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[JCWeb]

Continuing with a big push to finish the 1934 action by the end of the calendar year …
This is a summary of ring action from the second half of November 1934, covering a total of 67 bouts. One WBA title bout is on the agenda.

Nov. 17, 1934: Next card is back in the States at Miami. Lots of good bouts, but the headliner is a 10-round, non-title contest (not many titles up for grabs this month) between two WWs, veteran Young Corbett III against Cocoa Kid. With two boxers, it turns into a defensive-minded affair. Close in the early rounds, Corbett is able to pull in front with a strong showing through the middle rounds. Cocoa Kid suffers a nick under his right eye in round eight, but it proves not to be a factor in the fight. Kid battles back to make it close, and the veteran Corbett emerges the victor via a very close SD 10 (98-93, 94-97, 97-94) although most ringside observers had Corbett winning by at least a three-point margin. With the win, Corbett runs his record to 42-11-5 (12); Cocoa Kid is now 22-3-2 (10) after the loss.

Nov. 17, 1934: Next card is at Mexico City. Some good action, but again no title bouts. The feature has fan favorite Baby Arizmendi facing another top-ranked FW, veteran Andy Martin. It’s expected to be a tune-up for a future title try by Arizmendi, but no one read the script to Martin. Arizmendi puts on a boxing exhibition to pull out an early points lead through the opening rounds. Then, Martin battles back, going to the offensive in the later rounds. In a huge surprise, the judges reward Martin’s aggressiveness, although the punches landed stats favor the Mexican. In a decision that, to put it mildly, is not well-received by the pro-Arizmendi crowd, Martin takes a MD 10 (97-94, 95-95, 96-94) that enables him to zoom up the FW rankings. He took the last three rounds on all cards to secure the win, as Arizmendi was simply a bit too defensive-minded. Post-fight career marks are 35-14-3 (9) for Martin; 25-5-1 (10) for Arizmendi.

Nov. 23, 1934: Friday night “Down Under” card, this time in Melbourne, Australia. No titles, and two BWs top the card in a rematch of an earlier bout from four years ago. Pablo Dano faces Bobby Green. The two battled to a draw back in 1930, but Dano was at Pre-Prime and has won and lost the WBA title since then. In the early rounds, it is Green who is carrying the fight to Dano. Dano looks the sharper in most exchanges, and by the end of round three there is puffiness under the left eye of Green. Dano continues to outbox Green into the middle rounds, but then in round eight, Dano suffers a cut over his right eye. Dano’s progress is slowed, and the end result – another draw (96-96, 98-94 Dano, 96-96) is a surprise as Dano was ahead on the unofficial card. Post-fight career marks: Dano, 28-4-4 (14); Green, 35-16-6 (15).

Nov. 24, 1934: After a relatively unexciting series of main event matchups, the pace picks up toward the end of the month, particularly with the next card, which features a WBA HW title contest at London’s Harringay Arena. Max Schmeling makes his eighth title defense, his second against British and EBU Champ Tommy Farr, and it is Farr’s second try for a World title. Schmeling’s first defense against Farr, in Berlin, ended in a UD win for the German. There is excitement as early as the opening round when the pro-Farr crowd roars when their favorite stuns the Champ with a nice uppercut, forcing the Champ to cover up. Schmeling recovers quickly, dominating the action in rounds two and three, cutting the ring off and working inside to pressure the Welshman. In the middle rounds, Farr decides to change tactics and moves inside, stepping up the pace, but he is constantly outmuscled by Schmeling. In round 10, Farr leaves himself open for a big combination from the German, bouncing up at the count of one. More trouble for the challenger in round 12, when Farr suffers a cut lip and shows some signs of swelling around his right eye. Then, in round 14, Schmeling nails Farr with an uppercut, then – after Farr is warned for holding and hitting – the Champ unleashes an overhand right that puts Farr down and out. KO 14 for Schmeling, who moves to 37-3 (27) with the win, while Farr ends the bout at 31-9- 1 (13).

Nov. 24, 1934: Next up is a huge card at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Making his first appearance in New York City is highly regarded HW prospect Joe Louis, the “Brown Bomber.” Louis toys with his TC opponent, gradually working his way inside to put his opponent in serious trouble starting in round two, then finishing with a KO 3. Louis is now 4-0 (4) and already being talked about as a possible future challenger for Schmeling’s title. Another highly regarded prospect, MW Tony Zale, follows Louis into the ring and destroys his TC opponent inside one round. The TKO 1 moves Zale to 6-0 (5). Then, two top-notch co-features headline the card. In the first of these, Jersey Joe Walcott returns to action after suffering his first career setback at the hands of Tommy Loughran; his opponent is another highly regarded young HW, King Levinsky. The action heats up in the opening stanza when Levinsky nails Walcott with a big hook that forces Jersey Joe to cover up. Walcott battles back, and he dishes out enough punishment to cause some noticeable swelling under Levinksy’s left eye by the end of round four. Walcott clings to a narrow points lead into the later rounds. Levinsky still has his moments, stunning Walcott with a big hook in round six. However, Walcott shrugs it off and maintains control right through the end of the bout. The end result is a UD 10 win for Walcott (99-93, 99-93, 97-95) to move Walcott to 22-1 (19) overall. Levinsky is now 22-6-1 (11). Then, in the final bout on the card, top 10 FW Chalky Wright faces another hot prospect, Henry “Homicide Hank” Armstong, who is looking to establish himself in the FW rankings having just earned a spot inside the top 20. Armstrong builds the early points edge, but Wright has a big fourth round. Then Armstrong has the upper hand in the toe-to-toe action in round five. Armstrong becomes more aggressive in the middle and later rounds, but he is slowed by a cut over his right eye suffered in round eight. The cut is patched up between rounds, but Wright moves inside in an effort to harass Armstrong and to target the cut. Armstrong successfully holds off Wright and takes a well-earned MD 10 (97-94, 96-96, 96-95) after taking charge on the inside in the final round of the bout. Good experience for Armstrong, who beats a quality opponent in a tough contest to run his career record to 17-1-1 (15). Wright slips to 23-7-2 (12) after the loss.

Nov. 30, 1934: The month's action concludes with a fairly abbreviated card at Havana’s Gran Stadium. In the feature, Freddie Steele, the “Tacoma Assassin,” is making the ninth defense of his NABF MW title against a tough Cuban boxer, Kid Tunero. Steele takes his time and times his shots, putting Tunero on the deck in round three with a nice shot. Tunero takes a seven count but goes down a second time before the round is over. In round four, Tunero is cut under his right eye. He flicks the jab to keep Steele at bay, managing to survive another round. In round five, Steele once again finds the range, and this time Tunero is showing signs of swelling under his left eye. Despite being completely outclassed by the veteran Steele, Tunero battles back gamely and manages to last the distance. Steele takes a lopsided UD 12 (118-109, 119-107, 119-107) and runs his career totals to 33-4 (26). Tunero is now 22-4-4 (8). With Mickey Walker moving up to LH, Steele is hopeful of earning a shot at the MW crown without the “Toy Bulldog” standing in the way. Stay tuned to see what develops.

[JCWeb]

Into the final month of 1934 …
This is a summary of ring action from the first half of December 1934, covering a total of 59 bouts. One WBA title bout and a notable debut is on the agenda.

Dec. 1, 1934: First card of the month is in Europe, as the Sports Palace in Rome. No titles at stake, but two veteran HW contenders battle in the main event, as the “Basque Woodchopper,” Paulino Uzcudan, faces Canada’s Larry Gains. It’s the first meeting of the two who have been among the top 10 HWs for the past few years. The action picks up in round three when Uzcudan moves inside and is vulnerable to some well-timed counterpunching from Gains, leaving the Spaniard with a rapidly swelling left eye as a result. Then, in round seven, Gains catches Uzcudan with a nice combination to score the bout’s first knockdown. Uzcudan survives the round and lasts the distance, but not before Gains follows with a second KD in the final round to seal a UD 10 win for the Canadian (98-91, 98-91, 96-92). With the win, Gains runs his record to 36-10 (21). Uzcudan, who hits Post-Prime in 1935, is now 35-12-1 (12) after the loss.

Dec. 1, 1934: Next card is at Vancouver’s Exhibition Gardens. Main event is a rematch of a WBA title bout from earlier in the year, but this time it’s for the NABF FW title held by Freddie Miller. Miller makes his second defense against ex-Champ Pete DeGrasse, who will be buoyed by the Canadian crowd. Their earlier bout, for the WBA title belt, ended in a controversial DQ call in DeGrasse’s favor and, while DeGrasse no longer holds the title, Miller is bent on revenge, even if it means putting his NABF title belt on the line before a hostile crowd here in Vancouver. This time around, DeGrasse starts well as the two boxers are content to exchange blows from the outside for most of the bout. Miller becomes gradually more aggressive as the bout wears on, and in round 11 he catches DeGrasse with a straight right that forces the Canadian to cover up. The final bell sounds with neither man being marked, and both raise their arms in triumph. The judges seem to agree, as the bout is ruled a draw (114-113 Miller, 112-116 DeGrasse, 113-113) so Miller keeps the NABF belt but is unable to extract a full measure of revenge. Post-fight career marks are 26-4-1 (12) for Miller; 27-9-2 (6) for DeGrasse.

Dec. 7, 1934: Friday night card at Atlantic City. On the undercard, there’s a notable debut as Billy Conn steps into the ring for his first pro fight. The highly touted LH starts cautiously in a four-rounder against a hand-picked TC opponent, but gradually becomes more aggressive in rounds three and four. In four, he demonstrates his power as he puts his opponent down and out with a clean hook. KO 4 in his debut means Conn is off to an excellent start to a promising career. In the feature, USBA LW Champ Sammy Fuller faces a determined challenger in Eddie Cool. Cool, who has gone undefeated in bouts at lower levels over the past two years, has finally landed his first title fight. Fuller had won six in a row before losing his last outing for the WBA crown to Tony Canzoneri. In round one, Fuller is cut over the right eye and while the cut is quickly patched up by his corner, it becomes an issue as the bout wears on. Cool targets the cut, which is reopened in round three and again in round six. Cool is able to hold his own with the Champ, and the cut proves the difference as it is reopened twice more in the later rounds, finally leading to a last round stoppage. TKO 12 for Cool, who continues his unbeaten streak and becomes the new USBA LW Champion. A peek at the cards shows Fuller was ahead by a narrow one-point margin on all three cards when the bout was halted. Post-fight career marks: Cool, 25-4-3 (9); Fuller, 38-9 (9).

Dec. 8, 1934: The Stadium in Liverpool in the UK is the scene of the next fight action. No titles, and it is the usual showcase for young British fighters, some of whom are facing some still matchups from veteran American boxers. In one of these, Flyweight Johnny Gill is handed his first career loss by a Post-Prime Newsboy Brown, the decision going to Brown via a UD 10. Young FW Jim Kelly manages to do a bit better, eking out a SD 10 win over veteran Eddie Shea. Then, in the main event, top 10 FW Petey Sarron makes the journey overseas to face newly-crowned GBU FW Champ Dave Crowley. Sarron, the slicker boxer, has the best of it through most of the early going and builds a solid points lead. Both men are unmarked, and the bout goes the distance with a UD 10 for Sarron (98-92, 98-92, 99-91). Disappointing result for Crowley, which shows he is not on a par with the top contenders in the division. Post-fight, Sarron moves to 27-11-4 (8) with the win, while Crowley ends the bout at 20-11-1 (11).

Dec. 14, 1934: Next Friday night card is in Europe, at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. Again, no titles on the line, but a pair of interesting matchups headline the card. In the first of these, two HWs battle as Ad Warren faces Pierre Charles, a long-time fringe contender from Belgium. The action heats up in the opening round when Charles catches Warren with a big uppercut, following up with a hook that puts Warren on the deck. Warren covers up and is able to recover, but he seems a step slow for most of the rest of the bout, which is dominated by Charles. From round six on, Warren is battling a rapidly swelling left eye, and then a second KD in round nine (another Charles hook) seals his fate. Charles walks away with a lopsided UD 10 triumph (100-88, 100-88, 99-89) and improves to 38-16-2 (29) overall. Warren, now at Post-Prime, slips to 24-8 (19). Then, in the second co-feature, newly crowned EBU MW Champ Edouard Tenet faces unbeaten young American MW Ken Overlin, who is looking to solidify a top 10 ranking with a win over Tenet. Close through the early rounds, with a slight edge to the American. Tenet seems content to stay on the outside despite facing a growing points deficit as the bout wears on. It is only in the later rounds that he steps up the pace, moving inside and finally throwing caution to the wind in the final round, as he desperately seeks a knockout. However, Overlin’s defense is solid, and he comes away a solid UD 10 winner (99-92, 98-93, 97-94). Overlin, now 23-0-2 (11), is now firmly established as a top 10 MW, while Tenet, at 31-13-5 (7) after the loss, still has the EBU MW title to fall back on.

Dec. 15, 1934: A WBA title bout headlines a nice card at Philadelphia. Veteran long-time LH contender Maxie Rosenbloom gets a shot at the WBA LH crown once again; having fallen short five times now (four losses, one draw) against all-time great Tommy Loughran, he now challenges the undefeated current champ, Tiger Jack Fox. Fox holds a UD 12 win over Rosenbloom for a lesser title belt from 1933, prior to the time he lifted the WBA title later that year, and Rosenbloom will be his fourth WBA title defense, all in 1934. Tiger Jack looks sharp early, pulling out an early lead. Then, in round three, a hook from the Champ puts Rosenbloom down briefly, right before the bell. Rosenbloom recovers quickly, and piles up a high punch count, chipping away from the outside. Fox powers his way inside and scores a second KD when he catches Rosenbloom with a nice combination in round five. In round six, Rosenbloom rips open a nasty cut on the bridge of Fox’s nose. Despite the cut, the Champ rallies to corner Rosenbloom with a hook to force the challenger to cover up later in the same round. The action continues in the seventh round, with Rosenbloom being warned for head-butting. Both men remain active in round eight, but then an exciting title bout comes to a sudden halt as a double jab from Rosenbloom causes Fox’s cut is reopened, and blood starts flowing freely, leading to a stoppage. Over the vociferous protest of Fox’s corner, Rosenbloom becomes the new LH WBA Champion via a TKO 8 on the cuts stoppage. With the win, Rosenbloom proves that the sixth time is a charm as he runs his career totals to 35-10-6 (14). Fox’s first career setback leaves him at 33-1 (25). A peek at the scorecards reveals that Fox was well ahead on all three (due to the two knockdowns) at the time of the stoppage.

One more report (and six more cards) coming up to wrap up another year’s activity …

[JCWeb]

Hooray! Met the objective of wrapping up the 1934 action before the end of the real-life year ...
… This is a summary of ring action from the second half of December 1934, covering a total of 65 bouts. Two WBA title bouts are on the agenda to wrap up another exciting year of fistic action.

Dec. 15, 1934: To the West Coast for the next card at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Two non-title bouts top the card, both involving HWs. In the first of these, unbeaten prospect Roscoe Toles faces a stern test when taking on a former WBA Champ (now on the downside of his career), Tuffy Griffith. Griffith takes charge early, backing up Toles and landing some strong blows that, as early as round two, are having some effect as there is puffiness under the right eye of Toles. Early in round four, a Griffith hook finds its target, forcing Toles to cover up to last the round. Then, in the fifth round, things look even worse for Toles when Griffith nails him with a combination. Toles goes down and takes an eight-count. However, Toles recovers and battles back in the second half of the bout, while Griffith tires noticeably. Toles gets stronger and stronger until he is dominating the action at the end, and he is rewarded with a close but UD 10 (96-93, 96-93, 95-94) despite suffering the knockdown. Post-fight, Toles remains unbeaten, now 18-0 (5). Griffith slips to 28-11-1 (17). Then, in the final bout on the card, two sluggers collide as Max Baer, on the comeback trail after three straight losses, takes on the hard-hitting Art Lasky. Between the two of them, they have 38 wins, 37 of which were inside the distance. This time, Baer shows no signs of clowning as he goes right at Lasky from the opening bell, landing a hook to the head that forces his opponent to cover up. Early in round three, Baer suffers a cut over his mouth but it only serves to motivate him to a big round, as he puts Lasky down with a hook to the head and, later in the round, Lasky is cut over the right eye as well. Going into round four, Lasky looks vulnerable as Baer lands another big hook, sending Lasky down for the second time in the fight. Lasky arises, but soon it is clear that he is out on his feet. The ref steps in, and it is a TKO 4 win for Baer. Baer is now 20-5 (19) and looking ahead to moving into the upper echelon of the HW ranks in 1935, while the loss, his second setback in a row, leaves Lasky at 19-3-1 (19).

Dec. 21, 1934: Next is a Friday night card at Briggs Stadium in Detroit. Once again, fans flock to see young HW Joe Louis, and the “Brown Bomber” does not disappoint as he puts away a TC opponent within the opening round, taking a TKO 1 for his fifth straight win, all inside the distance. Louis’ next bout will be at pre-Prime. Once again, on the same card as Louis is the “Man of Steel,” MW prospect Tony Zale, who runs his record to 7-0 (6) with a KO 3 win over a winless TC in a scheduled eight-rounder. Both Louis and Zale appear to be destined for greatness. Then, in the main support bout, top five LH George Manley faces Tony Shucco, with Shucco on the comeback trail after having lost his NABF LH title earlier in 1934. Shucco looks sharp early, and a cut over his right eye suffered in round three spells trouble for Manley. In round four, Shucco lands a big hook that causes Manley to cover up. Shucco manages to pile up an impressive points lead, but the cut causes an early end, with Shucco taking a TKO 9 on the cuts stoppage to run his record to 23-6 (9); Manley is 33-17 (16). The main event on the card is a NABF Flyweight title bout between Frankie Genaro and Emil Paluso, two long-time Flyweight campaigners who are now both at Post-Prime career stage. Genaro, making the first defense of the belt he won in July, is seeking to avenge a DQ loss to Paluso in their last meeting, back in 1933; the two are 1-1 in prior engagements. This time around, after two even rounds, Paluso tries to move inside but runs into some solid defense and counterpunching from Genaro. Paluso’s right eye, which begins to swell, is a target, and Genaro is content to set up shop on the outside for most of the fight, continuing with his usual workmanlike performance to take a very commanding points lead. The UD 12 goes to Genaro by a wide margin (118-110, 117-110, 116-111) enabling Genaro to retain the NABF belt. Post-fight career marks are 43-15-4 (18) for Genaro; 33-19-2 (8) for Paluso.

Dec. 22, 1934: Venue for the next fight action is the Coliseum Arena in New Orleans. No title bouts, but two veteran WW contenders lock horns in the main event, Joe Dundee and former WBA Champ Benny Leonard. For Leonard, it is his 97^th career start. The two have met twice before, each winning once (with the last win, in 1931, going to Dundee). For Leonard, who is winless since 1932, the bout represents another chance to regain some measure of his former glory as he nears the tail end of a long and illustrious career. Both men start cautiously, and there is little real action in the first few rounds. Then, the crowd comes to life as Leonard has a strong round four. He lands repeatedly, and at the end of the round Dundee is sporting a puffy left eye which was on the receiving end of the some accurate punching by Leonard. Round five also goes Leonard’s way, but Dundee responds, taking rounds six and seven. Leonard deciedes to move inside and picks up the pace in the eighth round. Leonard rallies with a nice round nine, and the bout enters the final round with the outcome in balance. The two battle to the end, and, in the end all three judges agree – the bout is a draw (95-95 on all three cards). Great effort by the 38-year old Leonard, who will hit End career stage next year, as he still has excellent prospects of being the second fighter in the Uni to reach the 100-bout plateau. Post-fight career marks: Dundee, 41-16-8 (13); Leonard, 82-11-4 (42).

Dec. 26, 1934: The traditional Boxing Day card in London, taking place at the Olympia, is the next fight card as the year winds down. An EBU title bout headlines the card, supported by a non-title bout featuring two Flyweight contenders. The two Flys squaring off are Fidel LaBarba, the reigning USBA Champion and #1 contender, and Jackie Brown, the current Commonwealth and GBU Champ. Brown gets off to a strong start, landing repeatedly and taking advantage of the fact that LaBarba is now at Post-Prime (LaBarba was still at Prime at the time of their earlier meeting, back in 1932, that resulted in a UD 10 win for LaBarba.) LaBarba does nothing until the second half of the bout, when he moves inside in an effort to pressure Brown. However, the Brit’s defense remains solid, enabling him to take a narrow UD 10 win (96-95, 96-94, 96-94) to reverse the earlier loss and also move up to become the #1 contender in the Flyweight ranks. Could a WBA title bout with Midget Wolgast be in his future? Post-fight career totals: Brown, 26-8-3 (9); LaBarba, 35-8-1 (9). In the main event, Commonwealth BW Champ Benny Sharkey faces his GBU counterpart, Dick Corbett, for the vacant EBU title vacated by Johnny King, who moved up to capture the WBA BW crown. It’s the second meeting of the two, with Corbett having won the first, and neither man is putting their respective titles on the line. Corbett wastes little time, connecting with a right to the temple to stagger Sharkey in the opening round. Sharkey covers up, then recovers with a strong round three, but as the bout wears on, Corbett is the stronger of the two. He goes on to repeat his earlier win, taking a UD 12 (116-112, 115-113, 117-111) and adding the EBU title to his British one. Post-fight, Corbett moves to 28-9 (10) with the win, while Sharkey ends the bout at 24-6-1 (16).

Dec. 29, 1934: Next is “Down Under” in Sydney, Australia, this time on a Saturday afternoon instead of the usual Friday night. A WBA title bout headlines the action, with two top 10 MWs featured in the main support. In this co-feature, former NABF Champ Young Terry is paired with current OPBF Champion, Aussie Ambrose Palmer. Palmer is the aggressor in the early going, and by the end of round three Terry shows signs of swelling under his left eye. Then, in round five, Palmer lands a big shot that puts Terry down and out. KO 5 for Palmer, who improves to 23-6 (15) overall. Terry slips to 29-11-3 (10) after suffering the KO loss. Then, in the main event, Jack Kid Berg makes the 11^th defense of his JWW belt that he won back in 1928. His opponent is Barney Ross, who drops down from WW to make the challenge. Ross’ excellent skills make this a tough match for Berg. After a cautious start by both men, Berg moves inside and takes a more aggressive approach. Ross has the edge in the first three rounds, while Berg takes charge to win rounds four and five. The bout remains extremely close through the middle rounds. Ross decides to pick up the pace in round 10, moving inside and it turns out to be a big round for the challenger. Berg is content to mix an inside and outside attack, while both men are reluctant to throw caution to the wind and go all-out for a knockout. The bout then goes the distance, with both men unmarked despite a long, tense struggle. In the end, the judges see it as a majority draw (143-143, 144-144, 143-144 Ross) which means Berg retains the JWW title belt. Post-bout career totals: 31-9-4 (14) for Berg; 24-3-2 (8) for Ross.

Dec. 31, 1934: The year wraps up with a New Year’s Eve card at the Gran Stadium in Havana, Cuba. One key matchup, and it’s the main event, as Tony Canzoneri makes the 10th defense of his WBA LW title, facing Argentinian Justo Suarez. First meeting of the two, and Suarez has earned the title shot with three successive wins, all in 1934. Canzoneri, who has earned his nickname “the Roman Warrior,” looks sharp early, moving inside in the early going, blunting Suarez’s offensive thrusts, landing a few shots of his own, and generally piling up a solid points lead. As the bout wears on, Suarez finds Canzoneri to be an elusive target, as he whiffs frequently while the Champ continues to pile up a huge punch count advantage. Canzoneri gradually wears Suarez down, and the bout goes the full route with no knockdowns, cuts and both men finish the full 15 unmarked. Canzoneri takes a lopsided UD 15 (147-137, 146-138, 146-138) to run his career record to an impressive 34-4-3 (15). Canzoneri has not tasted defeat since February 1930, almost five years now. For Suarez, who slips to 26-6-1 (17) with the loss, this one title try may represent a career peak, as he will hit Post-Prime in 1935.

Got through the bouts on the final day, so on to the year-end reports before moving on to 1935 …

[JCWeb]

On to the first of the year-end summaries, starting with the HW Division.

1934 Title Bouts

WBA: Max Schmeling continued his run as WBA Champion, defending four times and winning all four: Paulino Uzcudan (UD 15), Elmer Ray (TKO 5), Tom Heeney (UD 15) and Tommy Farr (KO 14).

NABF: Elmer Ray captured this belt from Jack Sharkey (UD 12) and defended once, also against Sharkey (another UD 12 win).

USBA: This belt changed hands three times in three title bouts during the year. First, Patsy Perroni KO’d Ad Warren to take the belt from Warren (KO 7). Then, Jersey Joe Walcott defeated Perroni to take the belt (KO 12) and, finally, Tommy Loughran dethroned Walcott, handing the latter his first career loss (MD 12).

CBU: Only one title defense, and the belt changed hands, as Don McCorkindale upset long-time CBU titleholder Larry Gains (TKO 7), who had held the belt in two different stints dating back to 1929.

GBU: Once again, no title defenses as no strong challengers have yet to emerge for the belt, now held since 1931 by Tommy Farr.

EBU: Two title defenses and two new EBU Champions as the title changed hands twice during the year. First, Walter Neusel upended Jack Doyle (SD 12). Later in the year, Tommy Farr beat Neusel (also via SD 12) to add the EBU title to the GBU belt.

OPBF: Tom Heeney made his first defense of this title in almost two years, turning aside the challenge from Aussie Jack O’Malley (UD 12).

HW Division Stats

Total: 213 RL: 132 TC: 81

End: 18
Post: 31
Prime: 49
Pre: 24
Beginning: 10
New: 7

Rated: 97 (including 1 TC)
800+: 20
500+: 48
200+: 83

Jan 1935 HW Rankings (Perf Pts and Changes from 1934 in Parens):

Champion: Max Schmleing 37-3 (27) (1920) (NC)
1. Tommy Loughran 53-6-4 (18) (1455) (NC) (USBA)
2. Tommy Farr 31-9-1 (13) (1406) (+8) (EBU, GBU)
3. Young Stribling 48-8-2 (24) (1371) (NC)
4. Elmer Ray 28-6 (16) (1276) (+7) (NABF)
5. Don McCorkindale 26-6-1 (15) (1096) (+24) (CBU)
6. Jack Sharkey 31-11 (19) (1095) (-4)
7. Larry Gains 36-10 (21) (1081) (-3)
8. Paulino Uzcudan 35-1-2-1 (12) (1080) (-3)
9. Jersey Joe Walcott 22-1 (19) (1007) (+10)
10. Joe Banovic 30-9 (9) (969) (-2)

Others: 11. Tom Heeney 36-20-1 (12) (949) (-5) (OPBF)

Comments: Schmeling remained an active and successful Champion with four title defenses in 1934; he remains at Prime as do all the above except for Stribling, Uzcudan and Heeney, who will be at Post. Tommy Loughran went 2-1 during the year, dropping a UD to Farr but beating King Levinsky (MD 10) and besting Walcott for the USBA belt. Farr jumped up the rankings with his upset win over Loughran before dropping back after the title loss late in the year. Stribling, despite battling the effects of aging, went 3-0 during the year with wins over Godfrey (UD), Baer and Levinsky (both SD). Ray had a pair of wins over Jack Sharkey. McCorkindale upset Gains to shoot up the rankings; he won three of four during the year, also impressing with a UD win over Sharkey. Sharkey’s career is in a tailspin as he has lost four of his last five, his only 1934 win being a TKO over Ad Warren. Gains posted wins over Banovic and Uzcudan but, of course, dropped the CBU title and slipped in the rankings as a result. Uzcudan went 2-2 during the year, which was enough to retain a top 10 spot. Walcott won four of five, bouncing back from his first career loss to Loughran with a UD 10 win over Levinsky. Joe Banovic, despite three straight losses during the year, was able to hang on to a top 10 spot with a SD 10 over Tuffy Griffith. Dropping out of the top 10 were Heeney, loser in two of his three 1934 outings; Ad Warren, who went 0-3 during the year to drop 10 spots to #17; and Irishman Jack Doyle, also winless in three (managing a draw with Johnny Risko) which dropped him from #9 all the way down to #21. Notable progress in 1934 was made by Pierre Charles, winner of his last five, who moved up to #12 at year-end, and German Walter Neusel, who checks in at #19 with an impressive 18-2-1 (15) career start that included a brief reign as EBU Champion. Top newcomer to the rankings is Roscoe Toles, who has managed to keep a clean slate at 18-0 (5) with wins over House and Griffith (both via UD) along with a SD over Floyd Johnson to end the year at #22. Another fighter worth watching is Brit Jack Peterson, who checks in at #24 after an excellent 20-2 (14) career start. Still struggling are three guys who were HW Champions in real-life: Max Baer, #30 at 20-5 (19), James Braddock, #38 at 26-11-2 (6) and Primo Carnera, #44 at 20-5-1 (16).

Prospects: Ben Foord (13-0, 7) remained unbeaten while being fed a steady diet of TC opposition. On the other hand, Fred Feary has registered a pair of wins over Steve Dudas (one via KO, the other a UD) to remain unbeaten at 12-0 (10); the two losses mean Dudas is now 10-2 (7). Johnny Paychek added a TKO win over Eduardo Primo to his resume on top of the TC wins to run his career record to an excellent 11-0 (7). Tommy Martin (10-0, 7) and Al Delaney (10-0, 5) have also feasted off TC opposition. Phil Brubaker suffered a DQ loss to a TC and like, Primo, has the one blemish thus far: both check in with identical 9-1 (6) marks. Of course, there is the well documented perfect 5-0 (5) career start of the much heralded “Brown Bomber,” Joe Louis. Albert Santiago and Nathan Mann are also perfect, off to 5-0 (4) career starts. Stumbling out of the gate are Finn Gunnar Barlund, now 4-1 (1) after a DQ loss to a TC; and Buddy Baer, who was flattened in his debut but bounced back with a win against the same opponent to end the year at 1-1 (1).

Retirements:
Ten HWs hung up the gloves during 1934, here are their career stats:
Tiny Herman (USA) 1919-34 31-28-1 (16) No Titles Highest Rank: 40
Phil Scott (UK) 1919-34 33-25-3 (8) GBU Champ Highest Rank: 18
Piet VanDerVeer (HOL) 1918-34 37-25-6 (20) EBU Champ Highest Rank: 13
Jack DeMave (HOL) 1923-34 28-14-2 (15) No Titles Highest Rank: 5
Roy Burger (USA) 1925-34 20-13-1 (11) No Titles Highest Rank: 38
Nils Ramm (SWE) 1928-34 17-11-3 (7) No Titles Highest Rank: 37
Phil Mercurio (USA) 1924-34 23-14-2 (7) No Titles Highest Rank: 33
Bill Hartwell (USA) 1923-34 28-19-3 (12) No Titles Highest Rank: 51
Young Bob Fitsimmons (USA) 1919-34 33-23-6 (10) No Titles Highest Rank: 46
Erminio Spalla (ITA) 1919-34 35-21-3 (25) EBU Champ Highest Rank: 7

Outlook: No clearcut challengers to Schmeling right now, as Loughran and Farr seems to lack the power to go toe-to-toe with the big German, and Walcott lacks the big fight experience. Not sure what the future holds for guys like Sharkey and Ray, who have had their chances but appear to be outclassed when matched with top-flight opponents. Joe Louis is a couple of years away from making an impression, but once he hits Prime, he should be an immediate title threat. McCorkindale seems likely to lose the Commonwealth time, either in a rematch with Gains or perhaps a bout with Farr or someone else. Jack Peterson seems ready to step up and challenge for a GBU title. Max Baer may be poised to make a leap up the ranks in 1935, while Bob Pastor and Abe Simon appear to be the best of the newcomers to the HW ranks.

[JCWeb]

1934 Title Bouts

WBA: Tiger Jack Fox began the year as Champion and defended three times, versus George Manley (KO 5), Battling Bozo (KO 6) and Joe Knight (TKO 9) before losing the title late in the year to “Slapsie Maxie” Rosenbloom (TKO 8).

NABF: Tiger Jack Palmer started 1934 with this belt, but lost it in his initial defense to Tony Shucco (MD 12). Shucco, in turn, was dethroned by John Henry Lewis (DQ 12), who retained the belt after being held to a draw by Mickey Walker (D 12).

USBA: Only one title bout here, and the belt changed hands as Mickey Walker moved up from the MW ranks to dethrone George Manley (UD 12).

CBU: Only one title defense, with veteran Jack Delaney retaining the belt with a successful defense against Charley Belanger (KO 10).

GBU: Gypsy Daniels had held this belt since 1927 but had only made three successful defenses. In 1934, he made his fourth defense but lost the title to Len Harvey (UD 12) in a bout that was also for Harvey’s EBU title as well (see next entry). Harvey now holds both the EBU and GBU title belts.

EBU: Two title defenses by Len Harvey, first a rematch with Gustave Roth (UD 12) and then the aforementioned dual title belt bout with GBU Champ Gypsy Daniels which was also won by Harvey (UD 12).

LHW Division Stats

Total: 124 RL: 78 TC: 46

End: 3
Post: 28
Prime: 27
Pre: 10
Beginning: 10
New: 6

Rated: 60
800+: 15
500+: 31
200+: 34

Jan 1935 LHW Rankings (Perf Pts and Changes from 1934 in Parens):

Champion: Maxie Rosenbloom 35-10-6 (14) (1473) (+2)
1. Mickey Walker 54-4-1 (40) (1601) (new) (USBA)
2. Tiger Jack Fox 33-1 (25) (1472) (-2)
3. Tony Shucco 23-6 (9) (1073) (+6)
4. George Manley 33-17 (16) (1072) (-3)
5. Len Harvey 44-11-2 (18) (1010) (+5) (EBU, GBU)
6. Young Firpo 26-11-3 (16) (991) (-3)
7. Jimmy Slattery 33-16-3 (12) (966) (-1)
8. Gustave Roth 30-6-2 (12) (947) (-1)
9. Jack Delaney 45-12-3 (29) (945) (+10) (CBU)
10. Joe Knight 24-4-2 (14) (925) (+1)

Others: 11. John Henry Lewis 18-0-2 (15) (917) (+4) (NABF)

Comments: Rosenbloom finally reached the pinnacle of his career by taking the LH title, and four of his closest pursuers (Walker, Manley, Delaney and Slattery) are at Post, the rest at Prime. Rosenbloom earned his title shot by winning five bouts in succession dating back to November 1933; his other 1934 wins leading up to the title were over Mike Mandell (UD 10), Slattery (MD 10) and Battling Bozo (SD 10). MW Champ Mickey Walker is now the top contender, having captured the USBA belt and battled to a draw with Lewis for the NABF title; he is now looking for a WBA LH title shot. Fox suffered his first career loss to Rosenbloom and will be starting 1934 on the comeback trial. Shucco won three of four during the year, and he recovered from the one loss (via a DQ to Lewis) with a TKO of Manley. Manley lost all three bouts to top LH competition, thus he manages to retain a top five ranking through the vagaries of the Perf Point system. Brit Len Harvey went 3-0 in 1934, including a stoppage of Lou Scozza in his most recent outing. Young Firpo rebounded from a TKO loss to Delaney early in the year with impressive wins over Fred Lenhart (UD 10) and Battling Bozo (KO 5). Slattery went 2-1 in his 1934 campaign, his only loss an early season MD 10 he dropped versus Rosenbloom, who now holds the title. Roth lost the EBU crown but recovered with a pair of UD wins over Charley Belanger and Al Stillman. Delaney is back in the top 10 after winning his last four, three in 1934, with stoppages of Eddie McGovern and Young Firpo on his resume in addition to the CBU title win. Joe “Cairo Calamity” Knight rounds out the top 10, going 2-1 with wins over Scozza and Stillman. Lewis remained unbeaten and just missed the top 10, after being held to draws by Walker and Bozo. Top 10 dropouts include Scozza, down eight spots to #12; Bozo, down nine to #14; and Young Tony Marullo, who fell all the way from #8 to #24. Al Gainer, 17-1-1 (13), is the top newcomer in the list at #19, with non-TC wins over Marullo (UD) and George Nichols (KO); the one draw was against Ray Pelkey. Austrian Heinz Lazek has rung wins over Jack Gibbons, John Andersson and Johnny Miler after claiming a dozen TC scalps; he now stands at 15-0 (13), good for 26^th in the rankings. Gibbons, despite the one loss to Lazek, debuts at #30 with a 15-1 (12) career mark thus far.

Prospects: Jimmy Adamick is off to an excellent 12-0 (11) career start, after blasting out Arthur Flynn in just one round in his last outing. All of Leo Kelly’s wins have come versus TC opposition, running his record to 11-0 (10). Brit Bert Gilroy (8-1, 5 KO) was able to avenge his one TC loss. Gus Lesnevich, off to a 8-0 (5) career start, is one worth keeping an eye on. Anton Christoforidis, Melio Bettina and Billy Conn are all off to excellent starts, defeating all their TC opponents inside the distance thus far.

Retirements:
None of the eight LHWs who hung up the gloves during 1934 won any titles:
Ernie Owens (USA) 1922-34 26-21 (16) No Titles Highest Rank: 27
Dusty Miller (CAN) 1922-34 29-19-2 (16) No Titles Highest Rank: 25
Santiago Esparraguera (CUB) 1920-34 31-23-1 (22) No Titles Highest Rank: 25
Joe Lohman (USA) 1917-34 31-31-5 (4) No Titles Highest Rank: 16
Art Weigand (USA) 1922-34 24-21-1 (17) No Titles Highest Rank: 32
Eddie McGovern (USA) 1921-34 32-17-4 (23) No Titles Highest Rank: 13
Pete Cerkan (USA) 1927-34 21-15 (17) No Titles Highest Rank: 20
Arthur Flynn (USA) 1926-34 20-17-2 (12) No Titles Highest Rank: 43

Outlook: Rosenbloom is now Champ, but for how long? Tiger Jack Fox is itching for a rematch, and both Walker and Harvey have positioned themselves as logical contenders. John Henry Lewis, now at Prime, is almost a sure bet to crack the top 10 and challenge for the WBA title as well. Meanwhile, there is a changing of the guard with some old contenders like Delaney, Manley and Slattery fading into the background; going into 1935, even Mickey Walker will be living on borrowed time. Archie Moore and Eddie Booker lead a strong crop of newcomers who are likely to make their mark in the division later on in the decade of the 1930s.

[JCWeb]

1934 Title Bouts

WBA: Mickey Walker defended once during the year, turning aside the challenge of Freddie Steele (KO 7) then moved up to compete in the LH ranks for the remainder of the year, while maintaining his status as WBA MW Champion, completing a nine-year reign covering some 26 successive title defenses.

NABF: Freddie Steele made three defenses of this belt, defeating Young Terry (TKO 9), Teddy Yarosz (TKO 5) and Kid Tunero (UD 12).

USBA: Two more defenses by Vince Dundee, who keeps the belt for another year: Gorilla Jones (SD 12) and Johnny Romero (KO 6).

CBU: This belt changed hands twice during 1934, with Ron Richards taking the belt from Lou Brouillard (TKO 5) and, later in the year, Frank Battaglia dethroned Richards (DQ 8).

GBU: Jock McAvoy retained the belt, making just one defense during the year, a KO win over Billy Bird (KO 5).

EBU: Two title bouts during the year. Hein Domgorgen, who began the year with the belt, defeated McAvoy (TKO 4). Then, Frenchman Edouard Tenet took the title from Domgorgen (MD 12).

OPBF: Ron Richards began the year with this belt, but he lost the title to Ambrose Palmer (KO 9). Palmer defended once, KO’ing Ceferino Garcia (KO 3).

MW Division Stats

Total: 151 RL: 89 TC: 42

End: 8
Post: 19
Prime: 48
Pre: 8
Beginning: 6
New: 1

Rated: 75
800+: 20
500+: 49
200+: 70

Jan 1935 MW Rankings (Perf Pts and Changes from 1934 in Parens):

Champion: Mickey Walker 54-4-1 (40) (1601) (NC)
1. Freddie Steele 33-4 (26) (1403) (NC) (NABF)
2. Vince Dundee 34-8-4 (15) (1145) (+5) (USBA)
3. Johnny Romero 28-7 (19) (1144) (+5)
4. Ambrose Palmer 23-6 (15) (1034) (+19) (OPBF)
5. Young Terry 29-11-3 (10) (1033) (+1)
6. Rene DeVos 52-18-3 (18) (994) (+4)
7. Hein Domgorgen 36-14-1 (19) (970) (-5)
8. Jack McVey 37-19-2 (18) (969) (-4)
9. Ken Overlin 23-0-2 (11) (960) (+13)
10. Edouard Tenet 31-13-5 (7) (918) (+11) (EBU)

Others: 20. Frank Battaglia 23-4-1 (13) (799) (+23) (CBU)
22. Jock McAvoy 24-6-4 (17) (791) (-6) (GBU)

Comments: Walker at Post, DeVos at End, rest at Prime. Walker defended the WBA just once, then tested the waters in the LHW division (see prior report) where he won once and drew once. Steele went 3-1, all in title action, to remain the top rated contender. Dundee won the two title bouts and was held to a draw by Kid Tunero in non-title action. Romero made a surge by winning five in succession before the title setback against Dundee; his 1934 wins were over Ceferino Garcia and McVey (both via UD) and KO wins versus Domgorgen and DeVos that lifted him in the rankings. A big leap was made by Palmer, by virtue of his OPBF title win plus a KO of Young Terry, all after suffering an early season MD loss to Teddy Yarosz. Terry was 2-2 during the year, with a pair of UD wins over McAvoy and Harry Smith. DeVos rebounded, going 2-1 for the year, putting together a three-bout winning streak by downing Jock Malone (UD) and Tenet (MD) but coming back to earth with a KO loss to Romero in his most recent outing. Domgorgen dropped in the rankings by virtue of losing the EBU title as well as a KO loss at the hands of Romero. McVey also was 1-2 for the year, dropping a pair of UD 10s to Romero and Eddie Risko. Overlin remained unbeaten despite being held to a draw by Battaglia, but he downed Risko via a MD 10 in a rematch after a technical draw; other 1934 wins came over Tenet and Harry Smith (both UD 10s). Rounding out the top 10 is Tenet, who was only 2-2 for the year despite winning the EBU title. Battaglia, the new CBU Champ, zoomed up the rankings with three wins and a draw during a successful 1934 campaign that featured the draw with Overlin and a KO over prospect Holman Williams. GBU Champ McAvoy lost ground, going 1-2 for the year, his last effort being a UD loss to Terry. Dropping out of the top 10 from the prior year were Gorilla Jones (-6, to #15), who won just one of four 1934 bouts; Enzo Fiermonte (-13 to #18), loser of two of three, including a UD loss to Solly Krieger; and ex-OPBF Champ Ron Richards (-22 to #25), who dropped his last three after having a seven bout win streak snapped. Just missing the top 10 at #11 was Lou Brouillard, who briefly held the CBU belt and ended the year at 21-5-1 (11) with wins over Jock Malone (MD 10) and Tony Tozzo (UD 10). Allentown Joe Gans, winner of all three 1934 outings, moved up to #12, and Teddy Yarosz, winner of five in his last six, ends the year at 24-6 (11), good for the #13 slot. Top newcomer to the rankings is Holman Williams, who checks in at 17-1 (15), good for 34^th in the year-end list.

Prospects: Al Hostak stumbled and suffered his first career lost via a KO to a TC, but avenged the loss to end the year at 12-1 (12). Eddie Pearce is 11-2 (8), both losses – TKO to Williams and a UD to Oakland Jimmy Duffy – coming at the hands of real-life opponents. Glen Lee (10-0, 10 KO) and Ben Brown (9-0, 9 KO) have looked impressive, flattening their TC opposition but really have yet to be tested. Tony Zale (7-0, 6 KO), Fred Apostoli (6-0, 6 KO) and Marcel Cerdan (3-0, 2 KO) are all off to excellent career starts.

Retirements:
Nine retirements from this division during the year:
Homer Robertson (USA) 1923-34 28-16-3 (8) No Titles Highest Rank: 47
Kid Charol (CUB) 1922-34 30-17-2 (17) No Titles Highest Rank: 19
Karl Sahm (GER) 1925-34 21-15-4 (15) No Titles Highest Rank: 55
Arturo Schaekels (BEL) 1924-34 21-15-3 (7) No Titles Highest Rank: 35
Frankie Denny (USA) 1915-34 37-31-3 (12) No Titles Highest Rank: 50
Oakland Jimmy Duffy (USA) 1915-34 44-30-7 (9) NABF Title Highest Rank: 16
Ernst Grimm (GER) 1920-34 31-24-4 (15) No Titles Highest Rank: 18
Tiger Johnny Cline (USA) 1919-34 30-22-11 (14) No Titles Highest Rank: 27
Billy Angelo (USA) 1921-34 28-19-1 (21) NABF Title Highest Rank: 11

Outlook: Walker, who has dominated the division for the past decade, will have a tough choice to make as he faces a mandatory title defense deadline coming up in May 1935: Does he continue his long reign as MW Champ or give up the title to go all-out for the LH crown? Freddie Steele remains the likely heir apparent, having held the NABF MW title for several years now, but Vince Dundee and Johnny Romero are also credible challengers and potential titleholders. Unbeaten Ken Overlin is still improving, and certainly ready to challenge for one of the lesser belts if not the WBA title. Among the overseas contenders, Domgorgen has slipped a bit and the situation is unclear, with DeVos clearly on the decline. Despite one recent setback, Holman Williams is likely to move up the ranks and challenge for a top 10 spot once he hits Prime career stage after a couple of more outings. Not a lot in the way of new blood being inserted in 1935, as Aaron Wade is the only fighter slated for a 1935 debut.

[JCWeb]

1934 Title Bouts

WBA: Barney Ross began the year as the new WBA Champion, and he successfully defended against Benny Leonard (TKO 14). Former Champ Jimmy McLarnin then challenged Ross and regained the title (UD 15). McLarnin then went on to defend against Baby Joe Gans (UD 15).

NABF: Ruby Goldstein began 1934 with this belt, then lost it to Jackie Fields (TKO 4). Fields, in turn, was defeated by Seargant Sammy Baker (TKO 12).

USBA: This belt was vacant at the start of the year after Ross moved up to become WBA Champion. Joe Dundee and Tommy Freeman were matched for the vacant belt, with Dundee coming out the winner (UD 12). Dundee defended once versus Jimmy Leto (SD 12), then Ross (having lost the WBA title) defeated Dundee to reclaim the USBA belt (UD 12).

CBU: Jack Hood continued to hold this title but made no defenses in 1934.

GBU: Hood also retained the GBU belt, again without making any defenses.

EBU: Cleto Locatelli, who has held this title since 1930, made three more defenses of the belt in 1934. First, he turned aside German challenger Gustav Eder (TKO 11). Then, he defeated CBU and GBU Champ Jack Hood (also TKO 11). Finally, he prevailed in a rematch with Eder (UD 12).

OPBF: The title had been vacant for several months dating back to 1933 when Irineo Flores stepped up to become WBA Champ, vacating this belt. In a battle for the vacant title, Lope Tenorio defeated Ted Morgan (TKO 12). Later in the year, Tenorio defended against Jack Carroll (UD 12).

WW Division Stats

Total: 118 RL: 78 TC: 40

End: 11
Post: 17
Prime: 33
Pre: 10
Beginning: 6
New: 3

Rated: 61
800+: 22
500+: 36
200+: 58

Jan 1935 WW Rankings (Perf Pts and Changes from 1934 in Parens):

Champion: Jimmy McLarnin 41-5-1 (21) (1615) (+1)
1. Barney Ross 24-3-2 (8) (1366) (-1) (USBA)
2. Cleto Locatelli 30-9-1 (11) (1330) (+1) (EBU)
3. Joe Dundee 41-16-8 (13) (1274) (+2)
4. Gustav Eder 26-2-4 (9) (1130) (NC)
5. Ruby Goldstein 33-9-3 (22) (1120) (+4)
6. Baby Joe Gans 34-16-1 (14) (1097) (+1)
7. Young Corbett III 42-11-5 (12) (1076) (+6)
8. Irineo Flores 41-15-2 (20) (1031) (-6)
9. Jackie Fields 30-4-3 (15) (1029) (-1)
10. Manuel Quintero 29-11-5 (12) (931) (+9)

Others: 12. Lope Tenorio 29-13-8 (8) (899) (+12) (OPBF)
13. Seargant Sammy Baker 31-12-1 (18) (898) (+2) (NABF)
23. Jack Hood 26-11-7 (9) (770) (-17) (CBU, GBU)

Comments: Of those listed, all at Prime except Flores, Fields, Quintero, Tenorio and Baker, all of whom are at Post. McLarnin won two title bouts in 1934, and he has lost only once (a SD to Flores) in the past four years. Ross had two wins, a draw (for the JWW title) and a loss, all in title bouts, during the year. Locatelli won three EBU title bouts but dropped a UD to Dundee in one non-title bout. Dundee had an active year, with five bouts, winning three, losing one and drawing with Benny Leonard in his last. Eder’s career hit a snag, as he won only once (a UD 10 over Hood) with the two losses to Locatelli, plus two more draws with Corbett and Saviero Turiello. Goldstein recovered from the NABF title loss to Fields with wins over Flores (SD), Andy Callahan (UD) and Jimmy Leto (KO). Gans’ only win during the year – a MD 10 over the then higher-ranked Flores – was sandwiched between WBA title loss and a UD setback against Corbett. Corbett won three and drew one to pull up to 7^th, with a pair of UD wins over Gans and veteran Tommy Freeman, a SD over the Cocoa Kid, with the one draw versus Eder. Flores struggled, despite a KO over top ranked JWW, Battling Shaw, losing two close ones to Gans (MD) and Goldstein (SD). Fields went 1-1 in title bouts and registered a UD win over Indrisano and a draw versus Tenorio, but dropped a rankings spot anyway. Quintero, who rounds out the top 10, wnet 3-1 in 1934, with a pair of UD wins over Paul Junior, a UD over Indrisano and one loss (a UD to Leto). Pete Latzo, at #11, fell just one spot short of the top group after going undefeated (five wins and three draws) since early 1932; in 1934, he had one win over Vaccarelli (UD) and draws with Indrisano and King Tut. Tenorio exhibited good form, winning two title defenses, drawing with Fields and taking a MD over Baker, who finishes one spot lower – having won three in a row leading up to the one loss to the Filipino. Indrisano (-7 to #17), with three losses and two draws, and Hood, who went 0-3 during the year, were the top 10 dropouts from last year. Cocoa Kid ended the year at #13, taking a UD from Jack Carroll and a split duke over Benny Leonard to move up. Leonard, now #15, is winless since 1932. Top newcomers to the rankings list are Eddie Dolan, #26 at 16-1-1 (8), who had a pair of wins over Fritzie Zivic after one draw in an earlier bout; Zivic, #35, now 14-2-1 (12), the only blemishes coming in those three encounters with Dolan; and Brit Ernie Roderick, who is 13-3-2 (5) and checks in at #41, after two 1934 losses, to Vittorio Venturi and the aforementioned Dolan.

Prospects: Still unbeaten after being fed a steady diet of TC opposition are Izzy Jannazzo, 13-0 (10); Belgian Felix Wouters, 11-0 (8); Leonard Del Genio, 9-0 (8); Jack McNamee, also 9-0 (8); and Frankie Blair, 8-0 (4). Freddie Cochrane was KO victim of one TC opponent, so he checks in at 7-1 (4), and a technical draw is the only blemish on Cuba’s Joe Legon’s 5-0-1 (3) career start. Milt Aron has looked sharp in his first three pro fights, ending all inside the distance with KO wins.

Retirements:
Six retirements from this division during the year:
Hamilton Johnny Brown (UK) 1920-34 24-26-6 (11) GBU Champ Highest Rank: 11
Johnny Adams (USA) 1920-34 31-23-5 (10) USBA Champ Highest Rank: 12
Alf Mancini (UK) 1920-34 29-22-2 (12) No Titles Highest Rank: 19
Al Mello (USA) 1924-34 26-19-3 (18) No Titles Highest Rank: 35
Eddie Roberts (USA) 1922-34 24-21-2 (13) No Titles Highest Rank: 22
Willie Harmon (USA) 1921-34 33-21-6 (13) NABF, USBA Champ Highest Rank: 5

Outlook: McLarnin is still the man to beat in this division but Barney Ross has closed the gap and is poised for a title run once McLarnin begins to show any signs of slipping. The Swiss Locatelli has remained a solid top 5 WW, twice turning aside the challenge from Eder, who remains highly ranked. The field as far as Commonwealth and British fighters is rather weak and, in the OPBF, the two top Filipino guys (Tenorio and Flores) are going to be at Post-Prime. So, all in all, an aging division, and not much in the way of new talent coming in. It will be interesting to see if Fritzie Zivic, once he hits Prime career stage, can make a move up the rankings. (Sometimes a couple of early Pre-Prime losses can stall a fighter’s progress early in his career, see, e.g., Max Baer and Jimmy Braddock among the HWs for a couple of prime examples.)

[JCWeb]

1934 Title Bouts

WBA: Jack Kid Berg continued his reign atop this “Junior” division, defending twice during the year: against Battling Shaw (TKO 13) and then holding on against Barney Ross (D 15), as Ross stepped down from WW to try to capture the crown.

USBA: This belt, held by Johnny Jadick, remained dormant during 1934. Not sure if it will be revived in 1935, given the paucity of active fighters in the division.

JWW Division Stats

Total: 17 RL: 9 TC: 8

End: 1
Post: 3
Prime: 5
Pre: 0
Beginning: 0
New: 0

Rated: 8
800+: 2
500+: 3
200+: 8

Jan 1935 JWW Rankings (Perf Pts and Changes from 1934 in Parens):

Champion: Jack Kid Berg 31-9-4 (14) (941) (NC)
1. Barney Ross 24-3-2 (8) (1366) (new)
2. Battling Shaw 24-6-3 (12) (634) (-1)
3. Lew Feldman 22-8 (11) (482) (NC)
4. Johnny Jadick 31-18-2 (8) (465) (-2) (USBA)
5. Mickey Cohen 21-17-2 (9) (389) (NC)
6. Spug Myers 34-28-5 (13) (349) (NC)
7. Mushy Callahan 28-15-3 (9) (348) (-3)

Comments: Cohen, Myers and unrated Harry Wallach all at Post, while Callahan has hit End career stage; the rest still at Prime. Berg returned to defend the JWW twice after falling short in two challenges to LW Champion Tony Canzoneri. As mentioned in the WW report, Ross had two wins and a loss at WW, all in title bouts, during the year. Shaw finally got his long-awaited WBA title shot after a KO loss to former WW Champ Irineo Flores, followed by a UD win over Jadick. Feldman went 3-1 for the year, with UD wins over Cohen and Callahan, then taking a TKO win over WW Tiger Joe Randall, but fell short against another WW, Sam Bruce (MD 10). Jadick slipped with two losses in his only 1934 outings, to Shaw and WW Young Jack Thompson. Mickey Cohen went 2-1 in the year, all against WWs. Myers split with Callahan (a KO win and a UD loss) and went 1-1 versus two WWs. Callahan had the split with Myers, the loss to Feldman, and a technical draw with WW Marty Goldman. Not on the list is Harry Wallach, who lost all four 1934 bouts, and one of these (to a WW TC) meant he slipped into a negative perf point situation, and therefore is no longer on the ratings list.

Prospects: None.

Retirements:
None.

Outlook: Berg is still king of the division (a position he has held since 1926) and despite Barney Ross’ foray, the division still is in a moribund state with no new prospects on the horizon (although Tippy Larkin is slated to appear in 1936). Berg has shown little interest in the division, but his unsuccessful forays in LW makes it likely he may stay, which could be enough to keep the division alive for another year or two.

[JCWeb]

1934 Title Bouts

WBA: Tony Canzoneri, the “Roman Warrior,” was an active Champion, making five title defenses during the year: two, versus Jack Kid Berg (SD 15 and then UD 15), followed by a win over Sammy Fuller (UD 15), and early end due to a butt cut versus Billy Petrolle (TD 2), and finally another win over Justo Suarez (UD 15).

NABF: Two title bouts produced two new titleholders. Wesley Ramey began the year with the belt, but lost it to Emory Cabana (MD 12). Cabana, in turn, was defeated by Jack Portney (UD 12).

USBA: Sammy Fuller began 1934 with this belt, and he defended twice, versus Billy Petrolle (UD 12) and Cecil Payne (UTD 6). Then, Eddie Cool dethroned Fuller (TKO 12).

CBU: Brit Harry Mason ended Billy Grime’s long reign (UD 12). Then, Billy Townsend took the title from Mason (UD 12).

GBU: Mason defended this belt once, keeping it via a draw with George Daly (D 12).

EBU: No title bouts during the year, so Mason retains this belt as well.

LW Division Stats

Total: 127 RL: 75 TC: 42

End: 6
Post: 14
Prime: 34
Pre: 14
Beginning: 7
New: 6

Rated: 56 (includes 1 TC)
800+: 20
500+: 36
200+: 53

Jan 1935 LW Rankings (Perf Pts and Changes from 1934 in Parens):

Champion: Tony Canzoneri 34-4-3 (15) (1728) (NC)
1. Jack Portney 28-6-2 (15) (1243) (+3) (NABF)
2. Billy Petrolle 42-7-4 (21) (1218) (-1)
3. Ray Miller 38-11 (17) (1207) (NC)
4. Justo Suarez 26-6-1 (17) (1146) (+5)
5. Eddie Cool 25-4-3 (9) (1124) (+20) (USBA)
6. Sammy Fuller 38-9 (9) (1123) (-4)
7. Wesley Ramey 20-3-4 (10) (1013) (+7)
8. Joe Glick 36-14-5 (13) (1010) (+4)
9. Al Singer 26-9-1 (15) (994) (+1)
10. Stanislaus Loayza 31-19-5 (12) (909) (-5)

Others: 19. Billy Townsend 23-9-1 (15) (800) (+1) (CBU)
23. Harry Mason 34-22-4 (5) (702) (-2) (EBU, GBU)

Comments: Everyone listed at Prime, except for Petrolle, Suarez, Singer and Mason, all of whom will be at Post-Prime in 1935. Canzoneri extended his reign as Champion, and “the Roman Warrior” has not lost since February 1930. Portney won two of three, picking up the NABF title belt and also stopping Petrolle after an early season loss to Miller. Petrolle stumbled, losing twice, to Portney and Fuller, managing a technical draw in the title outing with Canzoneri. Miller went 3-1 for the year, with wins over Portney (TKO), Loayza (UD) and Mason (TKO) but satumbling against Suarez (UD loss). Suarez won three to set up the title bout, which he lost, taking the measure of Miller (UD) and Townsend (TKO 7) as well as a surprising one-round KO over Sammy Mandell. Cool zoomed up the rankings with four wins and two draws in his six 1934 outings, featuring a pair of UD wins over Tommy O’Brien and Benny Bass, with the two draws coming against Roger Bernard; Cool has not lost since hitting Prime career stage. Fuller slipped after going 2-2 for the year, all in title contests. Ramey also was 2-2 for his 1934 campaign, taking a UD over JLW Champ Tod Morgan, but suffering a UD loss to Al Singer, then rebounding with a TKO over Bernard in his last outing. Glick has won his last five, three during the year, taking split dukes from Loayza and Aldo Spoldi, then a UD versus Mandell. Singer went 3-2 for the year, sandwiching wins over Grime (TKO), Tod Morgan (UD) and Ramey (DQ) with two losses, a KO at the hands of Townsend, and a UD loss to Morgan in his most recent bout. Loayza rounds out the top 10, with only two wins and a draw in six bouts, including losses to Miller, Glick and Cabana (the last two via SDs). Dropping out of the top 10 were Vicentini, down five spots to #11, with two draws and a loss; Mandell, down 14 to #22 after going 1-3 in 1934; and Grime, loser of all three of his 1934 outings, dropping the Aussie from #7 to #25. Aldo Spoldi ended up at #12, at 23-1-2 (12) despite suffering his first career loss to Glick, registering three wins and a draw in other 1934 bouts. Frankie Klick won his last four, then dropped a UD to Cabana, ending the year at #13. Townsend, the CBU Champ, won two of three during the year, but a TKO loss to Suarez ended his 1934 campaign, snapping a three-bout win streak. Mason, a TKO victim of Miller, won just one of four during the year, the other three bouts being title affairs. Top newcomer to the LW rankings is Tony Chavez, who checks in at 15-2 (10), good for #31, after winning four of five in 1934 (including a UD over former USBA titleholder Al Gordon), the one loss coming via a DQ to Lefty Satan Flynn.

Prospects: Unlike other divisions, a number of the current crop of LW prospects have mixed it up with real-life opposition. Lou Ambers has built a 14-0 (10) record, including wins over Joe Guerrero, Eddie Zivic and Alex Hart. Tommy Spiegel checks in at 13-0 (5), including UD wins over Tommy Cello and Joe Salas on his resume. Laurie Stevens topped fellow prospects Juan Zurita (TKO) and Harry Mizler (UD) to end the year at 11-1 (8). For Mizler, it was his first loss, leaving him at 10-1-1 (3). Likewise, Zurita ends 1934 at 10-1 (5), the only loss coming to Stevens. Eddie Zivic registered a TKO over Lefty Satan Flynn after suffering his first career loss, to Ambers, to check in at 11-1 (5). Panamian Ralph Hurtado is now 8-1 (4), the one loss coming to Zurita. Dave Castilloux, at 6-1 (2) also has a loss to Zurita as the only blemish on his record thus far. Still unbeaten is Norment Quarles at 6-0 (4), while Hirsch Demsitz (2-2, 1 KO) has struggled against TC opposition.

Retirements:
Six retirements from this division during the year:
Sid Terris (USA) 1922-34 27-17-4 (7) No Titles Highest Rank: 11
Joe Ryder (USA) 1919-34 26-27-9 (4) No Titles Highest Rank: 36
Al Winkler (USA) 1925-34 19-7-3 (5) No Titles Highest Rank: 51
Tommy O’Brien (USA) 1916-34 40-23-6 (17) USBA Champ Highest Rank: 3
Joe Salas (USA) 1924-34 19-22-1 (3) No Titles Highest Rank: 39
Luis Rayo (SPA) 1924-34 29-17-2 (14) No Titles Highest Rank: 25

Outlook: Another great year for Canzoneri, who turned aside the two challenges from Berg and, now that Petrolle is at Post, he seems head and shoulders above all likely challengers in the immediate future. Portney, Miller and Cool appear to be the hot properties on the list of contenders right now. Lou Ambers is likely to make the move from prospect to contender by 1936. Five Americans (Sammy Angott, Joey Fontana, Bernie Friedkin, Lew Jenkins and Luther White) and one Brit (Eric Boon) are poised to offer some fresh blood to the division in 1935.

[JCWeb]

1934 Title Bouts

WBA: Tod Morgan continued to reign as JLW Champion, defending once during the year, turning aside the challenge of Benny Bass (SD 15).

USBA: This belt has remained dormant and inactive following the retirement of Johnny Dundee in 1931.

JLW Division Stats

Total: 13 RL: 8 TC: 5

End: 1
Post: 3
Prime: 5
Pre: 0
Beginning: 0
New: 0

Rated: 8
800+: 1
500+: 3
200+: 7

Jan 1935 JLW Rankings (Perf Pts and Changes from 1934 in Parens):

Champion: Tod Morgan 43-11-1 (12) (1051) (NC)
1. Benny Bass 40-17-5 (14) (797) (NC)
2. Mike Ballerino 28-18-7 (7) (534) (+1)
3. Pete Nebo 22-11-1 (11) (435) (-1)
4. Leslie Wildcat Carter 23-11-2 (9) (385) (NC)
5. Jack Bernstein 32-27-4 (6) (267) (NC)
6. Miki Gelb 14-6-3 (5) (227) (+1)
7. Eddie Wagner 41-33-3 (18) (191) (-1)
Comments: Everyone listed at Prime, except for Gelb (at Post) and Bernstein and Wagner (both now at End career stage). Morgan went 2-2 during the year, defending his JLW title, then dabbling in the LW division with limited success: splitting a pair of UD verdicts with Al Singer, and dropping another UD to Wesley Ramey. Bass lost all three of his 1934 encounters, including the one title contest plus a pair of losses at the higher weight class, to Sammy Mandell (SD) and Eddie Cool (UD). Ballerino moved up with a win over Wagner, a draw with hot young LW prospect Aldo Spoldi, but lost to Frankie Klick. Nebo dropped a spot after losing four of his last five, the only bright spot being a SD over the lower rated Wildcat Carter. Carter took a UD 10 over Bernstein after having been winless since January of 1932. Bernstein was active, with four 1934 outings, but winless with three losses and one draw. Gelb took a split duke from LW Augie Pisano to move up past Wagner, who was winless with three losses and one draw on his 1934 resume.

Prospects: None currently active in his division.

Retirements:
One retirement (Sid Terris), who spent most of his career at LW but briefly held the WBA JLW Championship and thus is listed here:
Sid Terris (USA) 1922-34 27-17-4 (7) WBA Champ 1930 Highest Rank: 3

Outlook: Nothing but a bleak future for this moribund division; no newcomers on the horizon. None of the other guys look ready to step up, either in this division or any other. With no newcomers on the horizon, it’s only a question of time before the plug is pulled due to lack of credible fighters and lack of interest in this division.

[JCWeb]

1934 Title Bouts

WBA: Pete DeGrasse began 1934 with the belt, and successfully defended it twice, besting Freddie Miller (DQ 15) and Baby Arizmendi (UD 15). Then, Kid Chocolate successfully challenged for the title, dethroning DeGrasse (SD 15).

NABF: Two title defenses by titleholder Freddie Miller, who retained the belt, beating Kid Chocolate (SD 12), then holding his own versus ex-WBA Champ DeGrasse (D 12).

USBA: Two title bouts, and the this belt changed hands twice: Louis Kaplan dethroned Eddie Shea (TKO 9) in the latter’s first defense, then Tommy Paul downed Kaplan (UD 12).

CBU: Al Foreman began the year with this belt, but Dom Volante stopped Foreman (TKO 1) to claim the title, then defended it against Merv Blandon (TKO 7).

GBU: Foreman also held this title, losing it to Dave Crowley (TKO 12) after making his first defense in over two years.

EBU: Frenchman Maurice Holtzer began 1934 with the EBU title, but he lost in his first defense to Dom Volante (KO 6), and Volante goes into 1935 with this title.

OPBF: Merv “Darky” Blandon dethroned Johnny Hill (UD 12), so this title also changed hands during 1934.

FW Division Stats

Total: 125 RL: 81 TC: 44

End: 11
Post: 21
Prime: 26
Pre: 16
Beginning: 7
New: 4

Rated: 59 (including 1 TC)
800+: 13
500+: 34
200+: 54

Jan 1935 FW Rankings (Perf Pts and Changes from 1934 in Parens):

Champion: Kid Chocolate 27-4-5 (14) (1180) (+3)
1. Freddie Miller 26-4-1 (12) (1081) (+1) (NABF)
2. Pete DeGrasse 27-9-2 (6) (1035) (-2)
3. Tommy Paul 26-7-2 (6) (952) (+12) (USBA)
4. Andy Martin 35-14-3 (9) (950) (+15)
5. Baby Arizmendi 25-5-1 (10) (949) (-4)
6. Battling Battalino 29-9 (12) (946) (+3)
7. Dom Volante 31-13-2 (20) (923) (+3) (EBU, CBU)
8. Louis Kaplan 44-16-3 (11) (886) (-4)
9. Petey Sarron 27-11-4 (8) (885) (+2)
10. Jose Lombardo 36-16-5 (22) (836) (+8)

Others: 33. Merv Blandon 17-3 (13) (527) (+1) (OPBF)
35. Dave Crowley 20-11-1 (11) (492) (+4) (GBU)

Comments: Everyone listed at Prime except for Volante, who joins Kaplan and Lombardo at Post starting in 1935. Kid Chocolate had an active year, winning five of six and capturing the WBA title. His one 1934 loss was to Miller (for the NABF belt) after reeling off wins (all via UD) over Holtzer, Al Foreman and Kaplan; he then rebounded, using a UD 10 triumph over ex-Champ Battalino as a springboard to the WBA title. Miller had a win, a loss and a draw (all in title affairs) in his three outings during the year. DeGrasse also fought only in title bouts, going 2-1-1 for the season. Paul zoomed up the rankings with wins in all three of his 1934 appearances, starting with a SD over Filio Echevarria, then the big USBA title win, before wrapping up the year with a UD 10 over Volante. Martin had a busy year, winning four of six, moving up primarily as a result of a MD 10 win over Arizmendi, then the top contender. Arizmendi won only one of three bouts, his only win coming via a MD over Chalky Wright. Battlino won three of four, taking a SD over Martin and a pair of UD wins over Sarron and Frankie Covelli, but he has been inactive since the one loss to Chocolate in September. Volante, also 3-1, all three wins via stoppages in title bouts, but he lost a UD to Paul in his most recent outing. Kaplan won just two of five, the three losses coming in succession to Sarron, Chocolate and in a title bout (to Paul), but he ended the year with a MD over veteran Chick Suggs. Sarron went 3-1 in his 1934 campaign, recovering from an early season loss to Battalino with successive wins over Zwick, Kaplan and Crowley, all via UD, with the Kaplan win sufficient to move him into the top 10. Rounding out this year’s top 10 is Lombardo, who bounced back after three 1933 losses with two wins and a draw, the wins coming over Holtzer (SD) and Chafferdet (TKO). Top 10 dropouts include Holtzer, down six to #11, who was 1-3 for the year, dropping the EBU title, losing to Chocolate and Lombardo, with only a win over Martin (via a MTD 7) to show for his efforts; Chalky Wright, -7 to #15, who suffered two tough losses (both via MD) to Arizmendi and Armstrong; Babe Herman, -20 to #26, an ex-Champ who went 0-3 to extend his losing streak to seven in a row; Al Foreman, -25 to #32, who also went 0-3 for the year. Top newcomer to the rankings is the highly touted “Homicide Hank” Armstrong, now #14 at 17-1-1 (15), winner of his last four (TKOs over Everett Rightmire, Mike Dundee and Simon Chavez along with the MD over Wright) after being forced to accept a technical draw with fellow prospect Mike Belloise. Chavez checks in at 17-2 (3), at #25 in the rankings, winning four of six, including wins over Joey Sangor (UD 10) and Johnny Farr (TKO) but stumbling versus Armstrong and Knud Larsen (SD 10). Brit Jim Kelly, #27, has compiled a 16-2 (7) record, defeating Larsen (UD) and Eddie Shea (SD) but suffering a pair of UD losses to Mike Dundee and Sangor.

Prospects: Topping the list of prospects is Mike Belloise, who is now 13-0-1 (7), who topped off a series of TC wins with victories over ex-Champ Herman (TKO) and Wilbur Cohen (UD 10), and the technical draw with Armstrong is the one blemish in his record thus far. Brit Johnny Cusick has added a UD over Al Tripoli on top of his TC wins to end the year at 13-0 (8). Also remaining unbeaten but as yet untested beyond TC opposition are Joey Archibald, 11-0 (7); Bus Breese, 11-0 (4); Johnny McGrory, 10-0 (5); Moon Mullins, 10-0 (2); Al Spina, 9-0 (7); and Leo Rodak, 9-0 (5) – unlike other divisions, most of the recent FW contenders have been playing it safe and avoiding each other.

Retirements:
Four FWs hung up the gloves during the year:
Al Corbett (USA) 1920-34 29-22-3 (14) No Titles Highest Rank: 21
Mike Dundee (USA) 1917-34 43-22-3 (20) NABF, USBA Champ Highest Rank: 4
Joey Sangor (USA) 1921-34 31-19-4 (8) USBA Champ Highest Rank: 6
Edouard Mascart (FRA) 1922-34 26-20-3 (10) No Titles Highest Rank: 37

Outlook: Lots of turnover at the top of the division, with titles changing hands frequently. The Cuban “Bon Bon,” Kid Chocolate, is on top right now, but Miller, DeGrasse, Arizmendi and Battalino all remain viable contenders, now joined by Tommy Paul and Andy Martin who zoomed up the rankings in 1934. However, most of the experts are waiting for the emergence of Henry “Homicide Hank” Armstrong, who is now one bout away from Prime, and expected to have an immediate impact in 1935. Petey Sarron and Chalky Wright are also expected to move up the ranks, replacing the aging guys like Volante, Kaplan and Lombardo. Four newcomers to the division for 1935 include Harold Hoshino and Johnny Marcelino.

[JCWeb]

1934 Title Bouts

WBA: Kid Francis started the year with the title, but then lost it to Bushy Graham (MD 15). Johnny King successfully challenged Graham, capturing the title (UD 15). Then, King defended against Francis (UD 15) and Speedy Dado (MD 15).

NABF: Bobby Leitham, who has held this belt since 1931, made two more successful defenses, beating Sixto Escobar (TKO 11) and Panama Al Brown (DQ 9).

USBA: K. O. Morgan retained the belt, making three successful defenses, turning aside challenges from Eddie “Cannonball” Martin (UTD 6), Lew Farber (UD 12) and Bushy Graham (MD 12).

CBU: This title was vacated by King, who moved up to claim the WBA crown. Then, in the contest for the vacant belt, Benny Sharkey prevailed, taking the measure of ex-Champ Bobby Leitham (TKO 5).

GBU: No title defenses by Dick Corbett, who retained the belt for another year.

EBU: Also vacated by King, the new WBA Champ, this belt was awarded to GBU Champ Dick Corbett, who defeated Benny Sharkey (UD 12) for the vacant belt.

OPBF: Speedy Dado, who began the year with the belt, defended it once, beating Pablo Dano (UD 12).

BW Division Stats

Total: 91 RL: 54 TC: 37

End: 9
Post: 10
Prime: 21
Pre: 12
Beginning: 2
New: 2

Rated: 43
800+: 15
500+: 30
200+: 39

Jan 1935 BW Rankings (Perf Pts and Changes from 1934 in Parens):

Champion: Johnny King 34-3-1 (15) (1450) (+1)
1. Pablo Dano 28-4-4 (14) (1158) (+2)
2. Bobby Leitham 29-6-1 (12) (1103) (NC) (NABF)
3. Speedy Dado 25-11-2 (13) (1077) (+2) (OPBF)
4. Kid Francis 30-14-3 (17) (1022) (-4)
5. Pete Sanstol 28-7-2 (8) (960) (+2)
6. Bobby Green 35-16-6 (15) (956) (+5)
7. Archie Bell 34-11-5 (9) (949) (+1)
8. K. O. Morgan 21-3-3 (14) (947) (+8) (USBA)
9. Dick Corbett 28-9 (10) (941) (+4) (EBU, GBU)
10. Benny Sharkey 24-6-1 (16) (940) (+5) (CBU)

Comments: Everyone listed at Prime except for Leitham, Francis and Bell, all of whom are at Post. King took the title after taking a DQ 6 from Panama Al Brown, going 4-0 for the year. Dano’s only 1934 loss came in the title bout, taking UD 10 wins over Sanstol and Little Pancho but being held to a draw by Green. Leitham went 2-1 in 1934, all in title affairs. Dado survived from an early season KO loss to Panama Al Brown and split his two title bouts, thus going 1-2 for the year and making him quite fortunate to end up the year as the #1 contender as others faltered. Francis lost both his title efforts, but managed a win over Corbett (UD 10). Sanstol went 2-2 during his 1934 campaign, taking a pair of UD wins over Green and Huerta Evans, but stumbling in mid-year outings versus Dano and Sixto Escobar, losing both. Green had two wins, a draw and a loss in his 1934 outings, recovering from the loss to Sanstol with wins over Chris Pineda and Eddie Martin (both UDs). Bell only had one win in four bouts, moving up with a UD over Joey Scalfaro after struggling with Vic Foley (a draw and a MD loss). Morgan reeled off three straight wins, all in USBA title defenses. Corbett won his one title contest but dropped a pair of UDs to Francis and Young Tommy. Sharkey zoomed up the rankings by taking the CBU belt from Leitham, but fell back after the late year loss to Corbett; he also recorded wins over Little Pancho and Tony Marino. Bushy Graham, who held the WBA belt briefly, dropped two spots to #12 after his second title loss, for the USBA crown, leaving him at 1-2 for the year. Sixto Escobar fell eight spots to #14, despite wins over Sanstol (TKO) and Alf Pattenden (UD) after being a KO victim in a late season bout with Lew Farber. Vic Foley ended up at #15, down from #9 last year, by virtue of a UD loss to Huerta Evans. The year’s big loser, though, was ex-Champ Panama Al Brown, who suffered three straight DQ losses after KOing Pablo Dano early in the year and slid 14 spots, all the way to #19. Just missing the top 10 this year is Young Tommy, who has won his last eight, including five in 1934, to end the year at 23-3 (13) at #11 spot, his best win being a UD over Corbett. Lew Farber, now #13, also impressed, flooring Escobar and drawing with Bell. Korean Jo Teiken had a good sophomore season, moving up to #17 despite suffering his first career loss to Bud Taylor, then proceeding to reel off four more wins (including an impressive one-round KO of Howard Mayberry) to end the year at 20-1 (15). Top newcomers are Star Frisco, #26, at 16-1 (7) and Horace Gwynne, #27 who remains unbeaten at 15-0 (12). Frisco’s only loss was a TKO to Teiken, but he has recent wins over Lou Salica (TKO), Ollie Bartlett (UD) and John Yasui (MD). Gwynne has ventured past the relative comfort of TC competition just once thus far, posting a UD win over journeyman Dixie LaHood.

Prospects: Mexico’s Raul Casanova remains undefeated, running his record to 14-0 (12), adding a UD over Aurel Toma and a MD win versus Henry Hook to a dozen TC triumphs. Toma, whose only loss was to Casanova, checks in at 13-1 (9); the Rumanian includes a UD 10 over Baltazar Sangchili on his resume. Lou Salica is 12-1 (9), rebounding from the one career loss with a MD 10 win over Hook. Still feasting on TC opposition are Aussie Mickey Miller (11-0, 10 KO); Brit Tom Smith (10-0, 8 KO); and Cuban Humberto Espinosa (8-0, 4 KO). Georgie Pace (7-0, 7 KO), Joseph Decico (7-0, 3 KO) and Italian Gino Bondavalli (6-0, 2 KO) have also got their respective careers off to good starts.

Retirements:
Three retirements from the BW ranks in 1934:
Nipper Pat Daly (UK) 1922-34 27-19-4 (12) EBU, CBU, GBU Champ Highest Rank: 5
Pete Sarmiento (PHI) 1919-34 34-22-6 (21) WBA Champ 1925-26
Happy Atherton (USA) 1922-34 30-19-3 (19) No Titles Highest Rank: 14

Outlook: As with the FWs, a lot of volatility which makes the BW division tough to predict. Some good fighters still at Prime, including Panama Al Brown who had a rough year. With Leitham at Post, look for a new NABF Champion to emerge as well as some credible challengers to King’s reign as WBA Champion. Among the current crop of prospects, look for Lou Salica to emerge from the pack. Horace Mann and German Herman Reimschied are the two newcomers to the ranks in 1935.

[JCWeb]

1934 Title Bouts

WBA: Midget Wolgast, the WBA Champ since 1931, defended three times, turning aside challenges from Emile Pladner (MD 15). Johnny Vacca (TKO 11) and Fidel LaBarba (UD 15).

NABF: Frankie Genaro took this title from Newsboy Brown (SD 12) and defended it once, beating Emil Paluso (UD 12).

USBA: Fidel LaBarba made just one defense of this title during the year, downing Emil Paluso (SD 12).

CBU: This title had been held by Kid Socks since 1931. However, in 1934 Jackie Brown successfully challenged Socks (UD 12) to capture the belt.

GBU: Brown also retained this belt, defending once, against Benny Lynch (UTD 6).

EBU: Four title bouts as it was an active year for this belt. Emile Pladner took the belt from Kid Socks (UD 12) and defended it once, besting Harry Stein (TKO 12). Then, Istvan Enekes defeated Pladner (DQ 9) and solidified his claim to the title by winning a rematch over Pladner (UD 12).

OPBF: This title remained inactive through 1934.

FLY Division Stats

Total: 65 RL: 39 TC: 26

End: 4
Post: 8
Prime: 14
Pre: 8
Beginning: 5
New: 2

Rated: 28
800+: 5
500+: 14
200+: 25

Jan 1935 FLY Rankings (Perf Pts and Changes from 1934 in Parens):

Champion: Midget Wolgast 36-4-1 (17) (1345) (NC)
1. Jackie Brown 26-8-3 (9) (966) (+7) (CBU, GBU)
2. Fidel LaBarba 35-8-1 (9) (965) (-1) (USBA)
3. Frankie Genaro 43-15-4 (18) (849) (-1) (NABF)
4. Istvan Enekes 21-2-1 (9) (839) (+6) (EBU)
5. Young Perez 22-3-3 (10) (721) (+10)
6. Pinky Silverberg 34-23-7 (10) (645) (-3)
7. Ruby Bradley 26-12-6 (6) (691) (+4)
8. Harry Stein 30-11-3 (20) (686) (-4)
9. Johnny Vacca 29-9-4 (12) (677) (NC)
10. Emil Paluso 33-19-2 (8) (651) (-3)

Comments: LaBarba, Genaro, Stein and Paluso are at Post, Vacca is at End, and all the others are at Prime heading into 1935. Wolgast, who has not lost since January 1930, reeled off three wins in three more title defenses to remain WBA Champion for another year. Jackie Brown also went 3-0 during the year, winning a pair of title bouts then taking a UD over LaBarba to replace the latter in the #1 contender slot. LaBarba went 2-2 for the year, capturing the NABF title, beating Mickey McGuire (UD) but stumbling against the higher rated Wolgast and Brown. Genaro had the two title defenses but was held to draws by Bradley and Francisco Ortega. Enekes proved his mettle, winning all four of his 1934 encounters, two EBU title wins following early season success against Izzy Schwartz (a TKO victim) and Newsboy Brown (UD 10). Young Perez had a solid year, posting four wins and a draw to move into the top five; his victims included Small Montana (MD 10), Kid Socks (UD 10), Eugene Huat (UD 10) and Ortega (also UD) while the one draw was with Stein. Silverberg slipped a few spots after only managing to draw with lower rated guys like Anselm and Huat, plus he suffered a TKO loss to Vacca. Bradley had a good year, posting two wins and a draw, his most recent win coming via a UD over Schwartz after battling to an early season draw with Genaro. Stein was winless in 1934, with two draws (with Perez and Vacca) on top of the EBU title bout loss. Vacca surprised with a TKO win over Silverberg, but then dropped the WBA title clash and only managed to draw with Stein. Paluso went 1-2 for the year, his only win coming against the lower ranked Phil Tobias. Top 10 dropouts from last year – Izzy Schwartz (down 9 to #15) and Kid Socks (down 17 to #22) – each went 0-4 for the year, extending losing streaks to seven and five bouts, respectively. There are some good young fighters still stuck outside the top 10. Spaniard Fortunato Ortega moved up three spots to #13, defeating Small Montana (TKO) and Young Dencio (UD) but losing to Young Perez and Jimmy Gill (MD). Montana checks in at #15, after rebounding in his most recent outing with a MD 10 over Izzy Schwartz. Brit Benny Lynch recovered from a three-bout losing streak with four straight wins to end up the year at #19; his victims included Mickey McGuire (MD), Albert “Frenchy” Belanger (KO), Kid David (UD 10) and Valentin Anglemann (UD 10). The year’s top newcomer to the rankings list is Jimmy Gill, whose 14-1-1 (7) career start places him at #17; he took a MD from Ortega to go along with a plethora of TC wins; the two blemishes thus far are a loss to Newsboy Brown and a draw with Young Dencio.

Prospects: Most of the prospects have suffered at least one career loss. Joe Curran (now 12-2, 6 KO) had a pair of decisions (one UD and one SD) go against him versus Jimmy Warnock, whom he had defeated earlier. Kid David (11-3, 8 KO) took a MD from Tut Whalley but lost in a rematch, as well as losing to Benny Lynch. Jimmy Warnock (11-1, 8 KO) avenged the two prior losses to Curran. Tiny Bostock (11-1, 5 KO) battled back from a loss to Curran earlier in his career, taking a KO 10 over Whalley in his last bout. Austrian Ernst Weiss (10-0, 7 KO) managed to keep a clean slate against TC opposition. Also off to a good start is Yoichiro Hanada, who is now 7-0, with 3 KO wins. Rinty Monaghan and Peter Kane have also remained unbeaten in fewer bouts: Monaghan is now 2-0 (1), while Kane is 1-0 (1).

Retirements:
None.
Outlook: Wolgast is still firmly entrenched as the top Flyweight, but there has been some shuffling around in the positioning among the top contenders. Jackie Brown is now clearly the #1 contender, and EBU Champ Istvan Enekes has also risen to a challenging position in the top five as well. Looking further down the list, guys like Fortunato Ortega, Small Montana and Benny Lynch appear to have bright futures. Peter Kane looks to be the best of the young prospects, while Jackie Jurich and Brit Pat Palmer will be the new additions for 1935.

[JCWeb]

Having run through the division summaries, it's now time to move on to the ever-popular Pound-for-Pound ratings, using the Perf Point system to list the top 10 fighters in this year's Uni without regard to weight class.

1934 YEAR-END PFP RANKINGS (Perf Pts and Changes from 1933 in Parens):

1. Max Schmeling, HW (WBA Champ), 1920 (NC)
2. Tony Canzoneri, LW (WBA Champ), 1728 (+1)
3. Jimmy McLarnin, WW (WBA Champ), 1615 (+3)
4. Mickey Walker, MW (WBA Champ) and LH (USBA Champ), 1601 (NC)
5, Maxie Rosenbloom, LH (WBA Champ), 1473 (new)
6. Tiger Jack Fox, LH, 1472 (-1)
7. Tommy Loughran, HW (USBA Champ), 1455 (-5)
8. Johnny King, BW (WBA Champ), 1450 (new)
9. Tommy Farr, HW (EBU, GBU Champ), 1406 (new)
10. Freddie Steele, MW (NABF Champ), 1405 (new)

Dropped out from 1933 PFP List:
Jack Sharkey, HW (was #7)
Billy Petrolle, LW (was #8)
Tod Morgan, JLW (was #9)
George Manley, LH (was #10)

Comments: Schmeling tops the PFP list for the second year in a row, and is now approaching the magical 2000 Perf Pt level. Mickey Walker (his 12th year on the list) and Tommy Loughran (9th year on the list) are the senior members. Canzoneri, in his third year on the list, moves up to #2, behind Schmeling, who is also listed for the third time. Six of the top 10 and all of the top five are, for the first time, WBA Champions from different divisions, indicating that there is some growth in the Perf Pt status of different divisions. (Mickey Walker is the only fighter on the list who will be past his prime in 1935.)

YEAR-END AWARDS:

FIGHTER OF THE YEAR: Tony Canzoneri (LW)
FIGHT OF THE YEAR: Loughran - Walcott (USBA HW, Sept. 28, 1934)
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Henry Armstrong (FW)

Comments: Added Newcomer of the Year and may be adding others in the future (requiring more close monitoring), such as Round of the Year and Upset of the Year.

Canzoneri noses out Schmeling and several other WBA Champs (McLarnin, Wolgast and King) by virtue of this solid performances in taking on all comers in a relatively tough division, including a pair of recent wins over Jack Kid Berg, a JWW WBA Champion who moved down in weight class to make the challenge. Schmeling's dominance of the HW ranks, along with McLarnin's exciting win over Barney Ross, made them solid runners-up.

Fight of Year, see the following excerpt from post #1016 above:

"In the main event, USBA HW Champion Jersey Joe Walcott faces a determined foe in long-time LH Champ Tommy Loughran, who is still hoping to make his mark in the HW division. Walcott, eager to retain his title and keep his unbeaten record going, moves inside in round three but Loughran, holding his own on the outside, manages to land effectively. Then, in round five, Walcott finds his way through Loughran’s defenses and puts the challenger on the deck with a big shot. Loughran, a bit groggy, arises at the count of seven and covers up to last the round. Loughran, who appears to be tiring in the later rounds, is forced to take on the mantle of the aggressor. He manages to keep the score close and, in the final round, Walcott falls victim to a Loughran cross. The final round KD is just enough to earn Loughran a MD 12 (114-112, 113-113, 114-112) to hand him the USBA HW title and, for Walcott, his first career loss. Post-fight career records: Loughran, 53-6-4 (18); Walcott, 21-1 (19). Dramatic finish to an exciting bout that is a fight-of-the-year candidate."

The fact that the result was sealed with a final round knockdown. plus two big names squaring off, gave this one the nod over a very close WW WBA title encounter between two other all-time greats, Jimmy McLarnin and Barney Ross.

Newcomer of the year was an easier choice, going to be FW Henry "Homicide Hank" Armstrong, who is still at pre-Prime (for one more bout) but already in the top 20 and likely to challenge for a title belt in the not-so-distant future.

[JCWeb]

And, to bring everything up to date, here's the list of Champions as of January 1935. (Date of winning title and number of successful defenses to date in Parens).

HW

WBA: Max Schmeling (Jul. 1932) (8)
NABF: Elmer Ray (Jan. 1934) (1)
USBA: Tommy Loughran (Sep. 1934) (0)
CBU: Don McCorkindale (May 1934) (0)
GBU: Tommy Farr (Jan. 1931) (1)
EBU: Tommy Farr (Aug. 1934) (0)
OPBF: Tom Heeney (Jun. 1932) (1)

LH

WBA: Maxie Rosenbloom (Dec. 1934) (0)
NABF: John Henry Lewis (Jul. 1934) (1)
USBA: Mickey Walker (Jul. 1934) (0)
CBU: Jack Delaney (Oct. 1933) (1)
GBU: Len Harvey (Jun. 1934) (0)
EBU: Len Harvey (Sep. 1933) (2)

MW

WBA: Mickey Walker (Apr. 1925) (26)
NABF: Freddie Steele (Jan. 1932) (9)
USBA: Vince Dundee (Jun. 1933) (2)
CBU: Frank Battaglia (Oct. 1934) (0)
GBU: Jock McAvoy (Oct. 1930) (6)
EBU: Edouard Tenet (Oct. 1934) (0)
OPBF: Ambrose Palmer (Jun. 1934) (1)

WW

WBA: Jimmy McLarnin (May 1934) (1)
NABF: Seargant Sammy Baker (Aug. 1934) (0)
USBA: Barney Ross (Oct. 1934) (0)
CBU: Jack Hood (Sep. 1932) (1)
GBU: Jack Hood (Jun. 1930) (1)
EBU: Cleto Locatelli (Jun. 1930) (6)
OPBF: Lope Tenorio (Jan. 1934) (1)

JWW

WBA: Jack Kid Berg (Jan. 1928) (11)
USBA: Johnny Jadick (Mar. 1933) (1)

LW

WBA: Tony Canzoneri (Mar. 1932) (10)
NABF: Jack Portney (Sep. 1934) (0)
USBA: Eddie Cool (Dec. 1934) (0)
CBU: Billy Townsend (Jun. 1934) (0)
GBU: Harry Mason (Apr. 1929) (5)
EBU: Harry Mason (Apr. 1932) (1)

JLW

WBA: Tod Morgan (Jul. 1931)(4)
USBA: Inactive

FW

WBA: Kid Chocolate (Oct. 1934) (0)
NABF: Freddie Miller (Oct. 1933) (2)
USBA: Tommy Paul (Aug. 1934) (0)
CBU: Dom Volante (May 1934) (1)
GBU: Dave Crowley (Oct. 1934) (0)
EBU: Dom Volante (Mar. 1934) (0)
OPBF: Merv Blandon (Mar. 1934) (0)

BW

WBA: Johnny King (Jun. 1934) (2)
NABF: Bobby Leitham (Jun. 1931) (6)
USBA: K. O. Morgan (Mar. 1933) (3)
CBU: Benny Sharkey (Oct. 1934) (0)
GBU: Dick Corbett (Dec. 1933) (0)
EBU: Dick Corbett (Dec. 1934) (0)
OPBF: Speedy Dado (May 1932) (3)

FLY

WBA: Midget Wolgast (May 1931) (12)
NABF: Frankie Genaro (Dec. 1934) (1)
USBA: Fidel LaBarba (Sep. 1932) (4)
CBU: Jackie Brown (Sep. 1934) (0)
GBU: Jackie Brown (Jun. 1932) (1)
EBU: Istvan Enekes (Sep. 1934) (1)
OPBF: Inactive

Comments: Once again, Mickey Walker tops the list in terms of longevity, with JWW kingpin Jack Kid Berg being the only remaining Champ from the decade of the 1920s still holding the WBA title. As in recent years, alot of turnover with over half the belts (33 of 56) changing hands.

[JCWeb]

Jan. 2, 1935: The formation of a new boxing Federation, due to hold its first sanctioned bouts later this month, was announced: The LABF, or Latin American Boxing Federation, was announced to provide all fighters in the Western Hemisphere not eligible for either a USBA or Commonwealth title belt (i.e. mainly USA and Canada) an opportunity to compete for the LABF title. Headquarters of the new organization is Panama City, Panama. Sanctioned bouts would take place in Panama City, Havana, Mexico City and an as yet to be determined location in South America.

JCWeb, the WBA Commissioner, is quoted as fully in support of the concept, saying it "gives fighters from this area of the world another belt to compete for as a stepping stone to a possible WBA title contest."

Initial title bout(s) for the vacant LABF belt are expected to take place in Panama City, before the end of January 1935.

[JCWeb]

On to 1935 ,,,
This is a summary of ring action from the first half of January 1935, covering a total of 58 bouts. One WBA title bout and a couple of regional title contests are on the agenda.

Jan. 4, 1935: Friday night fights opens in Buffalo with a nice card, but no title bouts on offer. The undercard sees young LH Billy Conn notch his second career win, via a fourth round TKO (the bout was stopped just five seconds before the final bell) to run Conn’s career mark to a perfect 2-0 (2). The main event matches two top five BWs, with Pablo Dano facing Pete Sanstol in a rematch of a 1934 encounter in Manila that went to Dano via a UD 10. This time around, Sanstol – eager to reverse the earlier result – looks solid in the early going and builds a nice edge in the punches landed stats. Later in the bout, Dano suffers a cut over his right eye, then – in the final round – a cut under the same eye, and finally both cuts are bleeding, resulting in an early stoppage. TKO 10 to Sanstol on the cuts stoppage. The win moves Sanstol to 29-7-2 (9) while the loss leaves Dano at 28-5-4 (14). Sanstol was ahead on two of the three scorecards at the time of the stoppage.

Jan. 5, 1935: Back to Europe for the next card, at the Amor Bahn in Munich, Germany. Again, no title bouts and just one bout of interest, which is the main event as top MW contender and NABF titleholder Freddie Steele faces hometown fan favorite and ex-EBU MW Champ Hein Domgorgen. Steele appears to have the upper hand, and in the fourth round he nails the German with a crushing hook that forces Domgorgen, who is hurt, to cover up in order to survive. Steele goes on to dominate rounds four and five, landing a big uppercut to keep Domgorgen on the defensive. Then, in round six, Steele gets careless, and is called for flagrant rabbit punching. The ref, German Waldemar Schmidt, takes the drastic step of DQ’ing Steele and awarding the bout to Domgorgen, despite howls of protest from Steele’s corner. Post-fight career marks are 37-11-4 (19) for Domgorgen; 33-5 (26) for Steele.

Jan. 5, 1935: Venue for the next fight action is the Miami Stadium. It’s a relatively light card, but the feature is for the NABF HW title currently held by Elmer Ray. In his second defense, Ray faces Lee Ramage, who suffered a first-round TKO loss to Ray in a prior encounter back in 1933. It is a classic boxer versus slugger confrontation, with Ray playing the part of the slugger while Ramage is the boxing specialist. In rounds two and three, Ray lands a few isolated shots, testing the chin of his opponent. In round five, a big hook from Ray finds its target and causes the challenger to cover up. In round six, Ray is even more aggressive, and he manages to drop Ramage with a combination. This time, Ramage takes an eight count and manages to survive the round, once again covering up. Ramage, instead of battling back, retreats into a shell, just hoping to survive. Ray finally catches up with him in the 10^th round when he connects with a big uppercut that puts the challenger down and out. KO 10 for Ray, who retains the belt. Post-fight career marks: Ray, 29-6 (17); Ramage, 23-3 (9). There’s still time for Ramage to make his mark in the HW division, but right now he seems to be outclassed by the top contenders.

Jan. 11, 1935: Another Friday card, this time at Los Angeles. No titles at stake, just a good solid card headed by a BW matchup that pits USBA Champ K. O. Morgan against an up-and-coming fighter from the Far East, the 20-1 Korean Jo Teiken. Morgan gradually pulls ahead to build a comfortable points lead by the midway point of the bout. During the later rounds, Teiken steps up the pace, but to no avail. Morgan goes on to a fairly easy UD 10 win (98-91, 99-90, 99-90) that moves his career totals to an impressive 22-3-3 (14). Teiken ends the bout at 20-2 (15).

Jan. 12, 1935: Next up is an abbreviated card at Manila’s Rizal Arena, topped by an OPBF title contest, but first up in the co-feature is OPBF WW Champ Irineo Flores, who welcomes reigning Commonwealth and GBU titleholder Jack Hood. The two have met twice before, with Flores coming out ahead, one win and one draw. This time, Flores forges an early lead while Hood is forced to deal with a rapidly swelling left eye. Not much changes in the latter stages of the bout, so Flores goes on to take a UD 10 by a solid margin (98-92, 96-94, 97-94). Post-fight, Flores improves to 42-15-2 (20) while Hood returns to England with a 26-12-7 (9) career mark. Then, in the main event, the OPBF Flyweight title – a belt that has been long dormant since the retirement of Pancho Villa – is reinstituted as Small Montana is matched with a fellow Filipino, Young Dencio, for the vacant belt. Dencio held this title once before, briefly, in 1926. First blood to Dencio – literally, when a cut is opened over Montana’s left eye in round four. Dencio works hard to keep the bout close, but things begin to slip away from the veteran when, in the fifth round, he begins to feel the effects of a rapidly swollen left eye. Montana goes on to gradually wear down his older opponent and, although one judge saw it even, Montana takes the vacant title via a MD 12 (118-110, 114-114, 117-110). Post-bout career totals: 17-4-1 (6) for Montana; 34-25-3 (15) for Dencio.

Jan. 12, 1935: Next up is the first WBA title bout of the year, headlining a nice card at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. In the main support, top 10 LH contender Young Firpo takes on ex-Champ and current Commonwealth titleholder Jack “Bright Eyes” Delaney. Delaney prevailed via TKO in their one prior meeting, in April 1934. The action starts in round two when Firpo drills Delaney with an overhand right, dropping the Canadian for a three-count. Then, in round four, the pendulum swings in Delaney’s favor after Firpo suffers a cut over his right eye. Delaney becomes more aggressive, targeting the cut while Firpo maintains a lead in the punch count stats. The cut is reopened in round seven. By this time, Delaney – suffering from the effects of a rapidly swelling right eye, is beginning to tire. Then, in round nine, the cut is re-opened once again, and and this time the ref steps in to call a halt. Despite a strenuous protest from Firpo’s corner, Delaney is awarded a TKO 9 due to the cuts stoppage. Firpo was ahead on all three cards at the time of the stoppage, so Delaney is fortunate to walk away with the win to run his career totals to 46-12-3 (30) overall; the loss leaves Firpo at 26-12-3 (16). Then, in the main event, popular WW Champ Jimmy “Baby Face” McLarnin defends his WBA belt against the EBU Champion, Cleto Locatelli. McLarnin, who has lost just once in the last five years, is now in his third stint as WBA WW titleholder. He has two prior wins over Locatelli, both in 1932, during a prior title reign. This time, there is little in the way of action until round five, when McLarnin rips open a cut over Locatelli’s left eye; McLarnin then targets the cut while the Swiss relies on his cut man, Frank “Doc” Bagley, to staunch the flow of blood. As the bout wears on, Locatelli settles in but then the cut becomes a factor once McLarnin decides to up the temp as the bout heads into the later rounds. The cut is reopened in round 10 and still oozing blood a round later. Finally, the end comes in the 13^th, with a cuts stoppage and, surprisingly, there is little resistance from Locatelli’s corner. TKO 13 for McLarnin, who retains the title. Post-fight career totals: McLarnin, 42-5-1 (22); Locatelli, 30-10-1 (11). A peek at the scorecards showed it was a close fight, with two judges having it even but a third had the Swiss challenger actually ahead by two points.

[JCWeb]

This is a summary of ring action from the second half of January 1935, covering a total of 62 bouts. Two regional title bouts -- including the first ever Latin American Boxing Federation ("LABF") title clash -- and a bunch of non-title bouts headline the cards.

Jan. 18, 1935: Friday night fights “Down Under” in a familiar venue, in Melbourne, Australia. The feature matches two regional FW Champions in a non-title contest, as Aussie Merv “Darky” Blandon, the OPBF titleholder, faces his GBU counterpart, Dave Crowley. For Blandon, it is first bout at Prime career stage. Blandon moves inside in round three, but he is stymied by some solid defense from Crowley. It turns out to be an off-night for Blandon, who cannot find the range with most of his punches. However, he does manage to inflict enough damage to cause some minor swelling under the left eye of Crowley by the end of the seventh round. The bout goes the distance, and Crowley walks away with a MD 10 (97-94, 96-96, 98-93) to run his career stats to 21-11-1 (11) while the loss leaves Blandon at 17-4 (13).

Jan. 19, 1935: Next card is back in Europe at the Sports Palace in Rome, Italy. On the undercard, hot MW prospect Marcel Cerdan runs his record to 4-0 (3), flattening an Italian TC in two rounds (KO 2). Then, in the main event, two top 10 HWs battle as ex-Champ Young Stribling, now on the downside of his career, faces the current Commonwealth Champ, Don McCorkindale, in a non-title affair. Halfway through the opening round, Stribling connects with a big hook that lands flush, forcing McCorkindale to cover up. The South African quickly regroups, and in round two, he nails Stribling with a hook of his own that puts the American ex-Champ down and out. KO 2 for McCorkindale. Post-fight career marks are 27-6-1 (16) for McCorkindale; 48-9-2 (24) for Stribling.

Jan. 19, 1935: Next card is back in the States at New Orleans. It’s a fairly packed card, and hot young MW prospect Tony Zale, the “man of Steel,” is active on the undercard, facing a Cuban TC in a scheduled eight-rounder. Zale takes a few rounds to break down his opponent, scoring his first KD with an uppercut midway through the third round, then following up with a nice combination for knockdown #2 a round later. After a few more unanswered blows, the ref steps in to call a halt. TKO 4 for Zale, running his record to 8-0 (7). Then, in the main event, ex-WBA HW Champ Jack Sharkey is paired with a likely future Champ, Jersey Joe Walcott, with Walcott looking to move up the rankings at the expense of Sharkey, who had lost four of his last five outings. The action picks up in round three, with Walcott moving inside, nailing Sharkey with a big cross that forces the ex-Champ to cover up. Walcott surges to an early points edge as the bout nears the halfway point. Sharkey manages to keep the bout close, landing enough shots to cause Walcott’s left eye to puff up by the end of the seventh round. Sharkey presses forward, looking to land a big shot. In round eight, he manages to open a cut over Walcott’s right eye. It is too little, too land, as in the end Walcott goes on to a take a fairly lopsided UD 10 (98-91, 97-92, 97-92). Post-fight career marks: Walcott, 23-1 (19); Sharkey, 31-12 (19). With the win, Walcott re-establishes his credentials as a top HW contender.

Jan. 25, 1935: Big Friday night card at Panama City’s Olympia Stadium, which marks the first officially sanctioned Latin American (“LABF”) title fight. The new organization brings together some top Latin boxing talent, especially in the FW division, with ex-Champ Jose Lombardo (from Panama) squaring off with Venezuelan Enrique Chafferdet in a 12-rounder for the newly-created LABF title. The two met in 1934 in Melbourne, with Lombardo (who is now at Post-Prime) taking a TKO win. After a close first two rounds, some heavy leather is exchanged with Lombardo forcing the action on the inside in round three. A Chafferdet uppercut opens a cut under the Panamanian’s right eye, while Chafferdet, on the receiving end of multiple blows from Lombardo, develops some signs of swelling under his left eye. Chafferdet follows up with a huge round four. In toe-to-toe action in round five, Lombardo regains the edge when he nails Chafferdet with a big uppercut. In the middle rounds, Chafferdet settles in and begins to wear down the aging veteran, Lombardo. Starting in round nine, Lombardo begins to tire badly. Chafferdet rips open a second cut, this one over the left eye of the ex-Champ. The bout goes the distance with neither man being knocked down. The UD 12 and the first LABF title goes to Chafferdet (115-114, 117-112, 118-111). Chafferdet moves to 28-9-6 (9) with the win. Lombardo ends the bout at 36-17-5 (22).

Jan. 26, 1935: Back to the UK for a solid card at the venerable Harringay Arena in London. No titles on the line, but the main event matches two reigning MW titleholders, USBA Champ Vince Dundee and GBU Champ Jock McAvoy. Dundee, who holds a prior SD 10 win over McAvoy back in 1932, enters the bout as a slight favorite. McAvoy takes on the role of aggressor from the early rounds of the fight. However, he leaves himself open and, as early as round three, he begins to show telltale signs of swelling under his left eye as Dundee is repeatedly finding the range with his blows. Then, in round six, a cut is opened on Dundee’s nose, and McAvoy tries to take advantage by targeting the cut. However, some good corner work by his cut man enables Dundee to survive and take a UD 10 by a solid margin (98-92 on all three cards). Post-fight, Dundee improves to 35-8-4 (15) while McAvoy ends up the bout at 24-7-4 (17).

Jan. 26, 1935: Final card of the month is a good one, at New York’s Madison Square Garden. First, on the undercard in an eight-rounder is the hot unbeaten HW prospect Joe Louis, and the “Brown Bomber” makes quick work of his TC opponent, dropping him once in the first and again in the second en route to an easy TKO 2 win; Louis is now a perfect 6-0 (6) and will be back in action soon. In the main support, Mickey Walker, now the top LH contender, faces ex-EBU LH Champion Gustave Roth in a 10-round, non-title affair. It is the first bout at Post-Prime for the “Toy Bulldog,” who has added the USBA LH title to his WBA MW crown. In this bout, Walker seems a step slower as he has difficulty breaking down the excellent defense from Roth. The Belgian is able to get in a few shots of his own, and by round three there is noticeable swelling under the left eye of Walker as a result. Walker remains the aggressor through most of the rest of the bout, but he seems doomed to fail with both the effects of aging and the higher weight class penalty working against him. Roth goes on to take a fairly routine UD 10 (99-91, 98-93, 97-94) to the dismay of the crowd, who had expected a better performance from Walker. Post-fight career marks are 31-6-2 (12) for Roth, and 54-5-1 (40) for Walker. The defeat is likely to cause Walker to rethink his decision to abandon the MW title belt, as wins over top echelon LHs seem very hard to come by at this stage in his career. The crowd then settles in for the main event, which is for the NABF LW title held by Jack Portney. In his first defense, Portney faces newly-crowned USBA LW Champ, Eddie Cool, “the Pride of Taxony.’ It is the first meeting of the two. Not much happens until round four, when Cool sustains a cut over the right eye. Initially, the cut does not appear to be that severe, but it continues to ooze blood for several rounds. By round 10, the cut is patched up and appears to be under control. However, the cut is soon reopened and the ref calls an immediate halt. TKO 10 for Portney on the cuts stoppage. Post-fight records: Portney, 29-6-2 (16); Cool, 25-5-3 (9).

[JCWeb]

This is a summary of ring action from the first half of February 1935, covering a total of 61 bouts.

Feb. 1, 1935: The month starts off with a big Friday night card at the Forum in Montreal. The feature bouts are a NABF title clash preceded by a HW non-title contest. The two HWs doing battle are two sluggers – King Levinsky and the Argentine, Juan Domingo Carattoli. Trouble for Carattoli in the third round when he sustains a cut under his right eye. The cut is quickly patched up, but it reopens in round four and becomes a constant worry throughout the remainder of the bout. In round seven, a straight right from Levinsky finds its mark, stunning Carattoli. A second cut is opened over the left eye of the Argentine. Finally, midway through round eight, with Carattoli’s eyes becoming a bloody mess, the ref calls a halt. TKO 8 for Levinsky, who was well ahead on points anyway. Post-bout career records: Levinsky, 23-6-1 (12); Carattoli, 22-8-1 (10). Levinsky solidifies his position among the top 20 HWs with this win. In the main event, long-time NABF BW Champ Bobby Leitham, aka as “the Verdun Flash,” faces challenger Bobby Green. Leitham, who has held the NABF belt since 1931, has two prior wins, the most recent in a 1932 title defense. However, he has since hit Post-Prime career stage and Green is hoping to reverse the earlier setbacks, while Leitham hopes to be buoyed by the support of his hometown crowd as well as the experience of many title fights. The action is slow to develop and the bout is a close one. By round seven, Leitham has developed some swelling under his left eye as a result of Green’s blows that have found their target. Leitham tires badly in the later rounds but gamely tries to hang on to his belt. In the end, it is not enough, as Green takes a narrow SD 12 (111-117, 116-113, 115-114), taking the final two rounds on two of the three cards to secure the win and the title belt. Green moves to 36-16-6 (15) with the win, while the loss leaves Leitham at 29-7-1 (12).

Feb. 2, 1935: Next up is an abbreviated card at the Amor Bahn in Munich. Just one bout of note, and it is for the EBU LH title with veteran Len Harvey defending against the young German, Adolf Heuser. Heuser, much lower ranked, comes into the bout as a big underdog despite the backing of the German crowd. Harvey silences all but the most ardent pro-Heuser fans when he stuns the German with a big hook in the opening round, following up with a second round KD when he connects with a big cross. Harvey then settles into a less aggressive posture, dominating the bout the rest of the way before finishing matters with a huge shot in the 11^th. Exhausted, Heuser is unable to beat the count. KO 11 for Harvey. Post-fight career marks are 45-11-2 (19) for Harvey; 22-6-1 (11) for Heuser.

Feb. 2, 1935: Next card is back in the States at Miami. No titles at the stake, but the headliner has WBA JLW Champion Tod Morgan stepping up to LW to take on a top contender and ex-Champ, the “Fargo Express,” Billy Petrolle. Should be a good test of Morgan’s ability to handle the higher weight class, and the fact that Petrolle is now at Post career stage should give him an extra incentive. In the bout, Morgan is able to build an early lead as Petrolle appears old and slow compared to his earlier years when he held the WBA LW belt and was a serious title contender – those days appear to be long past. Petrolle tires badly in the later rounds, plus he develops some swelling around his left eye as Morgan is able to land at will. The bout goes the distance with Morgan taking a UD 10 (97-94, 99-91, 95-94). Post-fight career marks: Morgan, 44-11-1 (12); Petrolle, 42-8-4 (21). Not a good result for Petrolle, but Morgan is encouraged enough to perhaps consider making a permanent move up to LW, which could signal the death-knell of the very thin JLW division.

Feb. 8, 1935: Next is a rare Friday night card at the Stadium in Liverpool. Co-features on the menu, topped by a Commonwealth title fight. In the co-feature, British HW hopeful Jack Peterson, off to an excellent 20-2 career start, takes on Swede Harry Persson, a long-time fringe contender who is now at Post-Prime career stage. Backed by the hometown crowd, Peterson puts in a solid effort and is well ahead on points by the midway point of the bout. In round nine, though, he gets careless and topples to deck from a straight right thrown by Persson. Peterson recovers quickly, bouncing up at the count of four, and is able to put Persson on the deck in the 10^th and final round, to secure a UD 10 victory (97-92, 98-92, 96-93). Then, two MWs do battle for the Commonwealth MW title. Canadian Frank Battaglia is defending the belt against challenger and ex-Champ, veteran British fighter Len Johnson. It is the first meeting of the two. The bout remains close in the early going, but then in round seven Johnson suffers a cut over his left eye. Battaglia takes advantage, pulling ahead and putting Johnson on the deck in the 10^th with a barrage of punches. Johnson is able to continue, but he is unable to mount a late rally so Battaglia retains the belt via a UD 12 (116-113 on all cards). Battaglia moves to 24-4-1 (13) with the win. Johnson ends the bout at 30-19-3 (17).

Feb. 9, 1935: Next card is in the Far East at Manila’s Rizal Arena. The OPBF BW title is on the line, and two Filipinos face each other with Speedy Dado defending while Young Tommy is the challenger. Dado holds a slight points edge through the first half of the bout. Tommy remains determined and, helped by some superior stamina, he rallies in the later rounds. The challenger connects with a big hook in round 10, forcing Dado to cover up – big round for Young Tommy. Then, in the 11^th round, a combination from Tommy puts the Champ on the deck. Dado recovers, but he returns to his corner nursing a cut over his right eye. In the final round, Dado connects with a hook and puts Tommy on the canvas. The challenger arises, then the final bell and a long wait as the judges’ cards are tallied. The final result is a close but UD 12 for Young Tommy (114-112 on all three cards). Tommy improves to 24-3 (13) and captures the belt. Dado slips to 25-12-2 (13) with the loss. Good early candidate for “Fight of the Year.”

Feb. 9, 1935: Back to the States for more fistic action at the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix. Good card that is topped by a USBA title bout. In the feature, USBA FW Champ Tommy Paul is making his first defense, facing a familiar foe – challenger Petey Sarron. The two met twice, both in 1931, with Paul taking a UD 10 win after the two battled to a draw in their initial encounter. Turns out to be a bruising battle between these two boxers – Paul suffers a split lip, while Sarron battles a swollen left eye. The bout is a close one, and the title hangs in the balance into the final rounds. Paul stages a late rally that falls just a bit short as Sarron lifts the belt via a razor-thin SD 12 (114-113, 113-114, 114-113). Post-fight records: Sarron, 28-11-4 (8); Paul, 26-8-2 (6). It’s the fifth time that this particular title has changed hands in as many bouts.

[JCWeb]

This is a summary of ring action from the second half of February 1935, covering a total of 59 bouts. There are two WBA title contests among the key bouts covered in this report.

Feb. 15, 1935: Friday night fights head to Havana, Cuba, where the second sanctioned LABF (Latin American Boxing Federation) card will take place at the Gran Stadium. The first-ever LW LABF title clash headlines the card, but first up is a main support featuring two HWs: the “Ambling Alp,’ Primo Carnera, and Chilean Arturo Godoy. Not much happens as the two sluggers start cautiously through the first two rounds. Then, in round three, Godoy drops Carnera with a barrage of blows; the Italian takes an eight count before arising. A second KD follows a round later, and by round five Carnera is showing the effects, with some noticeable swelling under his right eye. Godoy eases up noticeably in the later rounds, as a tired-looking Carnera is unable to mount a rally. UD 10 for Godoy (98-90, 98-90, 99-89) as Carnera is clearly not in position to move up the HW ranks. Post-fight career records: Godoy, 18-4 (9); Carnera, 20-6-1 (16). Then, in the LABF title contest, veteran LW Luis Vicentini faces hometown fan favorite Emory Cabana for the new belt. Vicentini holds a prior win by KO over Cabana, but that was back in 1930 and things have changed: Cabana has more experience, and Vicentini is on the downside of his career path, but still hoping to hold his first title belt. (Cabana has briefly held the NABF belt within the past year.) Cabana looks sharp early, and takes on the role of the aggressor in the first half of the bout. Vicentini recovers from a poor start and the bout is more of an even contest through the middle rounds. Cabana shows the effects, as his right eye begins to swell. However, in the end, the hometown crowd has something to cheer about as Cabana holds on to take a UD 12 (118-110, 117-111, 115-113) and the LABF title belt. The Cuban moves to 34-16-4 (12) with the win; Vicentini, who will be at End career stage from now on, ends the bout at 36-15-3 (13).

Feb. 16, 1935: Next card is back in Europe at the Palais des Sports in Cannes, France. A hot new MW prospect, Marcel Cerdan, is on the undercard, and he makes short work of an American TC with a TKO 2 win to up his career stats to 5-0 (4). Cerdan moves from Beginner to Pre-Prime with his next outing. The main event also features two MWs, with Eduoard Tenet making his first defense of the EBU MW title in a rematch with the former Champion, Hein Domgorgen. The two split two prior bouts, but now Tenet is coming off a loss in his last bout and is seeking to regain his status in the rankings at the expense of Domgorgen, who zoomed back up the rankings list with a win over Freddie Steele in his last outing. Late in the opening stanza, it is Domgorgen who starts the action with a flash knockdown of the Frenchman as a result of a well-timed cross. Tenet recovers and battles back to hold a slight points lead through the first six rounds of the bout. The bout remains close into the later rounds, with neither man really stepping up to seize the initiative. In the end, it is the German, Domgorgen, who regains the title by the a surprisingly wide margin via a UD 12 (118-109, 117-111, 118-110) – punch stats and ringside observers saw a much closer bout. Post-fight career marks are 38-14-1 (19) for Domgorgen; 31-14-5 (7) for Tenet. Domgorgen, now 37, appears to be at a career peek, winning back the EBU belt and establishing his position as the #1 contender for the WBA MW crown.

Feb. 16, 1935: Philadelphia is the scene for the next fight card. Two HW bouts headline the card, with Max Schmeling defending the WBA title preceded by an intriguing supporting bout with the “Cinderella Man,” Jimmy Braddock, facing ex-Champ Tuffy Griffith. Griffith assumes the role of the aggressor in the early rounds, while Braddock is content to patiently bide his time, working mainly on the outside. Eventually, the effects of aging begin to show, and Griffith tires badly as the bout enters the later rounds. Solid defense and counterpunching are sufficient for Braddock to register a solid UD 10 win (98-93, 100-91, 98-92). Four wins in his last five mean “the Cinderella Man” has his career back on track, moving to 27-11-2 (6) overall after a quality win over a former (albeit aging) ex-Champ. Griffith is now 28-12-1 (17). The main event is another clash of Champions as Max Schmeling defends once again against long-time LH Champ Tommy Loughran, this time in Loughran’s hometown. The earlier encounter, back in 1933, ended in a TKO win for Schmeling. This time, Loughran – now the USBA HW Champion – has a year’s worth of experience dealing with the heavier weight class. Tommy gets off to a good start, outboxing the German in the opening round. Schmeling moves inside in round three, and he begins to take the fight to the defensive-minded Loughran. He connects with a nice combination and Loughran tumbles to the canvas, arising after taking an eight-count. A couple of rounds later, Schmeling connects with a cross and Loughran is forced to cover up for a second time. At this point, there is noticeable swelling under the left eye of the challenger. Schmeling dishes out some more punishment in round six, but Loughran begins to turn things around and, by the middle rounds, Schmeling’s left eye is also showing signs of puffiness. Loughran goes on to take rounds eight and nine, closing the gap on the unofficial scorecards heading into the later rounds. Then, in round 12, Schmeling steps up the attack, landing repeatedly although Loughran remains upright. Early in round 13 Schmeling lands a big shot to score his second KD of the fight. A game Loughran battles on, but early in round 14 Schmeling dishes out even more punishment, and finally the ref has seen enough. TKO 14 for Schmeling; it is Max’s ninth successive title defense. Post-fight career marks: Schmeling, 38-3 (28); Loughran, 53-7-4 (18). Another fight-of-the-year candidate although it was fairly lopsided for the last three rounds leading up to the late stoppage.

Feb. 22, 1935: Friday night fight card at Detroit’s Briggs Stadium, and the fans are treated to the burgeoning talent of young Joe Louis, who makes his 7^th career start on the undercard. The hot young HW prospect makes quick work of another TC opponent, whom he backs up quickly and takes a TKO 1 at 1:40 of the opening stanza. Louis is now a perfect 7-0 (7), three of his wins have come in the first round, and no opponent has survived more than three rounds. Louis’ career appears to be on a fast track, as his next outing is scheduled in March. The card wraps up with a pair of interesting co-feature bouts. First, USBA WW Champ Barney Ross takes on his OPBF counterpart, Lope Tenorio. First meeting of these two but unfortunately for Tenorio, he has hit post-prime and is no match for an in-form Ross. Tenorio suffers a cut lip in round five, and later on his left eye begins to swell. Ross goes on to take a convincing UD 10 (99-91, 98-92, 97-93) to move to 25-3-2 (8); Tenorio slips to 29-14-8 (8). Final bout of the evening is for the NABF LH Championship, currently held by John Henry Lewis, who is making his second defense after battling to a draw with Mickey Walker. His opponent is the unheralded Dave Maier, who is perhaps in over his head in his first title bout of any kind. Lewis goes on the offensive in round three and is able to shift from boxer to slugger effortlessly, confusing his opponent. However, in round five, with the two scrapping away on the inside, Maier connects with a combination that puts Lewis down and out. In a huge upset, Maier captures the NABF LH belt via a KO 5. It is Lewis’ first career loss, made even more remarkable by the fact that Maier had just hit Post-Prime career stage. The post-fight marks are 22-6-3 (18) for Maier; 18-1-2 (15) for Lewis. After this bout, I am thinking about creating a new category called “Upset of the Year,” for which this bout would be an early leading contender.

Feb. 23, 1935: Next card is back in the UK at the Olympia in London. Lots of quality matchups on this card. First, unbeaten HW prospect Roscoe Toles has traveled from the States to face veteran Swede, Johnny Widd. Toles accumulates an early points lead and puts Widd down in round five when he lands a huge shot. Not much resistance from Widd, so Toles runs his career totals to 19-0 (5) with a lopsided UD 10 (99-90, 100-90, 97-92). Widd is now 24-9 (17). The co-feature is for the EBU Flyweight title, as Commonwealth and GBU titleholder Jackie Brown challenges Istvan Enekes in his quest for a third title belt. Brown is making a good showing, taking a huge lead in the punches landed stats, and showing superior stamina heading into the second half of the bout. All seems ready for a new Champion when, suddenly, in middle of the seventh, Brown is called for repeated holding and hitting. The foul is ruled flagrant, and hence Enekes retains the belt via a DQ-7 in a bout he was well on his way to losing. The controversial call leaves Enekes still with the EBU title and a 22-2-1 (9) career mark, while Brown ends up at 26-9-3 (9). Then, in the main event, Brit Johnny King makes his third defense of the WBA BW title against veteran Pete Sanstol, a one-time USBA titleholder but never a World title challenger until now. First meeting of the two. Not much action until round five, when King connects with a big shot that puts Sanstol down for the bout’s first knockdown. In the middle rounds, King remains active and aggressive, and in round 10 he is rewarded when he scores a second KD, decking Sanstol with a barrage of blows. Sanstol finally steps up the pace in the later rounds, but all he winds up with for his troubles is a rapidly swelling left eye. In the final round, King punctuates his win with a third KD, fighting his way off the ropes with a quick combination. Sanstol manages to finish on his feet, but the end result – a lopsided UD 15 for King (146-136, 146-137, 146-137) is a foregone conclusion despite a very game effort from Sanstol. Post-fight career marks: King, 35-3-1 (15); Sanstol, 29-8-2 (9).

Feb. 23, 1935: Last card of the month is at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. No titles on the line, but two notable bouts which serve as co-main events on the card. In the first of these, long-time USBA (and former WBA) Flyweight Champ Fidel LaBarba faces a familiar foe, former EBU Champ Johnny Vacca. It is the third meeting of the two, and in both prior contests LaBarba came out on top via SDs (the most recent, in 1930, was for the WBA title). However, both are at the downside of their respective careers; in fact, Vacca is at End career stage while LaBarba is at Post-Prime. LaBarba pulls ahead in the first half of the contest, and by round six Vacca is showing signs of swelling under his right eye. The American goes on to take a comfortable UD 10 (98-92, 98-92, 98-93), leaving LaBarba at 36-8-1 (9) while Vacca dips to 29-10-4 (12) after the bout. Then, in the second co-main event, two HWs do battle. Long-time HW contender and OPBF titleholder Tom Heeney faces Max Baer, a local fan favorite. In round two, Baer serves notice when he jolts the veteran Heeney with a solid uppercut. Baer forces the action on the inside, and in round six he finally breaks through Heeney’s defenses, dropping the “Hard Rock from Down Under” with a nice combination for the bout’s initial knockdown. A Baer hook results in a second KD in round eight. Then, the end comes in round nine, after a cross from Baer decks Heeney for the third time. Baer’s killer instinct kicks in, and the bout is finally halted with Heeney helpless against the ropes. TKO 9 for Baer. The win lifts Max to 21-5 (20) and moves Baer into the top 20 in the HW rankings. Heeney, who is at Post-Prime, is 36-21-1 (12) after the loss.