1-2 (14), thereby wrapping up the Pre-Prime stage of his career. It was a frustrating outing for Marshall, whose first career setback left him at 17-1-1 (17), with one more bout remaining before hitting Prime some time in 1940. Next co-feature matched two veteran LWs, as long-time and now former WBA Champ Tony Canzoneri, on the comeback trail after losing his title to Armstrong, faced Sammy Fuller in a matchup of two top 10 LW contenders, albeit two guys now at Post-Prime career stage. It is a fairly pedestrian display from both through the first five rounds, with Fuller holding a narrow lead (48-47) according to the unofficial ringside observer. Canzoneri responds with a big round six, bloodying Fuller’s lip and causing some swelling around the right eye. The former Champ pulls ahead in the later rounds to record a UD 10 victory (98-93, 100-90, 99-92), duplicating an earlier win over Fuller in a 1934 WBA title clash. Post-bout records: Canzoneri, 49-4-5 (17); Fuller, 46-14-1 (11). Then, in the main event, it is the man who took the title from Canzoneri – Henry Armstrong – going for history as he takes on Eddie Dolan for the latter’s WBA WW title – a win would make Armstrong the first-ever Champ to rule the roost in three different divisions. Armstrong starts off well, with a big round one, and Dolan cannot seem to stave off the onslaught of a non-stop, whirlwind attack from “Homicide Hank” who dominates the action in round two as well, with the end coming in the final minute of round three, with Dolan being pummeled while helpless against the ropes. TKO 3 for Armstrong, who becomes the first three-time WBA Champion in the Universe, running his career mark to 31-3-3 (25). Dolan drops to 30-6-4 (12) after the loss. Capturing both the WBA LW and WW belts in the same year has made Armstrong the leading candidate for 1939 Fighter-of-the-Year.

Dec. 26, 1939: Next up is the traditional Boxing Day card, this time at the Olympia in London. Headliner is a title bout with two different belts at stake, amply supported by a pair of co-features. In the first of these, LWs do battle as EBU LW Champ Jack Kid Berg faces Wesley Ramey, a former NABF LW Champion lured to make the trip across the Atlantic from the States. Berg gets going with a big round two, and Ramey feels the effects with a rapidly swelling left eye. Berg goes on to compile a huge lead in the punches landed stats and the unofficial scorer has him well ahead (49-46) after five. By round seven, Ramey is bleeding from a cut over his right eye in addition to the swelling around his left eye. The lopsided affair ends up with a UD 10 for Berg (98-93, 100-91, 98-93). Post-bout career marks: 42-14-5 (14) for Berg, 30-10-6 (10) for Ramey. Second co-feature is a HW contest, matching two-time WBA Champ and EBU titleholder Max Schmeling with Larry Gains, a long-time top contender. Schmeling stopped Gains in their own previous meeting, back in 1932, for the title, and he is confident of a repeat win, given that Gains is now at Post-Prime. Schmeling takes charge by moving inside, scoring well in round three. By round four, there is a trace of swelling under the right eye of Gains. Solid points lead for Max (49-46 on the unofficial card) at the midway point. Round eight, Schmeling drops Gains with a barrage of blows, then a second KD follows in round nine from an overhand right. Gains manages to last the distance, but it is a one-sided UD 10 for Schmeling (99-89, 99-90, 98-90) who runs his career record to 49-6-1 (33). Gains drops to 44-18 (25). Then, in the main event, more HW action as the two top British HWs meet again, with Tommy Farr – the reigning CBU HW Champion – facing Tommy Martin – the reigning GBU HW Champion. It’s the Tonypandy Terror versus the British Brown Bomber, and both the CBU and GBU HW titles are at stake in the third meeting of these two, with Farr holding the edge having registered a win and a draw in their prior meetings. Martin is the early aggressor and awarded with an early points lead as a result (59-56, on the unofficial card, at the midway point of the 12-rounder). Farr becomes more aggressive in the second half of the bout, but he cannot make much headway, so Martin walks away with a UD 12 win (116-111, 115-113, 116-112) and both title belts. Post-bout career marks: Martin, 25-7-1 (15); Farr, 45-14-3 (10).

Dec. 29, 1939: The Cow Palace in San Francisco sets the scene for the next fistic action, and it’s a solid card headlined by an NABF title tilt. Preceding this is a co-feature matching two top 10 FWs, as OPBF FW kingpin Tsuneo Horiguchi makes the trip across the Pacific to face unbeaten Harold Hoshino in a non-title affair. The two sluggers exchange blows but with little effect. Close first few rounds with Horiguchi on top at the midway point (50-47, according to the unofficial scorer) but Hoshino comes on strongly in the second half of the bout to prevail in a UD 10 (98-94, 96-95, 96-95), remaining unbeaten with a post-bout career mark of 22-0 (14). Horiguchi drops to 24-7 (15) with the loss. Then, in the main event, Nathan Mann makes his initial defense of the NABF HW title won earlier in the year, facing challenger Roscoe Toles. Toles proves to be a difficult opponent, and he confidently builds an early points lead. Mann (trailing badly at the midway point by 60-54 on the unofficial card) tries to become more aggressive in the second half of the bout, but he simply has little effect on the determined challenger. Solid performance by Toles, who takes a solid UD 12 (117-111, 118-110, 118-110) to capture the belt. Post-bout career records: Toles, 30-6-3 (6); Mann, 21-5-2 (10).

Dec. 31, 1939: The year wraps up with a New Year’s Eve card at San Juan, Puerto Rico. A WBA title bout, amply supported by an NABF title matchup along with a second co-feature combines for a trio of top-notch action to top the card. First up, LABF WW Champ Joe Legon takes on the higher-rated Fritzie Zivic, who has yet to win a title. Zivic, the “Croat Comet,” goes on the attack in just the second round, landing some heavy shots to cause a trace of swelling around the left eye of Legon. Solid points edge (49-46, on the unofficial card) for Zivic at the midway point. Legon battles back, with a strong round in the sixth. Zivic seems to have done enough to win but, wait, some close rounds are scored for Legon, and in the end, it goes down in the books as a majority draw (96-95 Zivic, 95-95, 95-95). It is the sixth draw of Legon’s career, moving him to 23-1-6 (11); Zivic ends the bout at 26-7-4 (15). The NABF WW title is on the line in the second co-feature, with Puerto Rico’s own Cocoa Kid facing challenger Jimmy “Mud Flats Kid” Garrison, the reigning USBA WW titleholder. First meeting of the two and, after a long feeling-out process, a cut is opened under the left eye of Garrison in round four; by the end of the round, some swelling is also present under the same left eye. Kid powers his way to a solid lead (59-55, according to the unofficial card) by the midway point. Kid uses his superior stamina to gradually wear down his opponent, killing any chance of a late rally, before retreating to a more defensive posture in the final two rounds. Solid UD 12 win for Cocoa Kid (118-112 on all three cards) to retain the NABF title belt. Post-bout career marks: Kid, 36-5-4 (11); Garrison, 24-3-3 (2). Final bout of the card, the month, the year and the decade is for the WBA BW title currently held by Panama Al Brown. His opponent, backed by a boisterous hometown crowd, is Sixto Escobar, “El Gallito,” a familiar foe. The two have met four times before, resulting in three wins for Brown and one draw; since their most recent meeting, which ended in a KO for Brown for the LABF BW title back in 1937, Escobar has remained unbeaten – six wins and two draws – to earn this rematch and title shot as #2 BW contender. After a close pair of opening rounds, Escobar is effective fighting on the inside in round three. Brown regains his bearings, becomes more aggressive and, late in round four, he scores with a big hook that staggers Escobar. Still, after five rounds, the punches landed count favors the challenger, who also has a points lead (50-46, according to the unofficial ringside observer). More trouble for Panama Al in round six, as his left eye begins to puff up from the accumulated punches from Escobar. Undeterred, Brown rebounds in round seven, decking Escobar with a big shot; the challenger covers up after taking a three-count and manages to last the round. Round eight goes to Escobar. After another sharp exchange favoring the Champ in round 10, Escobar covers up again. Unofficial scorer has the bout even (95-all), with five rounds left. Brown’s superior stamina kicks in, and he takes round 11. Round 12 to Escobar, round 13 to Brown. Brown does enough in the final two rounds to retain the title via a UD 15 (143-142, 147-139, 144-141). Great effort by both men, with the win elevating Brown’s career stats to an excellent 62-10-1 (22). Escobar, after a valiant effort in his last bout at Prime (1940 being his real-life retirement year), dips to 31-7-3 (10), and four of those seven losses have been to Brown, who is also expected to hit Post-Prime (based on retirement points level) in 1940.

[JCWeb]

On to the first of the year-end reports, starting with the HW division.

HW Title Bouts

WBA: Joe Louis regained the title from Max Schmeling (TKO 5), then continued with three successive title defenses, all via stoppages, defeating Max Baer (TKO 1), Joe Banovic (KO 1) and Jersey Joe Walcott (TKO 11).

NABF: This title changed hands three times in four bouts. First, Abe Simon ousted Jimmy Mendes (TKO 12) to capture the belt, defending it against Lou Nova (UD 12). Then, Nathan Mann defeated Simon (SD 12). Finally, Roscoe Toles dethroned Mann (UD 12) to end the year with the belt.

USBA: Jersey Joe Walcott began the year with this belt and defended successfully on two occasions, turning aside challenges from Johnny Risko (TKO 12) and Elmer Ray (TKO 4).

CBU: Tommy Farr made two successful defenses, versus Larry Gains (UD 12) and Ben Foord (D 12), before losing to Tommy Martin (UD 12) who added this title to his GBU belt.

GBU: After no activity in over two years, Tommy Martin put the belt up in a match with Tommy Farr that also included the CBU title. As mentioned above, Martin defeated Farr (UD 12) to retain this title.

EBU: Only one title bout for this belt in 1939, as Max Schmeling stopped reigning Champion Jack Peterson (TKO 5) to capture the belt.

OPBF: Inactive in this division.

LABF: First defense in almost two years saw Jimmy Mendes turn aside a challenge from Alberto Santiago Lovell (KO 8).

HW Division Profile

Total: 184 RL: 105 TC: 79

RL by Career Stage:
End - 10
Post - 31
Prime - 39
Pre - 19
Beginning - 6 (4 New)

Rated: 79
800+: 19
500+: 44
200+ : 70

Jan 1940 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1939 in Parens):

Champ: Joe Louis 29-1 (27) (1786) (+1)
1. Max Schmeling 49-6-1 (33) (1625) (-1) (EBU)
2. Jersey Joe Walcott 37-6 (22) (1350) (+1) (USBA)
3. Max Baer 29-13 (25) (1262) (+4)
4. Elmer Ray 42-10 (28) (1261) (-2)
5. Roscoe Toles 30-6-3 (6) (1183) (+6) (NABF)
6. Art Lasky 27-8-2 (26) (1100) (+10)
7. Tommy Loughran 63-14-4 (20) (1099) (+1)
8. Tommy Martin 25-7-1 (15) (1093) (+4) (CBU, GBU)
9. Tommy Farr 45-14-3 (16) (1092) (-3)
10. Charley Retzlaff 33-16 (25) (1075) (+16)

Others: 12. Jimmy Mendes 35-10-4 (29) (1061) (-8) (LABF)

Comments: All the above at Prime except for Lasky, Loughran, Retzlaff and Mendes (all of whom are at Post-Prime). Joe Louis regained the WBA title and won all four of his 1940 bouts in convincing fashion. Despite losing the title to Louis, Schmeling remains the top contender, reeling off three wins after that setback, capturing the EBU title and defeating fellow German Erwin Klein and long-time title contender Larry Gains. Walcott remains near the top with two USBA title wins to offset the WBA title loss to Louis. Baer also lost his title matchup with Louis but impressed with a pair of UD wins over Ray and Ramage. Ray suffered losses to Baer and Walcott, but had stoppage wins over Gains and Jack Trammell to remain a top contender. Toles dropped a MD to Banovic but rebounded with three straight wins, defeating Martin, Trammell before capturing the NABF title to wrap up a successful season. A resurgent Art Lasky went 3-0 for the year, taking out Martin and Ramage before securing his first decision win over veteran Loughran. Age began to tell for Loughran, who managed only a 2-2 record for 1939, dropping a SD to Banovic, a UD to Lasky but managing wins over lower-rated guys like Perroni and Harry Thomas to retain his top 10 status. Martin moved up, despite early year losses to Toles and Lasky, by TKOing Walter Neusel then winning a critical unification bout with countryman Tommy Farr, who scraped past Neusel for a SD win, made a couple of title defenses before the late year loss to Martin. Finally, the big surprise is the sudden advancement of “Big Charley R” Retzlaff to the top 10 for the first time, after an active year, winning five of six bouts, including a SD over Banovic following a one-round demolition of Max’s brother, Buddy Baer, his only loss coming via a SD to Johnny Risko. The aforementioned Joe Banovic fell six spots to #11, losing to Retzlaff after a WBA title loss to Louis. Mendes slipped down the ranks after a TKO loss to Abe Simon. Other top 10 dropouts from last year were Lee Ramage (down four spots to #13), who was a Lasky TKO victim, and Larry Gains, who has now lost his last five, having gone winless for a year and a half. Abe Simon, who held the NABF title during the year, ended up 3-1 and in the #15 spot. The three top newcomers could barely make the top 50 in the HW rankings, led by Lem Franklin, who debuts at #40 with a 15-3 (13) mark, after rebounding from his first career loss to Bill Poland with a KO of Frankie Edgren. Bob Nestell, now 16-3 (10) after a couple KO losses to Buddy Baer and Natie Brown, holds down the #44 spot, while Tony Musto, ranked 47^th, lost a technical decision to Nestell and was held to a draw by Steve Dudas to end up the year at 13-1-1 (2).

Prospects: Still unbeaten, at 13-0 (9), is Bill Poland, who impressed with a KO over Franklin and added a SD over Lee Q Murray. Richard Vogt is now 12-1 (7), recovering from a lackluster start by handing Chuck Crowell, now 11-1 (7), his first career loss. Lee Murray is 10-1 (9), his only loss coming at the hands of Poland. Likewise, Buddy Millard, 10-1 (8), lost to Crowell. Curtis “Hatchetman” Sheppard remained unbeaten, at 9-0-1 (8), all versus TC opposition. Pat Comiskey (9-0, 8 KO), remained unbeaten, feasting on TC opposition. On the other hand, two prospects did meet, with Harold Blackshear taking a MD 8 over Turkey Thompson; Blackshear ended the year at 4-1-1 (2) while Thompson is now 7-2 (6). Pat Valentino, 6-0 (4); Ted Lowry, 6-0 (1); Tommy Gomez, 5-0 (5); Harry Bobo, 5-0 (4); Lee Oma, 5-0 (3) and Bob Bonger, 4-0 (2) have maintained unblemished records to this point.

Retirements: Seven retirements to report.

Harry Persson (SWE) 1923-39 37-26 (23) No Titles Highest Rank: 20
Jose Santo (POR) 1925-39 33-20-2 (22) No Titles Highest Rank: 18
Ralph Ficuello (USA) 1929-39 27-13-2 (20) No Titles Highest Rank: 59
Innocente Baiguera (ITA) 1928-39 28-22 (19) No Titles Highest Rank: 55
Ray Impelletiere (USA) 1931-39 11-15-6 (7) No Titles Highest Rank: UNR
Paulino Uzcudun (SPA) 1923-39 40-23-1 (13) EBU Champ Highest Rank: 5
Jose Domingo Carattoli (ARG) 1928-39 25-17-1 (11) LABF Champ Highest Rank: 19
Joe Sekyra (USA) 1925-1939 33-19-4 (25) NABF Champ Highest Rank: 18

Looking Ahead: Louis appears to be set for a long title reign, but – given the high number of KO artists among the top contender ranks – nothing is for certain. It's also worth noting how much this division is aging, with fighters at Post and End career stage outnumbered those at Prime. No future stars on the horizon, so dynamic change in the HW division will have to await the arrival of guys like Charles and Marciano a few years down the road. The top rated guy among the four newcomers for 1940 is Joe Baksi, who is only a “6.”

[JCWeb]

LH Title Bouts

WBA: Maxie Rosenbloom began the year with the title, and he defended it, defeating Gus Lesnevich (UD 15). Then, Billy Conn dethroned Lesnevich (UD 15) and then defended against Eddie Booker (UD 15). Finally, Adolf Heuser took the title from Conn (DQ 8).

NABF: This title changed hands twice in just two bouts. First, Charley Belanger captured the belt from Bob Olin (MD 12). Then, Tony Shucco defeated Belanger (UD 12) to end up with the title at year-end.

USBA: Tiger Jack Fox began the year with this title and successfully defended against Fred Lenhart (UD 12). Then, Eddie Booker captured the title from Fox (DQ 8).

CBU: No defenses, and Charley Belanger remains the holder for another year.

GBU: Bert Gilroy dethroned Len Harvey (TKO 10) to capture the title.

EBU: Adolf Heuser began 1939 with this title, and he defended it twice, defeating Heinz Lazek (UD 12) and Gustave Roth (UD 12). Then, the belt became vacant after Heuser captured the WBA title.

OPBF: Inactive in this division.

LABF: Inactive in this division.

LH Division Profile

Total: 109 RL: 62 TC: 47

RL by Career Stage:
End - 9
Post - 16
Prime - 21
Pre - 10
Beginning - 6 (4 New)

Rated: 48
800+: 15
500+: 32
200+ : 44

Jan 1940 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1939 in Parens):

Champ: Adolf Heuser 35-8-1 (17) (1209) (+19)
1. Maxie Rosenblooom 48-13-6 (18) (1436) (-1)
2. Tiger Jack Fox 46-5-1 (33) (1243) (-1)
3. Tony Shucco 32-12 (11) (1218) (+3) (NABF)
4. Gus Lesnevich 27-3-1 (14) (1212) (NC)
5. Billy Conn 22-2-2 (11) (1208) (+2)
6. Eddie Booker 21-1 (11) (1175) (+6) (USBA)
7. Charley Belanger 42-21 (19) (1156) (-5) (CBU)
8. John Henry Lewis 24-7-3 (18) (1109) (-5)
9. Pal Silvers 39-16-5 (15) (989) (-1)
10. Melio Bettina 23-2-2 (11) (958) (+8)

Others: 29. Bert Gilroy 20-5-2 (14) (544) (+10) (GBU)

Comments: All the above at Prime except for Rosenbloom, Belanger, Lewis and Silvers, all four of whom are at Post-Prime career stage. Heuser is the surprising WBA titleholder, going 4-0 for the year with wins in three title bouts following an early season UD win over Bob Olin. Rosenbloom is the top contender by default, having regained some points with a MD 10 win over Silvers following the title loss to Conn. Fox impressed with KO wins over Belanger and Danny Devlin but was held to a draw by Bettina, and he went 1-1 in USBA titles matches, so 3-1-1 for the year, still enough to remain a top contender. Shucco won all three of his 1939 encounters, taking a SD over Lewis to set up a successful NABF title effort. Lesnevich bounced back from an early year title loss to Rosenbloom with three straight wins, defeating Harvey, Silvers and Belanger in a trio of UD 10 triumphs. Conn had won five straight before the surprising DQ loss to the lower rated Heuser dropped him in the rankings. Booker had won 21 straight before his initial loss for the title to Conn; he racked up wins over Len Harvey and Jimmy Adamick en route to the USBA title. Tough year for Belanger, who went 1-3 and dropped in the rankings as a result. Lewis went over a year without a win before taking a DQ from Fred Lenhart; he had managed a draw with Gustave Roth early in the year. Silvers registered a pair of wins over Knight (MD) and Olin (UD) but slipped back due to recent losses to Rosenbloom and Lesnevich. Bettina reached the top group after an active year, recording four wins and a draw in five outings; his wins included UD results against Roth and Olin, and then he battled Fox to a draw. Just missing the top group at #11 was Al Gainer, who had racked up five successive wins to improve to 26-7-1 (17). Dropping from the top 10 was Bob Olin, who slid seven spots to #12, going 1-4 for the year, his only win coming via a SD over Fred Lenhart. Lenhart went 0-3 for the year, dropping five spots to #14, while Joe “Cairo Calamity” Knight, 1-3 in a subpar year, fell from the #10 spot to #16. Archie Moore, now #13, has reeled off four wins since a draw with Young Joe Louis, thus wrapping up his Pre-Prime career at 17-1-2 (14). Lloyd Marshall, unbeaten until a recent loss to Moore, is the year’s top newcomer at #18, sporting a 17-1-1 (17) record. Also new to the ranks is Brit Freddie Mills, after winning all five of his 1939 outings, including a SD over ex-EBU Champ Gustave Roth; he ends the year at 17-1 (13), good for the #20 spot. Tommy Tucker, who suffered his first career loss to prospect Harry Matthews, still impressed with a UD over Young Firpo and a one-round KO of Jimmy Adamick to debut at #23, off to a 15-1-1 (10) career start.

Prospects: Topping the list of prospects is Harry Matthews, who has retained a clean slate thus far, to go 12-0 (11), going the distance to defeat Tucker (via a UD) and also registering a KO win over German Jean Kreitz. Belgian Pol Guffaux stumbled, losing to a TC in his first 10-rounder, thus ending the year at 9-1 (6). Still unbeaten are Aussie Jack A. Johnson, 9-0 (7); Jack Coggins, 7-0 (5); Jimmy Reeves, 4-0 (3), while Booker Beckwith is off to a 2-0 (1) start.

Retirements: The following five LHs hung up their gloves during the year.

Dave Maier (USA) 1929-39 27-16-3 (21) NABF Champ Highest Rank: 14
Battling Bozo (USA) 1928-39 33-17-3 (12) USBA Champ Highest Rank: 2
Leo Lomski (USA) 1922-39 37-29-4 (14) No Titles Highest Rank: 18
Jack Gibbons (USA) 1932-39 22-9-2 (17) No Titles Highest Rank: 12
Al Stillman (USA) 1929-39 24-16-2 (12) No Titles Highest Rank: 12

Looking Ahead: Kind of a topsy-turvy year for the LH division, first with the passing of the torch from the aging Rosenbloom to Billy Conn, who appeared ready for a long title reign until the unfortunate DQ loss to Heuser. A rematch may be in the offing, but there are other talented guys like Booker, Bettina, Archie Moore and Lloyd Marshall looking to move up and perhaps challenge for the top title. With Heuser’s ascension, the EBU title is now up for grabs plus there is an emerging British hopeful in Freddie Mills. So, a bright future as Harry Matthews tops the current crop of prospects, and incoming for 1940 are Jimmy Bivins and Ezzard Charles (the latter

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MW Title Bouts

WBA: Freddie Steele retained the title, making two successful defenses, besting Holman Williams (TKO 12) and Marcel Cerdan (SD 15).

NABF: Tony Zale began the year with this belt and kept it, defending twice, turning back challenges from Mickey Walker (TKO 1) and Johnny Romero (TKO 5).

USBA: Johnny Romero continued his reign with this title, defeating two challengers: Tait Littman (TKO 6) and Ken Overlin (UD 12).

CBU: Jock McAvoy began 1939 with this title and defended it versus Lou Brouillard (D 12). In a rematch, Brouillard downed McAvoy (UD 12) to claim the belt.

GBU: No defenses, and the belt remains with Jock McAvoy.

EBU: Marcel Cerdan made just one title defense during the year, turning away a challenge from Jock McAvoy (UD 12).

OPBF: Fred Henneberry dethroned Ceferino Garcia (TKO 5) to capture this belt.

LABF: One successful defense during the year, as Kid Tunero defeated Angel Cliville (TKO 12) to keep the belt.

MW Division Profile

Total: 141 RL: 80 TC: 61

RL by Career Stage:
End - 11
Post - 13
Prime - 34
Pre - 15
Beginning - 7 (4 New)

Rated: 61
800+: 22
500+: 43
200+ : 57

Jan 1940 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1939 in Parens):

Champ: Freddie Steele 45-6-1 (29) (1684) (NC)
1. Tony Zale 26-2 (20) (1463) (NC) (NABF)
2. Holman Williams 29-6 (19) (1318) (NC)
3. Marcel Cerdan 24-2-2 (18) (1188) (NC) (EBU)
4. Ken Overlin 35-5-5 (13) (1152) (+2)
5. Johnny Romero 38-14 (24) (1131) (+2) (USBA)
6. Lou Brouillard 31-11-3 (14) (1124) (-1) (CBU)
7. Ron Richards 35-12-2 (24) (1033) (+5)
8. Freddie Apostoli 22-4-1 (19) (980) (+1)
9. Kid Tunero 31-9-5 (10) (980) (+8) (LABF)
10. Hein Domgorgen 44-20-1 (22) (972) (+5)

Others: 13. Jock McAvoy 32-14-5 (21) (942) (-5) (GBU)
16. Fred Henneberry 30-12-2 (12) (875) (+25) (OPBF)

Comments: All the above at Prime except for Brouillard (at Post) and Domgorgen (at End). With two successful title defenses during the year, Steele has now won his last eight bouts, a winning streak dating back to early 1937. Similarly, Zale has won his last 10, also dating back to early 1937, including two title wins and a UD over Ceferino Garcia in three 1939 outings. Williams went 3-1 for the year, losing the WBA title shot but impressing with wins over Brouillard and Yarosz (both UD wins) as well as a TKO over Cerdan to retain a top ranking. Cerdan suffered his first two career losses, to Steele and Williams, but an EBU title defense and a UD win over Tunero were enough to hold onto the #4 spot. Overlin went 2-1 for the year, rebounding from a loss to Romero with a TKO over previously unbeaten Charley Burley; he also recorded a UD win versus Garcia earlier in the year. Romero was 2-1, all in title contests. Brouillard had a win, a loss and a draw in three bouts, but he managed to capture the CBU title to retain a high ranking. Aussie Ron Richards salvaged a subpar season with a MD win versus Eduoard Tenet to end up 2-1 for the year. Apostoli also remained in the top 10, despite a KO loss to Burley and being held to a draw by Yarosz, by stopping Harry Matthews. Tunero fashioned a three-bout winning streak by retaining the LABF title, then defeating Wade (SD) and Littman (TKO); his only setback was an early season loss to Cerdan. Domgorgen had only one outing, a SD win over Ignacio Ara, but it was enough to propel him to a top 10 ranking as other possible contenders fared even worse with the ranking system. McAvoy, with two losses and a draw, all in title bouts; dropped out of the top 10. The venerable Mickey Walker, ranked #10 a year ago, retired. Garcia, who was ousted as OPBF Champ and lost all three of his 1939 outings, fell 13 spots to #16. Burley, who had won all of his first 20 bouts, had a top 10 spot lined up before the unfortunate TKO loss to Overlin left him at #14, with a 20-1 (18) career mark. Ben Brown rode a five bout winning streak, including three in 1939, to the #15 spot in the rankings. Henneberry zoomed up the rankings with a UD over Vince Dundee, then a title win versus Garcia; the only blemish on his 1939 campaign was a TKO loss to Chilean Antonio Hernandez. The best of the newcomers to the list is Brit Dick Turpin, who debuts at #35, getting off to an excellent 15-0 (7) career start, including 1939 wins over journeymen Poldi Steinbach, Swede Berglund and fellow Brit Archie Sexton. Georgie Abrams won his first 13 (including an impressive UD over aging vet Gorilla Jones) but then stumbled, managing only a draw with Berglund, then suffering a TKO loss to Steve Mamakos; Abrams, now 13-1-1 (8), checks in at #40. Mamakos eneded the year two spots below Abrams, suffering his first career loss to Eddie Whalen to end the year at 15-1 (8).

Prospects: The list is headed by George Henry, now 12-1 (4), victor over a series of TCs but a loser to Turpin. Tough time for Billy Soose, who ended the year at 9-2 (9), suffering a DQ loss to Freddie Cabral and a UD defeat at the hands of Mike Belloise. Cabral, at 12-0 (9), and Belloise, at 11-0 (8), maintained clean slates heading into 1940, as did Ernie Vigh, now 10-0 (9). Also feasting on TC opposition and still unbeaten are Brit Tommy Davies, 8-0 (3); Paul Lewis, 7-0-1 (5); Shorty Hogue, 6-0 (4); Jean Despeaux, 6-0 (1); Pat O’Connor, 5-0 (4); Raul Rodriguez, 5-0 (4); Cecil Hudson, 5-0 (3); and Jose Basora, 4-0 (3). Ossie Harris stumbled out of the gate and has one TC loss to end the year at 3-1 (1), while Dutchman Luc Van Dam remains perfect at 3-0 (2).

Retirements: Nine retirements, including the great Mickey Walker and another former Champ, Jack McVey.

Frisco McGale (JAM) 1924-39 28-26-3 (9) No Titles Highest Rank: 40
Jack McVey (USA) 1920-39 43-28-2 (21) WBA Champion 1935-36
Mickey Walker (USA) 1919-39 61-13-2 (44) WBA Champion 1923-24. 1925-34
Marcel Thil (FRA) 1920-39 40-30-6 (13) No Titles Highest Rank: 14
Poldi Steinbach (AUT) 1923-39 32-23-2 (21) No Titles Highest Rank: 37
Ben Jeby (USA) 1927-39 25-17-3 (10) No Titles Highest Rank: 27
Relampago Saguero (CUB) 1926-39 27-20-2 (16) No Titles Highest Rank: 40
Henry Firpo (USA) 1926-39 30-20-3 (11) No Titles Highest Rank: 43
Willie Feldman (USA) 1926-39 28-23-3 (13) No Titles Highest Rank: 63

Looking Ahead: Appears to be a rather stable situation at the top, with the Champ and top three contenders unchanged from last year. However, looks can be deceiving; Steele has only one more year before hitting Post-Prime, and Zale appears positioned to take over the title if given an opportunity. Cerdan, a narrower loser in 1939, is also looking to rebound from his first two career losses. Further down the list, Charley Burley appears to be highly underrated and more deserving of a top 10 spot than just about all the guys ranked #6 through 10, and anticipate he might get some kind of a title shot in 1940. Jimmy Edgar tops the list of newcomers set to join the MW ranks in 1940.

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WW Title Bouts

WBA: Jimmy McLarnin began the year with the title and defended once, turning aside a challenge from Jimmy Leto (SD 15). Then, Eddie Dolan defeated McLarnin (DQ 9) to capture the belt and, in a rematch, defended against McLarnin (TKO 5). Then, Henry Armstrong defeated Dolan (TKO 3) to take the title.

NABF: Eddie Dolan carried this belt into 1939 and made one successful defense, defeating Chuck Woods (UD 12). Dolan then vacated the belt after moving up to claim the WBA title. In a matchup for the vacant belt, Cocoa Kid defeated Fritzie Zivic (UD 12). Kid went on to make two successful defenses against Izzy Jannazzo (D 12) and Jimmy Garrison (UD 12).

USBA: Henry Armstrong held this belt headed into 1938, but he vacated it after winning the WBA LW title. In a matchup for the vacant belt, Jimmy Garrison defeated Georgie Crouch (UD 12).

CBU: Ernie Roderick captured this title from Jack McNamee (UD 12) and then defended it twice, versus Sammy Luftspring (UD 12) and Jimmy McLarnin (SD 12).

GBU: Roderick also retained the GBU title but made no defenses during the year.

EBU: Bep Van Klaveren began 1939 with this belt and made no less than four defenses during the year, versus Vittorio Venturi (D 12), Cleto Locatelli (MD 12), Michele Palermo (D 12) and Venturi once again (UD 12).

OPBF: Jack McNamee dethroned Irineo Flores (UD 12) and then defended once, defeating Jack Carroll (TKO 9).

LABF: Joe Legon captured the belt from Kid Azteca (UD 12) and then made one defense, defeating challenger Battling Shaw (UD 12).

WW Division Profile

Total: 126 RL: 85 TC: 41

RL by Career Stage:
End - 8
Post - 15
Prime - 32
Pre - 15
Beginning - 15 (11 New)

Rated: 62
800+: 20
500+: 42
200+ : 56

Jan 1940 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1939 in Parens):

Champ: Henry Armstrong 31-3-3 (25) (1799) (+2)
1. Cocoa Kid 36-5-4 (11) (1590) (NC) (NABF)
2. Eddie Dolan 30-6-4 (12) (1477) (+2)
3. Izzy Jannazzo 28-4-1 (13) (1249) (+7)
4. Ruby Goldstein 44-13-4 (29) (1222) (+9)
5. Jimmy McLarnin 53-12-1 (24) (1188) (-5)
6. Ernie Roderick 23-9-3 (6) (1184) (+8) (CBU, GBU)
7. Young Corbett III 54-17-6 (13) (1183) (-4)
8. Jimmy Garrison 24-3-3 (2) (1128) (-2) (USBA)
9. Bep Van Klaveren 29-11-7 (11) (1112) (+6) (EBU)
10. Fritzie Zivic 26-7-4 (15) (1091) (-2)

Others: 13. Jack McNamee 24-7 (16) (991) (+15) (OPBF)
16. Joe Legon 22-1-6 (11) (942) (+3) (LABF)

Comments: All the above at Prime except for Goldstein and Corbett, both at Post, and McLarnin, now at End career stage. Henry Armstrong has pulled off a major feat by capturing his third WBA title, becoming the first to claim WBA titles in three different divisions; however, he did struggle to a draw with Kid so his 1939 tally reads two wins, two titles and one drawn bout. Kid also went unbeaten for the year – two wins and two draws – the wins and one draw coming in title bouts, in addition to the draw with Armstrong. Dolan wound up the year with three wins and one loss, all in WBA title bouts. Jannazzo had a successful year, recording three wins and one draw in his only title bout; the wins were all via UD versus Paul Junior, Corbett and Roderick. A resurgent Ruby Goldstein returned to top 10 status by winning four bouts, all inside the distance; two of the wins came at the expense of King Tut, who had previously held a top 10 spot. McLarnin hung on to a top five spot despite a dismal 1-3 season, all in title bouts against quality opposition. Roderick moved into the top 10 with his upset win over the ex-Champ, McLarnin, but dropped back due to a UD loss to Jannazzo. Corbett won just one of three bouts, losing to Jannazzo and Locatelli but salvaging his top 10 status with a TKO over Paul Junior. Garrison had an up-and-down seasons, splitting two title bouts (one win apiece) but could only manage two draws in a pair of meetings with Legon, the lower ranked LABF titleholder. Van Klaveren garnered a top 10 spot with four EBU title defenses, two wins and two draws. Zivic had an uneven 1939, including a NABF title loss, a TKO over journeyman My Sullivan, ending up with a draw with Legon. Gustav Eder came close to regaining top 10 status with four wins in four 1939 outings, including UD wins over Jack McNamee and Jimmy Leto; this was good to place him at #11. Top 10 dropouts included Vittorio Venturi, who fell five spots to #12, dropping a UD to McNamee and managing a draw and a loss in two unsuccessful EBU title challenges; an aging and ineffective Barney Ross, down nine spots to #14, loser to Andy Callahan (MD) and Junior (UD); his only win coming versus an even older Joe Dundee; and King Tut, down from # to #15, who was 0-3 for the year. McNamee shot up the rankings by virtue of his OPBF title win, but the loss to Eder prevented further progress. Legon continued to show his adeptness at securing draws – two versus Garrison and one against Zivic – those results plus two LABF title wins meant an unbeaten season of two wins, three draws, but not much progress in the rankings. Only two newcomers cracked the top 50: Jackie Wilson, at #28, off to a 16-0-1 (13) career start, impressive wins over Tippy Larkin (TKO) and Ralph “the Ripper” Zannelli (TKO), the draw coming versus Tony Marteliano; and, at #42, Omar Kouidri checks in at 16-1 (6), dropping a few spots after his first career loss, via a UD to Baby Joe Gans.

Prospects: Vince Dellicurti tops the list, remaining unbeaten, at 12-0 (7), his best win a TKO over fellow prospect Jimmy McDaniels on top of a slew of TC wins. Young Kid McCoy recovered from a UD 8 loss to McDaniels, scoring a TKO over Marteliano in his last bout to end the year at 11-1 (6). McDaniels, with the loss to Dellicurti and a draw with Johnny Barbara the only blemishes thus far, checks in at 10-1-1 (6). Kiwi Vic Caltaux remained unbeaten, turning aside all TC opposition but being held to a draw with Eddie Ran, for a 10-0-1 (8) career start. Remaining unbeaten versus TC opposition were Arthur Danaher, 9-0 (7); Cleo Shans, 7-0 (3); Marty Servo, 6-0 (4); and Vinnie Vines, 6-0 (3). Getting off to good career starts were Artie Dorrell, 3-0 (3); Tommy Ciarlo, 3-0 (0); Sammy Adragna, 2-0 (0); and Aussie George Sands, 1-0 (0).

Retirements: Seven WWs, including one former WBA Champion, left the ranks in 1939.

Seargant Sammy Baker (USA) 1924-39 35-22-1 (20) NABF Champ Highest Rank: 13
Andy DiVodi (USA) 1925-39 29-23-4 (19) No Titles Highest Rank: 28
Lope Tenorio (PHI) 1922-39 32-23-9 (9) OPBF Champ Highest Rank: 11
Johnny Indrisano (USA) 1923-39 31-19-9 (11) NABF, USBA Champ Highest Rank: 6
Irineo Flores (PHI) 1920-39 47-26-2 (24) WBA Champion 1930, 1933 Highest Rank: 1
Tommy Freeman (USA) 1926-39 36-29-5 (14) NABF Champ Highest Rank: 9
Sam Bruce (USA) 1924-39 30-23-5 (17) No Titles Highest Rank: 33

Looking Ahead: Despite Armstrong’s impressive credentials, the division remains in a state of flux as there is already talk of “Homicide Hank” moving up to MW to try to capture a four WBA title. Cocoa Kid and Jannazzo remain credible title contenders depending on the situation as it develops. Van Klaveren has managed to hang on as EBU Champ for more than a year despite some close decisions. After a disappointing career, Barney Ross has faded from the limelight. Marty Servo appears the best of the current group of prospects, which is going to be bolstered by a huge crop of newcomers to the WW ranks for 1940, led by Sugar Ray Robinson, with George Costner and Norman Rubio also expected to develop into potential contenders.