My Universe

[Lee]

Good stuff as always, I am always looking forward to your updates

[JCWeb]

This is a summary of ring action from the second half of April 1938, covering a total of 62 bouts, including two WBA title bouts.

Apr. 16, 1938: Two Flyweight bouts top the next card, at the Ullevi Satdium in Gothenburg, Sweden. The first of these is a non-title affair matching NABF Champ Frankie Genaro with French veteran Eugene Huat. It is the first meeting of the two. Despite being at Post-Prime, Genaro gets off the mark early, showing his boxing and defensive skills. By round three, there is noticeable swelling under the right eye of Huat. The Frenchman has little to offer as Genaro goes on to take a one-sided UD 10 (98-92, 99-91, 98-92) to run his career record to 49-17-6 (19). The loss leaves Huat at 26-15-7 (11). In the main event, Istvan Enekes, in his first match since a losing effort in a WBA title challenge, faces Fortunato Ortega for Enekes’ EBU Flyweight title belt. Enekes holds two prior wins, a MD 10 and a UD 8, over the Spaniard, but the most recent of these was five years ago, in 1933. Enekes comes forward, surging to an early points lead. Ortega, however, puts up some stubborn resistance and keeps the scores close heading into the final few rounds. By this time, Enekes is suffering from a rapidly swelling right eye. A key moment comes in round 10, when Enekes puts Ortega on the canvas for a seven-count. The bout goes to decision and Enekes retains the belt, but just barely, taking a SD 12 (118-110, 113-115, 116-112), with one judge favoring Ortega despite the knockdown for Enekes. Post-fight career marks: Enekes, 30-5-1 (10); Ortega, 22-6-4 (12).

Apr. 22, 1938: Next is another “Friday Night Down Under” card, this time at Melbourne, Australia. A pair of non-title bouts matching some top contenders from different parts of the world are featured. In the first of these, ex-WBA BW Champ Speedy Dado faces Sixto Escobar in a battle of two top five BWs. Dado suffers a cut over his right eye in round two, and a round later he begins to show signs of swelling under the cut eye. This is enough to give Escobar the early edge and he carefully manages his energy throughout the contest, going on to take a MD 10 (98-94, 96-96, 99-93) as the bout goes the distance. Post-fight records: 27-6-1 (10) for Escobar; 34-15-2 (14) for Dado. Then, in the second co-feature, Aussie vet Jack Carroll, a former WBA WW titleholder and still the CBU WW Champion, faces Cocoa Kid, his LABF counterpart. It is the third meeting of the two, with Kid having a win and a draw in their prior encounters. Kid starts well, and by the end of round three, there is puffiness under the left eye of Carroll. Kid adds to Carroll’s woes by scoring with some good shots in a big round four. After that, Kid backs off the offense and coasts to a relatively one-sided UD 10 win (99-90, 100-89, 98-92) to run his career record to 33-4-2 (11). The loss leaves Carroll, now at Post-Prime, at 38-19-5 (14).

Apr. 23, 1938: Back to the UK for a card at the Earls Court in London. Again, no titles on the line, but a pair of co-features matching current British Champions against some ranked opponents. In the first of these, GBU LW Champ Harry Mizler is matched with Cecil Payne, a long-time top LW contender currently ranked at #3. Payne, a former NABF titleholder, builds a solid points lead in the early going. By the bout’s midway point, Mizler is showing the effects with a rapidly swollen right eye. Nonetheless, he manages to keep the bout close and, at least on one judge’s card – even. The result is a MD 10 for Payne (97-94, 96-96, 97-94), and the crowd appreciates a good effort from the overmatched Mizler, who was likely the beneficiary of some hometown judging from at least one of the judges in this one. Post-fight, Payne improves to 39-10-4 (8), while Mizler drops to 19-7-3 (5). In the second co-feature, GBU Flyweight Champ Benny Lynch faces Frenchman Valentin Angelmann. One prior meeting, back in 1934, went to Lynch in the Brit’s last bout at Pre-Prime. A big shot from Lynch, now at Post-Prime, puts the Frenchman down for a six-count in the third round. Angelmann recovers, and he boxes well enough to keep the bout reasonably close. In the end, Lynch is fortunate to escape with a SD 10 (95-94, 94-95, 96-94) and improves to 28-6 (16) as a result. Angelmann ends up the bout at 28-17-1 (12).

Apr. 23, 1938: Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis is the venue for the next fistic action, and a WBA title bout headlines the card. First, on the undercard, two ranked WWs do battle in a 10-round, non-title affair. Once unbeaten, the rising young WW contender, Jimmy Garrison, takes on Andy Callahan. Garrison pulls ahead in the early going based on a huge punches landed advantage. By mid-bout, Callahan is suffering from a rapidly swollen left eye. A late surge by Callahan manages to keep the bout close, and by round nine, Garrison is also showing the effects with some swelling under his left eye as well. In the end, it goes down as a UD 10 for Garrison (97-94, 97-95, 96-95) to run his career totals to an excellent 31-1 (2). Callahan is 29-9-6 (10) after the loss. In the feature, long-time WBA LW titleholder Tony Canzoneri is back in action, facing Lou Ambers, the reigning USBA LW titleholder who has risen quickly up the ranks. Ambers has won his last six, but Canzoneri is riding a 13-bout winning streak. Canzoneri mounts a big effort to take rounds three and four by a wide margin and, after the first five rounds, he is up, 49-46, according to the unofficial scorecard. Then, in the middle rounds, Ambers begins to find the range, winning a few rounds and, according to the unofficial scorer, he slices the lead to 96-95 after 10 rounds. In round 12, Ambers goes on the attack, landing a big shot that forces Canzoneri to cover up. Pressured, Canzoneri battles back after Ambers takes round 13. It goes to the scorecards and the long-time Champ breathes a sigh of relief as the end result – a draw (143-143, 142-144, 143-143) is just enough to enable him to retain the title. Post-fight records: 46-4-4 (17) for Canzoneri; 25-1-1 (17) for Ambers, who remains unbeaten since hitting Prime career stage. There is talk of a rematch, but Canzoneri might also be contemplating a big money fight with Henry Armstrong or perhaps moving up to the WW division to take on Barney Ross.

Apr. 29, 1938: Friday night card in Mexico City is next, and a huge crowd is drawn by the fact that Mexico’s WBA FW Champion, Baby Arizmendi, will be in action defending the WBA title. In the main support, unbeaten French MW hopeful, Marcel Cerdan, takes on Johnny “Bandit” Romero, in an effort to move up the MW ranks in a non-title contest. Cerdan wastes little time going on the offensive, and by the end of the opening round, Romero is suffering from a rapidly swelling left eye. Then, in round four, Romero is cut over the other eye. However, in the following round, it is Cerdan who is cut over his right eye. Romero, heartened, mounts a strong rally to take round six. Cerdan goes back on the attack in round seven, and the “Casablanca Clouter” continues to pressure Romero, stunning his opponent with a big hook in round nine. The end comes in the tenth round when Cerdan lands repeatedly to the head and body, then dropping Romero for the count. The KO 10 win lifts Cerdan to a 20-0-1 (17) overall record, and a spot among the top 10 MW contenders. The loss leaves Romero at 35-12 (22). Then, in the feature, hometown fans cheer on Baby Arizmendi, who puts his WBA FW title on the line, facing ex-Champ and USBA titleholder, Battling Battalino. The action is slow to develop, but the challenger has a big round four and manages to keep the bout close; the ringside observer has Arizmendi up only by a single point, 48-47, after five. Then, in round six, “Bat” is cut over his left eye, and his prospects begin to fade. Battalino continues to stay on the outside, even though Arizmendi is building a points lead. Arizmendi has a big round nine, but Battalino comes back to take round 10. Heading into the final few rounds, the cut over Battalino’s eye is reopened. Battalino continues to apply pressure, taking rounds 13 and 14 but, in the end, he falls just short. UD 15 for Arizmendi (144-139, 143-140, 144-139), to the delight of the hometown crowd. Post-fight records: Arizmendi, 35-7-2 (10); Battalino, 39-11 (13).

Apr. 30, 1938: Final card of the month is a good one at the Polo Grounds in New York City. Despite the absence of any title bouts, there is a good variety of boxers at different stages of their respective careers on the card. Unbeaten HW prospect Abe Simon takes a huge step forward by taking on a former NABF HW Champ, Joe Sekyra. Simon lands the first telling blow, a crushing cross near the end of round three that staggers Sekyra. Simon continues to land repeatedly, building a huge points lead, causing some swelling under the right eye of Sekyra as a result. In round eight, Simon puts Sekyra down with a perfect uppercut, and he follows up with a second KD a round later. The bout goes the distance, and Simon takes a lopsided UD 10 (100-89 on all three cards) to remain unbeaten, a perfect 18-0 (15). Sekyra ends the bout at 33-16-3 (25). Next up, aging veteran MW Mickey Walker proves he remains a dangerous opponent, taking on Solly Krieger. An early cut over Krieger’s left eye ultimiately proves decisive, but in round three Walker is on target with a sharp combination that stuns Krieger. In the end, the cut decides matters and this one goes in the books as a TKO 5 for Walker on the cuts stoppage. Post-fight career marks; Walker, 60-10-2 (44); Krieger, 29-13-1 (12). Next bout is the co-main event, in the LH division, pitting two top prospects, unbeaten Herbie Katz and once-beaten Archie Moore. After a big round two, Moore moves inside and applies more pressure on Katz in the third round. After another big round in the fourth, Moore begins to wear down Katz. After continuing to dominate the action in the middle rounds, Archie puts Katz on the deck with an overhand right in round seven. A second KD follows in round eight, the result of a Moore uppercut to the head. Two more KDs follow in round nine, and then the ref steps in a calls a halt as a weary Katz is out on his feet in round 10. TKO 10 to Moore, with little protest from Katz’s corner. Moore moves to 12-1 (11) with the win; Katz’s first career loss leaves him at 11-1-1 (8). Then, in the feature, top HW contender Jersey Joe Walcott faces Lee Ramage in what is expected to be a tune-up bout for a future title challenge by Walcott. First meeting of the two, both of whom are on winning streaks, with Walcott having won his last three, Ramage his last two. After remaining reasonably close for the first four rounds, Ramage departs from the script, nailing Walcott with an overhand right that puts Jersey Joe down for a count of four. Late in the bout, Ramage is cut over his right eye, and Walcott tries to take advantage of the situation, putting Ramage down for an eight-count with a barrage of blows. With one KD apiece, the bout is in the hands of the judges and, surprisingly, all three of them agree, awarding the UD 10 to Ramage by identical scores (96-92 on all three cards). The upset winner, Ramage, improves to 31-7-1 (11); Walcott is 32-5 (20) after the loss.

[JCWeb]

This is a summary of ring action from the first half of May 1938, covering a total of 52 bouts. One WBA title bout is included.

May 6, 1938: The month opens with a Friday night card at the War Memorial Auditorium in Syracuse, New York. No titles at stake, and the main event is a WW affair featuring #5 Wildcat O’Connor who is facing Fritzie Zivic. Zivic does well in the opening few rounds, taking advantage of some openings to land repeatedly, causing noticeable swelling under the right eye of O’Connor by the bout’s midway point. Then, in round seven, a mighty blow from Zivic puts O’Connor down for the count. The KO 7 lifts Zivic to 23-5-3 (14), while the loss drops O’Connor to 26-10 (20).

May 7, 1938: Next up is a very solid card at Havana’s Gran Stadium featuring four former WBA Champions – all hoping for a chance to regain past glory – in a pair of co-features. In the first of these, BW Panama Al Brown, the reigning LABF titleholder, faces Pablo Dano. Panama Al gains the upper hand and he is aided by a severe cut that appears over Dano’s left eye in round four. Panama Al remains the aggressor in the second half, continued to pile up a points lead while Dano’s corner is busy with the cut, which reopened in round seven. Solid performance by Brown, culminating in a UD 10 win (98-92 on all cards), and he issues a challenge to WBA BW Champ Johnny King afterwards. Post-fight records: 56-10-1 (20) for Brown; 32-10-5 (13) for Dano. Then, in the second co-feature, crowd favorite Kid Chocolate faces another ex-FW Champ in Pete DeGrasse, who is the current CBU FW Champ. Chocolate took a SD 15 over DeGrasse for the WBA crown back in 1934, but this time he is at Post-Prime and looking to recover from some recent setbacks (the first time in his career he has suffered back-to-back losses). DeGrasse starts well, landing some good shots early on. Chocolate rallies to take round four. He continues to battle away, trying to break down DeGrasse’s tough defense. By round seven, there is some swelling under the left eye of the Canadian and, by the end, Chocolate is marked as well. The end result, a draw (95-95 on all cards) satisfies no one – and it took a late surge from DeGrasse to secure the draw. Post-fight career marks: Chocolate, 35-7-6 (16); DeGrasse, 34-14-3 (9).

May 7, 1938: Next card is at Chicago, and the featured main event is for the NABF MW title recently vacated by Freddie Steele who became the new WBA MW Champion. The protagonists include ex-Champ Holman Williams and up-and-coming Tony Zale, the “Man of Steel,” in Zale’s first try for a belt of any kind. After a slow start by both men in the opening round, Williams takes round three. Zale moves inside and becomes the aggressor in round three, inflicting a severe cut over the left eye of Williams. Zale continues to pressure his opponent, and in round five he rocks the ex-Champ with hard uppercut. In round six, the bout comes to a premature end after the cut over Williams’ eye is reopened. TKO 6 for Zale on the cuts stoppage. Zale wins his first title bout and moves to 21-2 (16) with the win. For Williams, it is his second loss in a row, dropping him to 26-3 (18).

May 13, 1938: The Forum in Montreal is the venue for the next fistic action. Featured is a non-title LH tilt between CBU LH Champ Charley Belanger and Jimmy Adamick. Unfortunately for Adamick, he has hit Post-Prime career stage while Belanger is on form. After a good start to take the opening two rounds, Belanger is on target with a jarring cross that drops Adamick for a three-count. On wobby legs, Adamick soliders on but Belanger’s killer instinct has kicked in, and the Canadian lands a hard shot that puts Adamick down and out. KO 3 for Belanger. Post-fight career marks: 39-18 (18) for Belanger; 23-5-1 (21) for Adamick.

May 14, 1938: Back to the UK in Liverpool, and the GBU BW title is on the line, with Dick Corbett and Tom Smith matched for the belt vacated last year by Johnny King upon winning the WBA title. In the opening round, Smith suffers a cut over his left eye but, fortunately, the cut proves not to be a major factor as the bout proceeds. Corbett seems to have the upper hand in the early going, but Smith manages to keep the bout close and gradually pulls ahead in the middle rounds. By round eight, the cumulative effect of Smith’s punches is causing some swelling to develop under the left eye of Corbett. Lots of action in round nine, with both men swinging away, and a cut is opened over Smith’s right eye. Corbett tries to take advantage, going on the attack in the final few rounds, but Smith’s defense remains solid. In the final round, the cut over Smith’s right eye is reopened but Smith manages to last to the final bell and is rewarded with a UD 12 (117-112, 116-113, 117-112) to become the new GBU BW Champion. Post-fight records: Smith, 18-3-4 (10); Corbett, 32-17 (11).

May 14, 1938: Big card at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, topped by a WBA title matchup. In the co-feature, two ranked FWs do battle as Frankie Covelli takes on Everett Righmire. Tough start for Rightmire, who sustains a cut over his right eye in round two. Nonetheless, Rightmire holds his own and is even able to pull ahead on the punches landed stats by the midway point of the bout. The bout remains close coming into the final rounds. In round nine, an uppercut from Covelli drops Rightmire for a six-count. However, Rightmire arises and battles back in the final round, landing a hook that puts Covelli on the deck. After the exchange of knockdowns, the bout goes the distance, and, not surprisingly – it goes down as a majority draw (94-94, 94-94, 95-93 Rightmire). Post-bout career marks: Covelli, 27-10-7 (17); Rightmire, 23-5-2 (12). In the feature, Midget Wolgast makes the second defense of his WBA Flyweight title since his return from a brief sojourn as BW Champion. His opponent is a familiar foe, Fidel LaBarba, now near the end of his career, having failed on three prior occasions, all against Wolgast, in 1931, 1932 and 1934. The early rounds see Wolgast building a solid points lead, and – by the end of round five – there is noticeable swelling under the left eye of the challenger as a result. Wolgast goes on to dominate the rest of the way, with LaBarba unable to make any impression on the long-time Flyweight Champ. No cuts or knockdowns, with the UD 15 going to Wolgast by a wide margin (147-139, 149-138, 148-138) to run his career record to 45-5-1 (18) overall. Looks like one more bout and then LaBarba, now 43-14-1 (20), will be headed to retirement.

[JCWeb]

This is a summary of ring action from the second half of May 1938, covering a total of 54 bouts. One WBA title bout is included.

May 20, 1938: Next is a Friday night card at Manila’s Rizal Arena. Two non-title bouts headline the agenda. The first co-feature matches two recent title contenders, Teddy Yarosz and Aussie Ron Richards. Richards holds a prior TKO win over Yarosz, but both men are coming off recent losses (two in a row for Richards, three in a row for Yarosz). Richards is on target early, and by round two there is a trace of swelling under the right eye of Yarosz. The bout’s only KD occurs when Richards puts Yarosz down with a big shot in round six, and Richards goes on to take a UD 10 win (95-93, 96-92, 95-93). In the second co-feature, USBA WW Champ Henry Armstrong – still unable to arrange a WBA title bout at either WW or LW, takes on his OPBF counterpart, an aging Irineo Flores. Flores, who has seen better days, offers little resistance as Armstrong drops Flores with a big hook in the opening round, then the end comes in round three when a combination puts the Filipino down for the count. KO 3 for Armstrong, who continues his campaign for a WBA title bout. Post-fight records: Armstrong, 28-2-2 (22); Flores, 47-23-2 (24).

May 21, 1938: Back to Europe for some fistic action at the Sportpalast in Berlin, with the EBU LH title on the line, as Heinz Lazek defends the title versus German Adolf Heuser. Heuser is looking to repeat his earlier success (a UD 10 in 1936), and Lazek is looking to make the second defense of his EBU title a successful one. The bout turns out to be a battle of the cuts, as Lazek is cut over his right eye in the first round, then Heuser is cut over his left eye in round four. Lazek’s cut is reopened in round five, then Heuser’s cut is reopened in round six. In the round seven, Lazek’s cut is re-opened a second time. The bout continues, with Lazek delivering a hard shot to the top of Heuser’s head later in round seven. In round eight, a Lazek combination puts Heuser down for a count of four. Later in the round, Heuser’s cut is re-opened a second time. The bout goes into round 10, when the cut over Lazek’s eye is re-opened a third time, and this time it proves to be enough to cause a halt. TKO 10 to Heuser, who becomes the new EBU LH Champ on the cuts stoppage. Post-fight career marks: Heuser, 31-7-1 (16); Lazek, 27-4 (20).

May 21, 1938: Next card is at Denver’s Mammoth Gardens, and featured is an NABF LW title bout with Frankie Klick defending against challenger Chino Alvarez. Both men are riding four bout unbeaten streaks, and a prior meeting (back in 1933) resulted in a draw. Klick piles up an early punches landed advantage but tires down the stretch as Alvarez pushes forward. Klick is content to stay outside and fire away from long distance. By the end, both Alvarez’s eyes are swollen, showing the effects from the blows landed by Klick. Klick manages to retain the title, taking a MD 12 with a wide divergence on the cards (118-110, 114-114, 116-112). Klick runs his career totals to 26-15-6 (13) with the win. The loss drops Alvarez to 31-8-3 (19).

May 27, 1938: London’s Harringay Arena is the scene for a Friday night card featuring HWs in the two feature matchups. In the first of these, longtime title contender Elmer Ray crosses the Atlantic to face Don McCorkindale, a former CBU HW titleholder, in a non-title affair. Not much in the way of action until round four, when Ray decks the South African with a nice combination, then follows with a second KD later in the round. McCorkindale manages to survive the round and manages to keep the scores relatively close until round seven, when he lands a hard shot but comes away with a badly injured hand. The bout is halted, and Ray is awarded a TKO 7 win as McCorkindale is unable to continue. Post-fight records: Ray, 39-8 (25); McCorkindale, 30-13-1 (17). Then, in the second co-feature and the only title bout on the agenda, Tommy Farr puts his Commonwealth HW title on the line, facing the “British Brown Bomber,” GBU HW Champ Tommy Martin. First meeting of the two, with Farr coming off the loss of his EBU title while Martin has won his last two. Good start for Martin, who takes the fight to the defensive-minded Farr. By the end of round nine, there is noticeable swelling around the right eye of Farr. Farr rallies to take the last three rounds and manages to secure a majority draw (114-114, 113-115 Martin, 114-114) that is just enough to retain the crown. The result leaves Farr at 41-12-1 (15), Martin at 22-3-1 (14).

May 28, 1938: Staying in Europe for a nice card at the Sports Palace in Rome, where the main event is an EBU LW title match contested by titleholder Jack Kid Berg and the challenger, ex-Champ Aldo Spoldi. Berg, who had won both prior encounters, took charge early and gradually built an early points lead. As the bout wore on, Spoldi began to tire and generally lacked the firepower to trouble Berg. The bout went the distance, and Berg went on to take a one-sided UD 12 (118-112, 118-112, 118-111). Post-fight records: Berg, 36-13-5 (14); Spoldi, 30-6-4 (13).

May 28, 1938: The month wraps with a huge card at New York’s Yankee Stadium. HW Champ Joe Louis defends his WBA HW title in the main event, but co-featured are a pair of bouts with top MW and LH contenders squaring off. In the first of these, former USBA LH Champ Battling Bozo, still ranked among the top 10 contenders, faces ex-EBU LH Champ Gustave Roth in a 10-round, non-title contest. Roth starts well, and by the end of the opening round there is a trace of swelling around the right eye of Bozo. More trouble for Bozo in round two when e sustains a severe cut over his right eye. A couple of rounds later, the cut is reopened and leads to an immediate stoppage. TKO 4 for Roth. Post-fight career marks: Roth, 37-12-1 (13); Bozo, 33-13-3 (12). In the second co-feature, ex-WBA MW Champ Ken Overlin, on the comeback trail, faces long-time European MW contender Hein Domgorgen in another 10-rounder. Overlin looks sharp, compiling an early points lead and then coasting to a UD 10 victory (99-91 on all three cards) over the now Post-Prime Domgorgen. The win lifts Overlin to 32-3-4 (12) overall, as he looks for an opportunity to regain the MW crown. The loss leaves Domgorgen at 42-19-1 (21). Then, in the feature, Joe Louis defends his WBA HW title for the eighth time, given a title shot to long-time journeyman James Braddock, “the Cinderella Man,” who is now in the twilight of his long career. Louis goes on the attack in the opening round, backing up Braddock. In the second round, Louis stuns Braddock with a sharp cross, ripping open a gash over Braddock’s right eye. Then, two rounds later, a Louis combination reopens the cut. Braddock covers up to last the round, avoiding further damage. More trouble for the challenger in round five, as the cut is reopened a second time. After an even round in round six, Louis is on the attack in round seven, dominatint the action and, once again, the cut over Braddock’s eye is reopened. This time, the ref doesn’t take any chances, ordering an immediate stoppage. No protest from Braddock’s corner, as their man was dominated by Louis throughout most of the bout, which goes down in the books as a TKO 7 for Louis, making it eight title defenses, all inside the distance, for the undefeated HW Champion, Louis, who moves to 24-0 (22) with the win. Braddock dips to 31-18-3 (6) with the loss.

[JCWeb]

More ring action from the first half of June 1938, covering a total of 47 bouts. One WBA title bout is included.

June 3, 1938: The month kicks off with a Friday night card at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City. No titles at stake, and only one bout of note – the main event – pairing long-time LW contender Sammy Fuller with Al Roth, who is now ranked in the top 20 and hoping to move up. First meeting of the two, and Fuller gets off to an early lead, landing repeatedly and causing a trade of swelling to appear under the left eye of Roth as early as round three. Roth does well to stay with Fuller through the early rounds but, as the bout wears on, Fuller pulls further and further ahead, punctuating matters with an overhand right that puts Roth on the deck for a six-count in round eight. Easy UD 10 win for Fuller (98-91, 99-90, 99-90) who improves to 43-13-1 (11) and is now looking for a title shot, having risen to #2 in the LW rankings. Roth, now 27-6-1 (11), will be looking for some easier competition in his next bout.

June 4, 1938: Next card is on Canadian soil at the Exhibition Gardens in Vancouver. It’s an abbreviated card with no titles on the line, featuring home-grown talent and, in the main event, veteran HW contender Larry Gains, former CBU Champion, faces Jack Peterson, an ex-GBU Champion, in a 10-rounder. First meeting of the two, and Gains goes to work early, cutting down Peterson with a three-punch combo right before the bell in the opening stanza. Gains goes on to dominate the early action, building a huge points lead. The end comes in round five when Gains scores with a couple of big shots, flooring Peterson twice, and then a wicked hook to the head to cause a third KD in the same round, an automatic TKO 5 win for Gains. Post-fight career marks: Gains, 44-13 (25); Peterson, 26-9 (17).

June 4, 1938: Next card is a big one at Seattle, with hometown favorite Freddie Steele, the “Tacoma Assassin,” making the first defense of his WBA MW title in the main event. The co-feature, a 10-round non-title affair, pairs two ranked BWs together as ex-Champ Pete Sanstol faces Lew Farber, a past USBA BW titleholder. Farber, who has not won since then, is looking to resurrect his flagging career after three straight losses. However, Sanstol is having none of it and jumps out to an early lead with a sizable punches landed edge through the first four to five rounds of the contest. By round six, Farber is showing the effects with a rapidly swelling left eye. Farber lacks the firepower or stamina to make a comeback, so Sanstol goes on to record a UD 10 win (96-94, 98-91, 97-92). Post-bout, Sanstol runs his career totals to 35-10-4 (9); Farber slips to 28-10-4 (12) with his fourth straight loss. In the feature, the WBA MW title is on the line as Freddie Steele makes his first defense against reigning LABF MW Champ, Kid Tunero. Steele is confident, having bested Tunero for the NABF MW title back in 1934 on Tunero’s home turf in Havana; this bout will be on Steele’s home turf in the Seattle area. Tunero looks sharp early, taking the opening round. Steele picks up the pace and pulls ahead by moving inside in round three. Round four sees Steele connect with a wicked hook to the head that puts the Cuban challenger down for an eight-count. Steele remains on top, delivering a second KD in round eight. A hook right before the bell in round 10 is the third KD for Steele. Tunero hits the deck in round 11, again being saved by the bell. By this time Tunero is bothered by a swollen right eye, but he battles on gamely. Steel puts Tunero down a fifth time, for an eight-count, in round 12, and then again in round 13, and for the third time Tunero is saved by the bell. Two more KDs for Steele, in rounds 14 or 15, wrap up the fight although the game Tunero manages to somehow last the full 15. Huge points edge for Steele, who takes the most lopsided UD 15 (148-129, 147-132, 149-128) in the history of this Uni. Post-fight career marks are 42-6-1 (28) for Steele, and 28-8-5 (9) for Tunero.

June 10, 1938: Friday night card at the Stadium at Liverpool, England. Featured is a non-title bout matching unbeaten British Flyweight hopeful Peter Kane with veteran Eugene Huat. After a close opening round, the action is slow to develop. While Kane pulls ahead in the early going, in round four he sustains a severe cut over his left eye that, in the end, decides the bout. By the midway point, both Kane and Huat are showing signs of wear and tear, with bruising around the right eye of each. But the cut over Kane’s eye is reopened and with blood oozing out, it forces an early stoppage, despite protests from Kane’s corner. Thus, the bout goes down as a TKO 9 for Huat on the cuts stoppage. The result leaves Huat at 27-16-7 (12), while Kane’s first career setback leaves him at 17-1 (10).

June 11, 1938: Action in Europe for an abbreviated card in Copenhagen, Denmark. Only bout of interest is the main event, which sees Istvan Enekes defending his EBU Flyweight title against French challenger Emile Pladner. With two prior wins over Pladner, Enekes seems confident of victory but the bout comes to an early end in a surprising way, as Enekes is called for repeatedly low blows and Pladner then is declared the new Champion in a very unusual manner, via a DQ-2 result. Post-fight career marks are Pladner, 31-20-2 (10); Enekes, 30-6-1 (10). The controversial result has led to calls for a rematch in two month’s time.

June 11, 1938: New Orleans is the venue for the next fistic action, and a good card with plenty of supporting bouts is topped by a contest for the NABF HW title. This belt, now held by Jimmy Mendes (who is also the reigning LABF HW titleholder) will be up for grabs as Mendes, winner of his last seven, defends against veteran top 10 HW contender Joe “Bingo” Banovic. Mendes pulls ahead after the opening four rounds of a close, hard-fought contest. In round five, more punches from Mendes find their target, causing noticeable swelling under the right eye of the challenger. In round six, trouble for Mendes as a cut is opened over his right eye. Then, in round eight, a cut appears of the right eye of the challenger. The cut over Mendes’ eye is reopened in round 10 and proves difficult for his corner to control. However, Mendes battles on and drops Banovic for a seven-count with a cross in round 11. Despite a second KD later in the round, Mendes cannot finish off Banovic. The cut holds up for another round, allowing Mendes to retain the title with a fairly one-sided UD 12 (117-109, 118-108, 116-110). Post-fight career marks: Mendes, 33-9-4 (20); Banovic, 26-14-2 (10).

[JCWeb]

More ring action from the second half of June 1938, covering a total of 59 bouts. Two WBA title bouts are on the agenda. Some very competitive bouts covered in this report.

June 17, 1938: Friday Night “Down Under” card at Sydney, Australia. Featured bout has an Aussie, Mickey Miller, challenging for the OPBF FW title defended by Filipino Little Pancho. Little Pancho holds two prior wins over Miller in 1935 and 1936, but this is the first time the two have met for a title, and Miller’s first title try of any kind. Little Pancho, who enters the bout riding an eight-bout winning streak, faces a determined challenger in Miller who manages to keep the bout close through the early rounds. By the midway point, there is swelling under the right eye of Miller, who gamely battles on, providing a stiff challenge in his first title bout. In round nine, Pancho opens a cut under the left eye of the challenger. Miller tires badly in the later rounds, and Little Pancho is able to win three of the last four rounds to take much closer than expected MD 12 (115-113, 114-114, 115-113) – great effort by the Aussie challenger to keep the bout so close. Post-fight, Pancho improves to 32-7-5 (8) while Miller ends up at 20-6-1 (12).

June 18, 1938: Next card is on the French Riviera at the Palais des Sports at Cannes. An European champion defends his WBA title in the main event, supported by a co-feature matching to titleholders in a non-title affair. These two are FWs, with home crowd support for Maurice Holtzer, current EBU FW Champ, who faces his OPBF counterpart, Japan’s Tsuneo Horiguchi, in a non-title bout. After a long feeling-out process, Holtzer manages to pull ahead after the opening three rounds, but Horiguchi goes on the attack to take round four. No cuts or knockdowns, and a solid effort by both fighters with Horiguchi showing the greater assertiveness, even while battling a rapidly swelling right eye. To the disappointment of the French crowd, Horiguchi manages to win the last round to eke out a SD 10 win (96-95, 95-97 Holtzer, 96-95). Post-fight marks: Horiguchi, 21-3 (14); Holtzer, 38-15-3 (13). The main event, for the WBA WW title, has surprise Champion Vittorio Venturi making a second title defense, facing a stiff challenger from three-time ex-Champ Jimmy “Baby Face” McLarnin. A prior UD 10 for McLarnin is considered ancient history as it took place back over a decade earlier (1926) when both men were at Pre-Prime. The bout remains close through the first five rounds, with McLarnin forging a slight edge in the punches landed stats. Venturi becomes more aggressive in the middle rounds, while McLarnin mixes up an inside and outside attack. The unofficial scorer has the bout even (95-all) heading into the final five rounds. By round 13, both men are exhausted, and Venturi is showing greater signs of wear and tear, with bruising and swelling around his right eye. Round 14, Venturi bounces back and stuns McLarnin with a big hook to the head that forces the challenger to cover up. The bout remains close heading into the final round, which is won by McLarning by a wide margin. The late surge carries McLarnin to a SD 15 win (140-144, 143-141, 144-140), although there was a wide disparity in the scores, with one judge favoring the defending Champ. At any rate, McLarnin now will be serving his fourth stint as WBA WW Champion; he also accomplished something his great rival Barney Ross could not, dethroning Venturi as WBA Champion despite being at Post-Prime. The Canadian is now 51-8-1 (24), compared to a post-fight record of 42-13-7 (11) for the veteran and now ex-Champ Italian.

June 18, 1938: Next card is a big one at Detroit’s Briggs Stadium, featuring a WBA title clash amply supported by an impressive array of non-title bouts. In the first of these, unbeaten MW prospect Charley Burley disposes of veteran TC Roy McCain, with Burley having to survive a hook to the head from the journeyman in the second round before clamping down with a pair of knockdowns leading to an early stoppage in the fifth. The TKO 5 runs Burley’s career totals to 13-0 (12), and Burley is expected to be matched with some tougher opposition in the near future. Next supporting bout has another highly regarded prospect, LH Archie Moore, who takes on a veteran LH, Mike Mandell. Big opening round for Moore, who continues to dominate the action to the extent that there is noticeable swelling around Mandell’s right eye as early as the end of round two. Then, the finish comes in the fourth as Moore connects with a big shot that puts Mandell down and out. KO 4 for Moore, running his record to 13-1 (12). Mandell, who has seen plenty of ring battles, is now 33-16-4 (25). In the co-feature, a MW clash, all-time great Mickey Walker takes to the ring once again, to race a rising young star in Freddie Apostoli. It’s the veteran “Toy Bulldog” versus the “Battling Bellhop.” Apostoli starts well, causing some puffiness under Walker’s left eye after landing some telling blows in the first two rounds. Walker moves inside, fighting effectively from there to take the third round. By the end of round five, Walker’s punches have had an effect; there is telltale swelling under the right eye of Apostoli. Nonetheless, the unofficial scorer at ringside has Apostoli up by two, 49-47, at the midway point. Walker appears to exhibit superior stamina as the bout progresses into the later rounds; in round eight, Apostoli suffers a cut under his left eye. Then, in round nine, the bout comes to a sudden conclusion as Apostoli connects with a cross that puts Walker down and out. The KO 9 win runs Apostoli’s career totals to 21-1 (18). Walker, who will hit End career stage beginning with his next outing, has compiled an impressive 60-11-2 (44) career record thus far. Then, in the main event, the WBA LH title is on the line as “Slapsie Maxie” Rosenbloom defends the belt against Bob Olin, a former NABF LH Champion. Trouble for the Champ in round one, as Olin is able to connect with some good shots, enough to cause a trace of swelling to form under Rosenbloom’s right eye. Olin remains the aggressor in the early going, but the deft Rosenbloom is able to sidestep most of Olin’s punches and able to move laterally, setting up the opportunity to connect with some good counter-shots. In round eight, Olin suffers a cut over his left eye; in round eight, Olin is cut over the other eye. Olin’s aggressive style continues to pose problems for Maxie, and the scores remain close (96-94 according to the unofficial ringside observer) headed into the later rounds. In round 11, the cut over Olin’s left eye is re-opened. Rosenbloom appears headed to a points win, but a hook to the body from Olin in round 14 stops him in his tracks. Olin continues with an all-out attack but Rosenbloom’s defense holds firm. Rosenbloom goes on to take a comfortable UD 15 (145-140, 146-140, 147-138) to retain the WBA crown. Post-fight career marks are 45-12-6 (18) for Rosenbloom; 31-11-3 (10) for Olin.

June 24, 1938: Friday night card at Mexico City, under the auspices of the fledgling LABF organization. One LABF title bout, preceded by a co-feature, with lots of Latino boxers on the agenda. In the co-feature, LABF FW Champ Simon Chavez faces Tommy Paul in a non-title clash. Simon prevailed in a SD 10 in a prior bout in 1937. The bout remains close through the opening five rounds, with both men demonstrating some solid boxing skills. Paul gradually pulls ahead headed into the later rounds, but the bout comes to a premature end as Paul suffers a hand injury that prevents him from continuing. The bout goes down as a TKO 9 for Paul, who improves his career stats to 32-13-4 (8). Chavez drops to 24-8-2 (5) with the loss. Paul was ahead on all three cards at the time of the stoppage. In the main event, another Chavez – Tony Chavez – puts his LABF LW title on the line against challenger Stanislaus Loayza, who is in his first title bout of any kind after a long career. Chavez is confident, both because Loayza is now at Post-Prime career stage, but also because of an earlier win, in 1936, a UD over Loayza, also in Mexico City. Chavez pulls ahead to an early points edge, and he pulls even further ahead when he decks Loayza with an uppercut, right before the bell sounds to end round five. By the end of round eight, Loayza is battling a rapidly swelling left eye, but the Chilean battles on to last the full 12. Chavez takes a UD 12 (115-113, 116-113, 116-112) but credit Loayza for keeping the bout close despite the knockdown. Post-fight career marks: Chavez, 25-5-1 (11); Loayza, 37-26-6 (13).

June 25, 1938: EBU MW title bout action headlines a solid card at Earls Court in London. A nice crowd has gathered to see if challenger Jack “Cast Iron” Casey can dethrone reigning Champion Eduoard Tenet; it is the second meeting of the two, both having battled to a draw back in 1932. Urged on by a favorable crowd, Casey gets off to a strong start, and Tenet’s corner must deal with some puffiness around the right eye of the Champion from round two onwards. Casey presses forward, forcing the action, but Tenet is the more accurate in terms of punches landed. In round seven, Tenet has a point deducted for head-butting. Casey struggles to make an impression on the French titleholder, but in round 10 he stuns Tenet with a straight right. The bout remains in doubt right until the final bell, and the SD 12 goes to Tenet (115-112, 113-115, 114-113), much to the dismay of the pro-Casey crowd. Tenet improves to 38-19-7 (9) with the win, while Casey drops to 32-11-4 (19) with the loss. Casey now sets his sights on a bid for either the GBU or CBU MW title, an objective that may be much easier to achieve.

June 25, 1938: Final card of the month is a big one at the Boston Garden. Featured are a pair of non-title bouts involving top contenders. First, however, two unbeaten HW prospects with identical 18-0 career starts square off as Max Marek faces Abe Simon. The bout remains close through the first four rounds, with Simon showing signs of wear and tear as a touch of swelling appears under his right eye. In the second half of the bout, Simon becomes more and more aggressive, and this aggression pays off as he drops Marek with a a strong shot in the eighth round. Marek takes an eight count and recovers quickly, but the damage has been down. The bout goes the distance and Simon scrapes by via a SD 10 (96-93, 94-95, 97-92) to keep his unbeaten slate intact at 19-0 (15). Marek’s first career loss leaves him at 18-1 (14). Th co-feature matches two young WWs as Jimmy Garrison battles Fritzie Zivic. The bout remains fairly close and uneventful through five rounds. In round six, Zivic steps up the pace and pulls ahead with a big round. Garrison is content to stay outside, neutralizing Zivic’s power. By the end of round seven, the tide has turned in Garrison’s favor, with Zivic beginning to tire and sporting a rapidly swelling left eye. The punches landed stats favor Garrison whose late surge is just enough to take a MD 10 verdict (96-94, 95-95, 96-95) to solidify his position as a top 10 WW contender. Post-fight career marks: Garrison, 22-1 (2); Zivic, 23-6-3 (14). Garrison’s connections are now clamoring for a title bout, as their man has now won his last seven straight. In the final bout of the card, USBA LH Champ Tiger Jack Fox faces a familiar foe, GBU LH Champ Len Harvey. The two have met three times before, with Fox winning all three. This time, Fox wastes no time as he drops Harvey with a short, clean uppercut in the opening round. Fox follows up with a second KD right before the bell; the count reaches eight when Harvey is saved by the bell. Harvey retreats to a defensive shell as Fox continues with a big round two, pulling out to a big points lead. In round four, Harvey is down a third time and suffering from a cut over his left eye. By round six, Harvey is exhausted and suffering from a swollen right eye as well. The cut is reopened a couple of more times in rounds eight and nine, and Harvey is lucky to last the distance as Fox eases up toward the end of the bout. UD 10 for Fox by a wide margin (98-88, 99-88, 99-88) to make it 4-0 versus the aging Harvey. Fox, now 41-4 (29) is once again the top LH contender. Harvey, now 48-20-3 (19), still has the GBU title to hold onto, but his days as a top LH contender may be drawing to a close.

[Kalinik]

It's amazing how you manage the matchups and keep realistic story-lines! I've never been able to do that in any of my universes. Care to share your secret to success?

[JCWeb]

Kalinik, no secrets, I think other Unis are equally well run if not better. (I do take notes during the featured bouts to aid with these reports.) Anyway ..
Ring action from the first half of July 1938, covering a total of 48 bouts.

July 1, 1938: The month commences with Friday night card in Edmonton. Only a handful of bouts, featuring a couple of Canadian fighters, headlined by the main event, with Horace Gwynne defending his Commonwealth BW title against newly-crowned GBU BW Champ Tom Smith in front of a partisan hometown crowd. It’s Gwynne’s first defense in over a year and his third defense overall in his second stint as CBU Champion. A cut over the left of the challenger in round one gives the early advantage to Gwynne. Gwynne forces his way inside in round three, doing further damage while reopening the cut. More trouble for Smith in round five, with a reopening of the cut a second time followed by a new cut over the right eye, forcing an early end to the action. TKO 5 for Gwynne on the cuts stoppage, pushing his career totals to 23-3-1 (14). The loss leaves Smith at 18-4-4 (10).

July 2, 1938: Next card is at the Amor Bahn in Munich. Featured is a high profile HW contest, as Max Schmeling attempts to regain the EBU HW title now held by countryman Walter Neusel. The two battled to a draw in a prior encounter back in 1936. Early edge to Schmeling, who dominates the action in the opening round. Schmeling moves inside in round three, looking to do further damage. Neusel bounces back with a big round four. Halfway through the bout, the unofficial scorer has it even (57-all) although Schmeling has a significant lead in the punches landed stats. Schmeling dominates the action in rounds seven and eight, then he drops Neusel with a cross for an eight-count in round nine. A Schmeling hook floors Neusel for a second time a round later, and Max follows up with a second KD but cannot put his opponent away. Neusel, troubled by a rapidly swelling left eye, is unable to mount much defense, and a fourth KD in round 11 allows Schmeling to lift the belt via a fairly lopsided UD 12 (118-105 on all three cards). The win boosts Schmeling’s career totals to 45-5-1 (31), cementing his status as #1 contender for Joe Louis’ WBA HW title. Neusel, who was fortunate just to make it to the end of the bout, slips to 23-8-2 (17) after the loss.

July 4, 1938: Washington, D. C.’s Uline Arena is the venue for the traditional fourth of July card, with the feature being a USBA HW title clash. Art Lasky, in his third title defense, faces challenger Roscoe Toles. Prototypical boxer versus slugger confrontation, and the boxer (Toles) jumps out to an early lead when he catches Lasky with a big uppercut in the opening stanza. Lasky, the aggressor, bounces back with a big round four. Then Toles dominates the toe-to-toe action in round five; by the end of the round, a trace of swelling appears under the left eye of Lasky. In the later rounds, Lasky continues his aggressive approach, but he becomes increasingly frustrated as Toles’ defense proves to be solid. The bout goes the distance, and Toles takes a SD 12 (118-110, 113-115, 116-112) to lift the belt, with one judge being perhaps too generous to Lasky as Toles had a huge punches landed edge. Post-fight career marks are 27-4-3 (6) for Toles; 24-7-2 (24) for Lasky, who has yet to win a bout that went to decision.

July 9, 1938: To the UK for an abbreviated card at the Stadium in Liverpool. Only bout worth noting is the main event, which sees Ginger Foran challenge Dave Crowley for the latter’s GBU FW title. In a prior, non-title bout, in 1937, Crowley won via a TKO, and this will be Crowley’s first title defense in almost a year (since August of 1937). In the opening round, Foran suffers a cut over his right eye. The cut is in a difficult spot and ruled the result of an accidental butt. Crowley is able to take advantage and build a solid points lead through the first half of the scheduled 12-round bout. Then, in round seven, Foran surprises Crowley with a wild overhand right. Crowley topples to the canvas but is able to resume after arising at the count of seven. Then, in the very next round, the bleeding from Foran’s cut becomes too difficult to control, leading to an early halt. The scorecards are tallied, and – despite the knockdown – Crowley is able to retain the belt via a UTD 8 (68-64, 67-65, 68-64) and runs his career record to 25-18-7 (13) as a result. Foran slips to 23-8-3 (11) and is hoping for another title shot after his eye heals.

July 9, 1938: Next card is back in the States at Atlantic City’s Convention Hall. Headliner is an NABF LH title bout, preceded by two top BWs in a 10-round, non-title affair. The protagonists in the co-feature are ex-WBA Champ and current LABF BW titleholder Panama Al Brown, who faces his USBA counterpart, K. O. Morgan. It is the first meeting of the two. Panama Al gets on top early in round three when he connects with a hook to the head that forces Morgan to cover up. By the end of the round, there is a noticeable trace of swelling under the right eye of Morgan. Both men step up the pace, mixing it up on the inside in round five. Brown continues to dominate the action, taking round seven. In round eight, Brown is called for holding and hitting. Morgan becomes more and more aggressive in the final three rounds, but Brown’s defense remains solid. UD 10 for Brown (98-92, 96-93, 97-92), who moves to 57-10-1 (20) with the win, his 10^th in a row. Brown, unbeaten since 1934, remains the #1 BW contender. Morgan, now 27-10-5 (10), has the USBA title to fall back on. Main event matches John Henry Lewis with Tony Shucco for Lewis’ NABF LH title belt. One prior meeting, back in 1934, resulted in a DQ win for Lewis. This time around, for some unexplicable reason, Lewis comes out a bit flat, and Shucco is able to build an early points advantage with some solid boxing and defensive skills. Lewis, with an uncharacteristic sluggish performance, is unable to respond, and Shucco goes on to take a UD 12 (117-112, 118-112, 117-112) to take the title from Lewis in an upset. Post-fight marks: Shucco, 29-10 (11); Lewis, 23-5-2 (18).

July 15, 1938: Friday night card at Manila’s Rizal Arena. Card is sponsored by the OPBF organization, as an OPBF title bout headlines the agenda. There is a 10-round co-feature matching two former WBA WW Champions, American Ruby Goldstein and Aussie Jack Carroll, in a rematch of their 1937 WBA title bout that ended in a TKO win for Carroll. This time around, both are at Post-Prime as Goldstein seeks to avenge the earlier loss. In round three, Carroll breaks through, decking Goldstein with a big hook that puts Ruby down for an eight count. Goldstein covers up, but is vulnerable to a second KD later in the round. Then, in round five, the tables are turned as it is Goldstein who stuns Carroll with a straight right. Goldstein’s killer instinct kicks in, and he finishes the Aussie with a nice combination. Good action bout, knockdowns for both sides, ending in a KO 5 for Goldstein. Post-fight career marks: Goldstein, 40-12-4 (25); Carroll, 38-20-5 (14). Then, in the main event, the OPBF MW title is on the line, as Ceferino Garcia defends against a familiar foe, Aussie Ron Richards. In a prior bout, on Richards’ home turf in Australia, Richards took a SD 12 for the belt, back in 1932. Early in the bout, Richards suffers a cut over his forehead that hampers his progress. Garcia is able to land repeatedly, and is up by three (59-56) on the unofficial card halfway through the bout. Richards tries to be more aggressive but, in round seven, the cut is reopened and the bleeding affects the challenger’s vision, leading to an immediate stoppage. TKO 7 win for Garcia, who moves to 37-18-2 (23) with the win and is actively campaigning for a WBA title shot. The loss leaves Richards at 32-11-2 (23).

[JCWeb]

Ring action from the second half of July 1938, covering a total of 56 bouts. Two WBA title bouts are included in this report.

July 16, 1938: Action is back in Europe at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. No title bouts on the agenda, but a pair of interesting non-title bouts headline the card. In the first of these, Fortunato Ortega takes on Ernst Weiss in a matchup of two top 10 Flyweights. Bad luck for Ortega, who suffers a cut over his right eye in the second round. The cut remains a lingering problem throughout the bout, finally leading to a stoppage in the final round. It goes into the books as a TKO 10 for Weiss, pushing his career totals to 22-4-1 (8). Ortega drops to 22-7-4 (12) after the loss. In the second co-feature, Henry Armstrong – still frustrated in his efforts to arrage a WBA title bout in either the LW or WW divisions, settles for an encounter with the newly-crowned EBU WW Champ, Bep Van Klaveren. The bout turns out to be a very one-sided affair, with the ref stepping in to rescue the Dutch fighter from further punishment. TKO 4 for Armstrong, who improves to 29-2-2 (23) with the win. Van Klaveren ends up at 26-11-5 (11) after the loss.

July 16, 1938: Back to the States for an excellent card at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. In the main support, it is the first meeting of Jersey Joe Walcott and Max Baer, two HW contenders seeking to recover from recent losses. Walcott is on top early, scoring heavily in the opening round, with Walcott sustaining a cut over his left eye. Walcott continues to dominate the action in round two, then finishes matters with a huge shot in round three that puts Baer down and out. The KO 3 runs Walcott’s record to 33-5 (21) overall. Baer slips to 26-12 (25) with the loss. Then, in the main event, the NABF LW title is up for grabs as Frankie Klick defends against “Kaintuck Colonel” Cecil Payne. The two met before, back in 1932, with Payne taking a MD 10 but, more recently, Payne has slipped to Post-Prime career stage. Klick starts well and builds an early points lead. Payne is unable to mount a sustained rally and, in a bout with no cuts or knockdowns, Klick coasts to a comfortable UD 12 (119-111, 118-112, 117-113) to retain the title and move into the top LW contender spot. Post-bout career marks: Klick, 37-15-6 (13); Payne, 39-11-4 (8).

July 22, 1938: Next is a rare Friday night card at London’s Harringay Arena. Double barrel title action in the co-featured bouts. First up is GBU Flyweight Champ Benny Lynch, who defends against Jimmy Gill. Lynch won a prior title bout against this same challenger in 1937, but this time around he has hit Post-Prime career stage. The bout remains close through the first four rounds, Gill pulls out a slight lead by doing well in rounds five and six. In round seven, Lynch becomes more aggressive, and he stuns Gill with a big uppercut. The bout remains close into the final few rounds, with Lynch pulling ahead as both men are exhausted by the end, with Gill sporting a swollen right eye. Lynch, aided by some favorable judging, take a MD 12 (117-111, 116-112, 115-113) to run his record to 29-6 (16); Gill ends the bout at 22-5-3 (10). The second title bout matches Lou Brouillard with Jock McAvoy for Brouillard’s Commonwealth MW title. Not much action until round five when Brouillard drops McAvoy with a short, clean combination; Brouillard leads by two (58-56) on the unofficial card at the midway point of the bout. However, McAvoy exhibits superior stamina and gradually wears down Brouillard in the later stages of the bout, causing some swelling around the right eye of Brouillard. End result is a UD 12 for McAvoy (115-113, 116-112, 114-113) to regain the title he held back in 1931-32. Post-fight marks: 31-12-4 (21) for Toles; 28-10-2 (13) for Brouillard.

July 23, 1938: Heavyweight action tops the card at New York City’s Yankee Stadium, with top British fighters coming to America for both the main event and co-feature. Both the “British Brown Bomber,” Tommy Martin, and the WBA HW Champ, the real “Brown Bomber,” Joe Louis, are on the agenda, topping the card. In the co-feature, Martin takes on veteran HW contender King Levinsky in a 10-rounder. Martin outboxes Levinsky in the early round to forge a slight points lead at the halfway point (48-47 on the unofficial card). By the end of round six, Levinsky is showing signs of wear and tear, with some swelling appearing under his right eye. Martin adopts a more defensive posture in the later rounds, and he is rewarded with a MD 10 verdict (97-93, 95-95, 97-93), as one of the three judges may have been influenced by the pro-Levinsky crowd. Post-fight, Martin improves to 23-3-1 (14) while Levinksy slips to 28-13-1 (14). In the main event, Louis is making his ninth title defense, facing British vet Tommy Farr for the WBA HW title. First meeting of the two (in real life, Farr actually went the distance with Joe). Louis takes charge from the opening round, building a solid lead in the punches landed stats. By round four, Farr is battered and bruised, with a trace of swelling appering under his left eye. Louis follows up on a big round four by targeting Farr’s damaged eye in round five, and manages to land a big shot that puts Farr down and out. KO 5 for Louis for his ninth successive title defense win, all inside the distance. Louis remains unbeaten at 25-0 (23). Farr, now 41-13-2 (15), still has the Commonmwealth HW title to fall back on.

July 29, 1938: Next is an abbreviated card at Johannesburg, South Africa, headlined by Commonwealth LW Champ Laurie Stevens, who defends that belt in front of a hometown crowd. But, first up as a 10-round co-feature with two top 10 LHs, with Gus Lesnevich facing Gustave Roth. The two boxers do battle, and Lesnevich – the more active of the two – pulls ahead in the middle rounds. Roth, trailing, begins to pick up the pace in round seven, but a round later, he suffers a cut over his left eye that prevents any progress. The bout goes the distance, with Lesnevich taking a well-earned UD 10 (96-94, 98-92, 98-92) over a veteran opponent (Roth being a former EBU LH titleholder). The win lifts Lesnevich to 24-2-1 (14) overall; Roth drops to 37-13-2 (13) with the loss. Then, Stevens – cheered on by a boisterous crowd – takes to the ring against Jack Kid Berg, against whom he battled to a draw in a 1937 title defense of this same CBU LW title. Berg is able to keep Stevens at bay for the first few rounds, building a slight points edge. Stevens responds by rocking the challenger with a big hook in round six. Berg, however, remains on target, while putting forth a strong defense. Stevens, not on his best form, begins to tire as early as round eight. In the later rounds, noticeable swelling under his right eye also hampers the defending Champ, enabling Berg, the “Whitechapel Whirlwind,” to lift the belt via a UD 12 (115-114, 118-113, 117-113). Post-fight marks: Berg, 37-13-5 (14); Stevens, 20-4-1 (15).

July 30, 1938: The month wraps with a very solid card in Mexico City. Popular WBA FW Champion Baby Arizmendi is set to defend his title in front of hometown fans, but first up are a couple of non-title bouts involving Latino fighters. In the first of these, BW Sixto Escobar faces a familiar foe, Raul Casanova. Escobar won both prior encounters but this one is on Casanova’s home turf. Escobar puts on a solid boxing performance to repeat his earlier successes, while Casanova has to deal with severe cut and swollen right eye from round four onward. This equates to a UD 10 win for Escobar (97-93, 99-92, 99-92) in a bout where he was not seriously threatened by the Mexican fighter. Post-fight marks: Escobar, 28-6-1 (10); Casanova, 23-5-1 (14). The second co-feature matches up two LWs, a former LABF LW titleholder, Chino Alvarez, with Pedro Montanez, a Puerto Rican fighter. Montanez carries a very slim points edge into the second half of the bout. In round seven, Alvarez is cut over his left eye; a round later, Alvarez’s other eye begins to show signs of swelling. In round nine, a short clean uppercut from Montanez puts Alvarez down for a six-count. End result: UD 10 for Montanez (96-94, 97-92, 97-92), although the scores on one card were a bit closer than one might have predicted. Post-fight career marks: Montanez, 28-6 (16); Alvarez, 31-9-3 (19). Then, in the main event, Arizmendi faces Petey Sarron for the WBA FW title. The bout is close for the opening two rounds, then Arizmendi moves inside and takes round three. The Mexican Champ skillfully mixes up an inside and outside attack to pull ahead after five (but only by one, 48-47, on the unofficial ringside observer’s card). After a big round seven for the Champ, cheered on by a raucous hometown crowd, Sarron’s left eye begins to exhibit signs of swelling in round eight. However, Sarron has also landed some blows as well, and a trace of swelling under the right eye of the Champ that begins to appear in round nine is testament to that fact. In fact, a rally by Sarron closes the gap to even (95-all) on the unofficial card, with just five rounds remaining. Sarron continues to apply pressure, but his late surge falls just short, as Arizmendi is able to convince two of three judges in a razor-thin SD 15 win (141-144, 143-142, 143-142). Arizmendi improves to 36-7-2 (10) with the win, while Sarron slips to 32-17-6 (8) after the loss. Sarron’s connections are pushing for a rematch, somewhere in the States, but it remains to be seen if a deal can be struck.

[JCWeb]

Ring action from the first half of August 1938, covering a total of 51 bouts, including one WBA title bout.

Aug. 5, 1938: First up is an abbreviated Friday night card at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. No title bouts are on tap, but the headliner is a non-title affair matching Pete DeGrasse, Canadian CBU FW Champion, against his OPBF counterpart, Japan’s Tsuneo Horiguchi. Horiguchi assumes the role of aggressor from the early rounds, but it is DeGrasse who is able to build an early points edge, bolstered by the support of the home crowd. In round six, DeGrasse sustains a cut over his right eye, and then Horiguchi is able to land a big shot, putting the Canadian down in round seven. Later in the round, the Japanese fighter follows up with a combination to score a second KD. In the end, though, it is not enough as DeGrasse escapes with a SD 10 verdict (95-93, 94-95, 95-93), aided by some hometown judging that is enough to overcome the two knockdowns by Horiguchi. DeGrasse improves to 35-14-3 (9) with the win. Horiguchi’s fourth career setback leaves him at 21-4 (14).

Aug. 6, 1938: Back to Europe and the Sports Palace in Rome for the next card, with a rematch for the EBU Flyweight title headling the agenda. Emil Pladner gives ex-Champ Istvan Enekes a rematch after taking the belt earlier in the year via a controversial DQ call. This time, there is no controversy as Enekes crafts an early advantage that grows as the bout wears on, with Pladner bothered by a swollen right eye from the midway point. The end is a fairly solid UD 12 win for Enekes (117-111, 117-111, 120-111), enabling him to regain the belt over the overmatched and Post-Prime Pladner. Post-fight career marks: Enekes, 31-6-1 (10); Pladner, 31-21-2 (10). With this win, Enekes puts himself in a position to seek another WBA title bout with long-standing Fly kingpin, Midget Wolgast.

Aug. 6, 1938: Next is a solid card at Chicago’s Comiskey Stadium, with the feature matching ex-WBA MW Champ Ken Overlin with unbeaten young MW prospect Aaron Wade, who is a perfect 20-0, now making his first career start at Prime. The action in the early rounds favors the more experienced Overlin, and by round five, Wade is suffering from a welt under his left eye. Wade tries to become more aggressive in the later rounds, but Overlin’s defense remains solid, No cuts or knockdowns as Overlin goes on to take a fairly routine UD 10 (98-92 on all three cards). With the win, Overlin improves to 33-3-4 (12) and re-establishes his credentials as a leading MW contender. Wade’s first career setback leaves him at 20-1 (11).

Aug. 12, 1938: Friday night card at Havana’s Gran Stadium, and featured is an LABF FW title matchup between Filio Julian Echevarria, the defending Champion and hometown fighter, and Venezuela challenger Enrique Chafferdet. Echevarria enters the bout with a prior UD win, back in 1931. Echevarria starts well and carries a slight lead into the middle rounds. However, the bout turns suddenly in round eight when a severe gash appears over the right eye of the Champion. Then, in round nine, Chafferdet is also cut over his right eye, and he falls victim to a shot, clean uppercut from the Champ, putting Chafferdet down for a count of nine. In the final two rounds, Echevarria retreats into a defensive shell, while an all-out assault by the challenger produces results, and right before the final bell Echevarria’s knees buckle as a three-punch combination from Chafferdet finds its target. Taking the last two rounds, Echevarria is able to steal the belt, winning a controversial SD 12 (115-112, 112-115, 114-113) that does not sit well with the Cuban crowd. Post-fight career marks: Chafferdet, 34-15-7 (10); Echevarria, 31-12-4 (12).

Aug. 13, 1938: Back in the states for a packed card at Miami. No titles at stake, but twin co-features with some new talent on display as well as two top 10 WW contenders. In the first co-feature, two unbeaten MW prospects do battle as Charley Burley faces Mike DeJohn. Early edge to Burley, who decides to go on the offensive in round four, dropping DeJohn with a hook for a nine-count, then following up with a straight right that leads to an immediate stoppage to save DeJohn from further punishment. TKO 4 for Burley, who is now 14-0 (13) while DeJohn’s first career loss leaves him at 12-1-1 (9). Second co-feature sees Young Corbett III taking on Jimmy Garrison, with both hoping that a win would put the winner in position for a title shot. Turns out to be a kind of a boring, defensive battle as two skilled boxers in the ring do not allow for much in the way of action. The only notable event is a cut over the left eye, suffered by Garrison in round five. The bout goes the distance, and the end result – a draw (96-95 Corbett, 95-96 Garrison, 95-95) – seems appropriate. It took a late surge from Garrison to secure the draw. Post-fight marks: Corbett, 52-15-6 (12); Garrison, 22-1-1 (2).

Aug. 13, 1938: To the West Coast for a card headlined by a WBA Flyweight title bout at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Midget Wolgast is making his 19^th title defense against challenger Frankie Genaro, an aging veteran who twice before faced Wolgast, back in 1933, with Wolgast taking a UD 15 after being held to a draw in the first bout. Wolgast moves inside in round three, applying constant pressure and a smothering defense that puts the Champion squarely in command. After five rounds, the unofficial ringside observer has Wolgast pitching a shutout (50-45). More of the same for the next five rounds, with Wolgast putting on a boxing exhibition, gradually wearing down Genaro. By the late rounds, Genaro is sporting a rapidly swelling left eye. The outcome is a foregone conclusion: another one-sided UD 15 for Wolgast (149-136, 148-137, 149-136). Wolgast moves to 46-5-1 (18) with another successful title defense, while Genaro – who will be at End career stage from now on – slips to 49-18-6 (19) with the loss.

[JCWeb]

Ring action from the second half of August 1938, covering a total of 51 bouts, including two WBA title bouts.

Aug. 19, 1938: A really stellar card for the Friday night fights “Down Under” in Melbourne, Australia, with a WBA title clash preceded by a non-title bout matching two top veteran HWs as Tommy Loughran faces Larry Gains. It is the first meeting of the two, and an early cut over the left eye (sustained in round four) hampers Gains, enabling Loughran to compile a slim early lead (48-47 through the first five rounds). By round seven, Gains also begins to suffer from a swollen left eye. Despite running low on stamina, Gains is able to mount a late surge in the last two rounds, rocking Loughran with a straight right in round nine. Loughran remains upright and covers up to last the round. The end result is a close but UD 10 (96-95 on all three cards) for Loughran. Post-fight records: Loughran, 61-11-4 (20); Gains, 44-14 (25), with Gains moving to Post-Prime with his next outing. Then, in the feature, Jimmy McLarnin defends his WBA WW title against #1 contender and LABF WW Champ, Cocoa Kid. Kid, the challenger, is confident based on the fact that he took a MD 10 for McLarnin back in 1937, plus the fact that the Canadian veteran is now at Post-Prime career stage. Both men seem content to box on the outside for most of the early going. In round three, the challenger scores well and pulls ahead to an early points lead. McLarnin looks a bit slow and lethargic, yet the unofficial ringside scorer has him ahead, 48-47, after the first five rounds. McLarnin seems to warm to the occasion in the middle rounds, getting on track with a big round seven that sees Kid in retreat, ending with a rapidly swelling left eye as the Champ’s punches are on target. Round eight also goes to McLarnin, who seems to have settled in and sliced into Kid’s early lead in punches landed. Kid moves to the inside in round nine, doing enough to cause McLarnin more problems. In round 10, McLarnin suffers a split lip, but the unofficial scorer still has the defending Champ ahead, this time by two, 96-94, heading into the final rounds of a very close title fight. After another close round in round 11, round 12 goes to the Champ. Cocoa Kid becomes more aggressive, dominating the action in round 13. Both men move inside in round 14, a good action round that also goes to the challenger. The bout comes down to the wire, and Kid continues to do well, repeating his earlier success to take a MD 15 (143-142, 143-143, 143-142) to claim the belt. The last three rounds made the difference, and Kid’s 11^th win in succession moves him to 34-4-2 (11) overall. McLarnin, who has definitely seen better days, is now 51-9-1 (24). Good fight-of-the-year candidate, despite the absence of any knockdowns.

Aug. 20, 1938: Back to Europe for a solid card at Cannes. French fighters headline the event, with an EBU title at stake but, in the co-feature, EBU FW Champ faces veteran Tommy Paul in a non-title affair. Not much in the way of action until Holtzer seizes control with a big round four, pulling ahead to an early points lead. No cuts or knockdowns the rest of the way as Holtzer’s lead holds up to enable the Frenchman to take a UD 10 (97-93, 96-94,m 97-93) over Paul, who is now at Post-Prime career stage. Post-fight career marks: Holtzer, 39-15-3 (13); Paul, 32-14-4 (8). Then, in the main event, unbeaten Marcel Cerdan takes on countryman Eduoard Tenet for the latter’s EBU MW title. Cerdan defeated Tenet once before, taking a UD 10 back in 1937, in a non-title contest, and is hoping to repeat that earlier success with the title on the line. The “Casablanca Clouter” announces his intentions early, when he didgs a hook to the midsection that stuns Tenet. Cerdan continues to carry the fight to his opponent, and by the midway point he is slightly ahead (58-57) on the unofficial card. Tenet begins to become more aggressive as the bout wears on, but by round eight he is sporting a welt under his right eye as a result of the blows landed by the challenger. Nonetheless, a late surge from the Champion makes the bout a close one, with Cerdan taking a MD 12 (117-111, 114-114, 116-113) to remain unbeaten and capture the title, rising to 21-0-1 (17) overall. Tenet slips to 33-20-7 (9) with the loss.

Aug. 20, 1938: Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis is the scene for the next fight action, with a USBA LW title matchup headlining the card. Lou Ambers, fresh off a draw with long-time WBA Champ Tony Canzoneri, is making the first defense of that belt, and his opponent is veteran LW Lew Kirsch, who has hit Post-Prime career stage. First meeting of the two, and both men are content to set up shop outside and trade blows from long distance for much of the early going. Ambers has the early edge and connects with the first telling blow in round five, putting Kirsch on the deck briefly. Big edge (59-54) for Ambers at the halfway point, according to the unofficial scorer. Kirsch tries to become more aggressive in the later rounds, but he is ineffective and all he ends up with is a swollen right eye. Ambers retains the belt, taking a lopsided UD 12 (119-108, 119-109, 119-108), clearly making his case for a rematch with the Champ, Canzoneri. Post-fight career marks: 26-1-1 (17) for Ambers; 30-16-3 (17) for Kirsch.

Aug. 26, 1938: Friday night card at St. Nick’s in New York City. No titles on the line, but the feature matches unbeaten HW prospect, 19-0 Abe Simon, with the #9 ranked HW, Lee Ramage, it what should prove to be Simon’s toughest test to date. Ramage has won his last three, moving into the top 10 with a upset win over the highly regarded Jersey Joe Walcott. Simon, the early aggressor, moves inside in round three but finds himself thwarted by some excellent defense from the crafty Ramage. Ramage builds a solid points lead which he carries into the final two rounds of the bout. Simon goes all-out for a knockout, but Ramage’s defense remains firm and the veteran goes on to take a UD 10 (98-93, 98-95, 98-93) to advance his career totals to 32-7-1 (11). For Simon, his first career loss leaves him at 19-1 (15), wrapping up the Pre-Prime stage of his career.

Aug. 27, 1938: Action is at the Earls Court in London, and in the main event, two British BWs meet for the WBA BW title. First meeting of the two, with the defending Champ, Johnny King, being accused of ducking a more difficult opponent (Panama Al Brown) to face easier opposition in the form of fellow countryman Benny Sharkey. It is Sharkey’s first WBA title shot, but unfortunately he faces an in-form King who has won his last four in a row. In round two, King drops Sharkey with a sharp uppercut. The challenger arises at the count of six, but this is only delaying the inevitable. King finishes Sharkey with a big hook in round three, putting the challenger down and out for good. KO 3 for King, running the Champ’s career record to 45-5-1 (18). The loss leaves Sharkey at 30-13-2 (17).

Aug. 27, 1938: Final card of the month, with Tiger Jack Fox defending his USBA LW crown at the headliner at Boston Garden, facing Pal Silvers, in Silvers’ first title shot of any kind. It is Fox’s third defense. The bout turns out to be a mismatch, with Fox dominating from the start, landing blow after unanswered blow until the ref is forced to call a halt midway through the third round, to save the challenger from further punishment. TKO 3 for Fox. Post-fight records: Fox, 42-4 (30); Silvers, 36-14-5 (15).

[JCWeb]

Ring action from the first half of September 1938, covering a total of 56 bouts.

Sep. 2, 1938: The month kicks off with a Friday night card at Atlantic City’s Convention Hall. No titles at stake, and only one bout of note – the main event which matches veteran LH Bob Olin with up-and-comer Billy Conn in Conn’s first bout at Prime career stage. Conn is coming off his first career loss, at the hands of Battling Bozo, while Olin is coming off a WBA title loss to Maxie Rosenbloom. Conn, the “Pittsburgh Kid,” sets up shop on the outside, and he builds a solid points lead. Olin is unable to break down Conn’s defenses, and he tires badly in the later rounds. Conn, confident of victory, retreats into a defensive shell in the final few rounds. The bout goes the distance, and Conn takes a UD 10 (98-92, 97-93, 99-91) to run his record to 18-1-2 (11). Olin drops to 31-12-2 (10) with the loss. With a big LH scalp added to his career slate of wins, Conn is now looking to challenge for a title belt.

Sep. 3, 1938: Next up is a solid card at Montreal, headlined by a NABF FW title contest, with Freddie Miller defending that belt against challenger Chalky Wright. Miller holds two prior wins over Wright, back in 1930 and 1933. Miller performs well, pulling out a slight lead after the first four rounds. Big round five for Miller, but Wright turns things around with a huge round six. During the second half of the bout, Wright steps up the pace, becoming more aggressive. A solid cross from Wright drops Miller in round eight. Wright, however, cannot follow up, and Miller continues to compile a points landed advantage. The bout goes down to the wire, and Miller escapes with a SD 12 (112-115, 114-113, 115-112) after taking the last round on two cards to retain the belt. Post-bout records: Miller, 35-9-1 (15); Wright, 29-10-4 (14).

Sep. 9, 1938: Friday night action is in Europe, at the Cirkusbygningen Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark. Veteran Flyweight and former WBA Champion, now at the twilight of his career, Fidel LaBarba, journeys across the Atlantic to take on UK’s Tiny Bostock. LaBarba looks sharp early but Bostock does well to keep the bout close through the first four rounds. Bostock has a big round five, but LaBarba rebounds quickly, winning the outside exchanges to take round six. Bostock tries to become more aggressive in the later rounds, but LaBarba hangs on for a narrow UD 10 victory (96-95 on all cards) to wind up an impressive career with a win, for a cumulative record of 44-14-1 (10). Bostock, whose late surge – winning the final round – fell just short, is now 19-8 (7).

Sep. 10, 1938: Next up is a card at the Stadium in Liverpool, UK. British Featherweight title is on the line in the main event, with Dave Crowley defending versus first-time title challenger Frank Parkes, who has wrapped up his Pre-Prime career with a stellar 19-1 record and is now making his first start at Prime in a title effort. Parkes, the challenger, gets off to a slow start but manages to keep the bout close through the opening four rounds. Parkes begins to find his range and pulls ahead in the middle rounds. Big round seven for Parkes, who eases off a bit down the stretch. Crowley tries to become more aggressive in the later rounds but comes up a bit short as Parkes takes a UD 12 (116-112, 117-112, 116-113) to lift the belt. Post-fight career marks: 20-1 (14) for Parkes; 25-19-1 (13) for Crowley.

Sep. 10, 1938: Seattle’s Sicks Stadium is the venue for the next fistic action. Again, just one bout of note, but it is for the USBA MW title, with Johnny “Bandit” Romero defending against challenger Young Terry, aka “the Trenton Terror.” Terry holds a prior win over Romero but is now at Pre-Prime career stage and therefore less of a threat to take the belt. In round two, Terry goes down after a flurry of blows but it is ruled a slip, not a knockdown. After the first four rounds, Terry holds a slight points edge but Romero rebounds with a big round five. By the end of the sixth, a mouse has formed under the right eye of Terry. Then, in round eight, a solid combination puts Terry down. Romero follows up with a barrage of blows to deliver the coup-de-grace. KO 8 for Romero, who improves to 36-12 (23) and is hoping to use this bout as a springboard to a WBA title shot. The loss leaves Terry at 34-19-4 (10).

Sep. 16, 1938: Friday night card at Havana’s Gran Stadium. Main event has ex-WBA FW Champ Kid Chocolate taking on American Frankie Covelli. Chocolate took a UD from Covelli in New Orleans back in 1936. Covelli has agreed to this fight on Cuban soil, knowing that Chocolate has hit Post-Prime career stage and may be beatable in a rematch. Chocolate starts slowly and seems off-form, enabling Covelli to take an early edge. By the midway point, the Cuban ex-Champ rallies and begins to apply more pressure to his defensive-minded opponent. In round seven, a cut is opened over Covelli’s right eye. In round eight, Chocolate is also cut over his right eye. Chocolate, behind most of the fight, manages to take the final round to secure a draw (95-96 Covelli, 96-96, 96-95 Chocolate). Post-fight records: Kid Chocolate, 35-7-7 (16); Covelli, 28-10-8 (7).

[JCWeb]

Ring action from the second half of September 1938, covering a total of 52 bouts. Two WBA title bouts are included.

Sep. 17, 1938: Back to Italy for a card at the Sports Palace in Rome. No titles on the line, but the main event features former WBA WW Champ Vittorio Venturi, in his return to the ring after losing the title, against American Izzy Jannazzo, who is looking to move up in the rankings. First meeting of the two. Venturi seems to have the upper hand in the early going, but Jannazzo battles back to keep the bout close. By round seven, there is a trace of swelling under the left eye of the Italian ex-Champ. Aggression from Jannazzo pays off, and the American surges ahead in rounds seven and eight. Venturi goes on the offensive in the last two rounds, but he falls just short as Jannazzo takes a razor-thin UD 10 (96-95, 97-94, 96-95) to run his career record to 25-3 (13). The loss leaves Venturi at 42-14-7 (11).

Sep. 17, 1938: It’s fight night in Chicago with a huge card lined up, headlined by the long-awaited WBA LW title matchup between Tony Canzoneri and Henry Armstrong. First up is a supporting non-title bout that features ex-WBA BW Champ Pete Sanstol, facing rising American BW Georgie Pace. First meeting of the two, and Pace assumes the role of aggressor. Solid defense from Sanstol enables the ex-Champ to compile an early punches landed advantage. As the bout wears on, Pace is unable to make much impression on Sanstol. Sanstol retreats into a defensive shell in the final two rounds en route to a UD 10 (98-92, 98-92, 97-93) to improve to 30-10-4 (9) overall. Pace drops to 20-6-1 (16). Then, time for the long-awaiting title matchup between Canzoneri, “the Roman Warrior,” and “Homicide Hank” Armstrong for Canzoneri’s WBA LW title. Not much action in the opening round. Both men trade blows on the outside in round two, essentially an even round. Armstrong moves inside in round three, pulling ahead slightly due to his aggressiveness. Canzoneri tries his luck on the inside in round four, but strong defense from Armstrong wins the round for the challenger. The toe-to-toe action in round five favors Canzoneri, as Armstrong comes away with a slight mouse under his right eye. Unofficial card has Canzoneri up by two (49-47) at this point. In round six, Armstrong lands the heavier blows. Canzoneri bounces back with a strong showing in round seven. Armstrong presses the action by moving inside in round eight. Canzoneri takes round nine, pulling ahead in the punches landed stat. Armstrong presses the action in round 10, going for the KO. With five rounds left, Canzoneri holds a narrow lead (96-95) on the unofficial card. Armstrong continues to press the attack, taking round 12 by a narrow margin and forcing Canzoneri to dig deep into his reserves. Canzoneri seems to be winning round 13 but is warned for rabbit-punching. Armstrong continues his aggressive posture in round 14, and launches an all-out effort in round 15. Canzoneri’s defense remains solid, and he manages to retain the belt with a SD 15 victory (144-142, 142-143, 143-142) by taking the last two rounds to record his 24^th successive title defense, pushing his Perf Point total into the stratosphere, at 2040. Post-bout records: Canzoneri, 47-4-4 (17); Armstrong, 29-3-2 (23). Instant Fight-of-the-Year candidate. Fight fans are clamoring for a rematch, but Armstrong’s connections are talking about arranging a WBA title matchup in the WW division.

Sep. 23, 1938: South of the Border for a Friday night fight card in Mexico City. Main event features two Mexican fighters battling for the LABF WW title, vacated by Cocoa Kid, who recently captured the WBA WW belt. Veteran Battling Shaw, a former JWW, takes on Kid Azteca for the vacant belt. Shaw pulls ahead to a slight early lead. However, by round five, Azteca has evened the score, causing some slight swelling under the left eye of Shaw. Azteca gets stronger as the bout wears on, mounting a convincing rally. In round 10, he stuns Shaw with a hook to the body and manages to hang on to take a UD 12 win (116-112, 116-112, 117-111), overcoming a slow start to capture the vacant title. Post-fight, Azteca moves to 25-10-1 (13), while Shaw ends up the bout at 27-14-4 (13).

Sep. 24, 1938: To London for the next fight card. In the co-feature, OPBF MW Champ Ceferino Garcia faces long-time top MW contender Vince Dundee in a 10-round, non-title affair. First meeting of the two, and Garcia starts slowly, suffering from a rapidly swelling left eye as early as round two. However, by the halfway point, Garcia pulled ahead with a punches landed and points lead (48-47 on the unofficial card). Garcia remained aggressive in the later rounds and was rewarded with a narrow UD 10 victory (96-94 on all three cards). Post-fight marks: Garcia, 38-18-2 (23); Dundee, 43-16-4 (17). Then, in the main event, Jack Kid Berg defends his Commonwealth LW title against the reigning GBU LW Champ, Harry Mizler. Turns out to be a one-sided affair as Berg gradually builds an unassailable points lead, stifling any efforts by Mizler to make the bout competitive. UD 12 for Berg (120-109, 120-110, 120-110) to retain the belt. Post-fight career marks: 38-13-5 (14) for Berg; 19-8-3 (5) for Mizler.

Sep. 24, 1938: Big card at New York City. Headliner is a WBA title bout, amply supported by a USBA title matchup, with a meeting of two top LH prospects – Archie Moore and Lloyd Marshall – serving as the preliminary to these two title contests. Marshall outs Moore in the first three rounds to build a slight edge; Archie bounces back with a big round four, putting Marshall on the defensive. Late in round five, Marshall drops Moore with a cross. Archie arises at the count of two, and is able to shake off the effects of the KD, recovering with a big round six. As the bout wears into the later rounds, Marshall is unable to repeat his earlier success. In the final round, Moore stuns Marshall with a big hook and is able to secure a draw (95-95, 96-94 Moore, 94-97 Marshall) despite the one trip to the canvas. Post-fight career marks: Moore, 13-1-1 (12); Marshall 12-0-1 (12). In the co-feature, Roscoe Toles puts his USBA HW title on the line, facing a tough challenger in Jersey Joe Walcott. It is Toles’ first defense of the belt he won from Art Lasky, and Walcott is confident of unseating Toles, having taken a UD 10 in one prior bout back in 1934. Walcott gradually pulls ahead in the earlier rounds, forcing Toles to battle from behind. After Toles takes round eight, Walcott squelches Toles’ attempted rally by scoring with a big left in round nine. By the end of round 10, Toles is battling fatigue and a swollen left eye. In round 11, more trouble for Toles who suffers a cut over the other eye. Walcott eases up in the final round, coasting to a UD 12 (117-111 on all three cards) to lift the belt, improving his career stats to 34-5 (21) overall; Toles ends the bout at 27-5-3 (6). Finally, it is time for the main event, which sees Maxie Rosenbloom take to the ring, defending his WBA LH title against NABF LH titleholder Tony Shucco. Prior win (TKO 6 in 1936) for Rosenbloom. Early edge in this one to “Slapsie Maxie,” who delivers a solid boxing exhibition for the first six rounds. In rounds seven through nine, Shucco battles back to close the gap. The unofficial scorer even has the challenger ahead (96-95) after 10 rounds. In round 11, Rosenbloom is cut under this left eye. With the title hanging in the balance, Rosenbloom goes on the offensive in the final few rounds. Cut is reopened in round 13. Rosenbloom surges ahead with a strong showing in rounds 12 through 14, which is enough to win the fight: UD 15 for Rosenbloom (144-141, 144-142, 145-141). Fifth title defense in succession, leaving Rosenbloom at 46-12-6 (18). Shucco slips to 29-11 (11) after the loss. Unfortunately, Rosenbloom’s next outing will not be until 1939, when he will be at Post-Prime career stage.

Sep. 30, 1938: The month wraps with a Friday night card at Manila’s Rizal Arena. Twin-billed OPBF title bout action headlines the agenda. In the first of the co-main events, two Filipinos do battle for the OPBF BW title, currently held by Little Pancho. Little Pancho’s opponent is Pablo Dano, a former WBA BW titleholder. Prior meetings ended in a UD for Dano and a draw (back in 1933, when Dano was WBA Champion). This time around, Dano suffers a cut over his right eye in the third round, and the cut proves decisive in the outcome. Dano has his moments in round five, putting Pancho down with a wild overhand right. Pancho takes a six-count and then continues, but Dano takes a slight points lead (58-56 according to the unofficial card) into the second half of the bout. Then, in round nine, the cut is reopened, and an immediate halt is order. TKO 9 for Pancho on the cuts stoppage, improving his career mark to 33-7-5 (9). Dano ends the bout at 33-11-5 (15). In the second co-feature, for the OPBF FW title, Japan’s Tsuneo Horiguchi puts that title on the line against Filipino Varias Milling. Milling tries to keep up, but he is badly outmatched and, by the end of round four, is showing the effects with a rapidly swelling right eye. Milling goes down in the fifth in a delayed reaction to a combination from Horiguchi. Horiguchi builds up a huge points lead and coasts to the finish, taking a UD 12 (117-110, 117-110, 116-111) to retain the title. Post-fight career marks: Horiguchi, 22-4 (4); Milling, 26-15-7 (9).

[JCWeb]

Ring action from the first half of October 1938, covering a total of 53 bouts. One WBA title bout is included in this report.

Oct. 1, 1938: The month’s action commences with a card at Uline Arena in Washington, D. C. Headliner is a USBA BW title bout with K. O. Morgan defending against Star Frisco. The two have not met before, and it is Frisco’s first try for a title of any kind. Morgan is the aggressor in the early going and quickly piles up a large lead (59-55 by the halfway point, according to the unofficial scorer). Frisco picks up the pace in the second half, but he is forced to endure the last few rounds with a swollen left eye. Solid defense from Morgan enables him to withstand a late onslaught and retain the title via a UD 12 (116-113, 115-113, 118-110) to run his career record to 28-10-5 (16). Frisco drops to 20-8-1 (7).

Oct. 7, 1938: It’s a Friday fight night at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. No titles at stake, but the main event pairs two ranked WW contenders: Jimmy Garrison and King Tut. First meeting of the two, with Garrison having been somewhat untested thus far despite having compiled an impressive 22-1-1 record. In the opening round, King Tut delivers a big cross that stuns Garrison, forcing the latter to cover up. Bout remains close at the halfway point. In round seven, both men are cut: Garrison is cut over his right eye, while Tut is cut under the right eye. Garrison appears to be carrying a slight edge into the later rounds, but Tut comes out ahead by winning the last three rounds to take a UD 10 (96-94, 97-94, 96-94). Post-bout records: Tut. 33-14-4 (19); Garrison, 22-2-1 (2).

Oct. 8, 1938: Next card is at the Sportpalast in Berlin, Germany. Two titled LH contenders collide in a non-title affair, as CBU Champ Charley Belanger takes on Adolf Heuser, the newly-crowned EBU Champion. The action is slow to develop in the opening few rounds, but Heuser pulls ahead with a strong showing in rounds three and four. In round three, Heuser suffers a cut under his right eye. Belanger, trailing on points, becomes gradually more aggressive and mounts a strong rally in rounds seven and eight. Then, in the final round, the Canadian lands a wild overhead right to put Heuser down and out for a miraculous KO 10 comeback win. Post-fight, Belanger moves to 40-18 (19), while Heuser ends up the bout at 31-8-1 (16).

Oct. 14, 1938: Friday night “Down Under” fight card in Sydney, Australia. The feature veteran Jack Carroll defending his Commonwealth WW title against fellow Aussie Jack McNamee. It is the first defense of this belt in over two years. The two met previously, back in 1936, for the OPBF WW title, with Carroll coming out on top (via a UD). This time around, McNamee takes advantage of the fact that Carroll is at Post-Prime, and Carroll struggles with a cut over his right eye that appeared in round four. McNamee pulls ahead to a slight points edge while Carroll’s corner remains preoccupied with the cut, which is reopened in round six. Carroll is also bothered by some noticeable swelling under the cut eye, and finally the ref calls a halt in the middle of round eight. TKO 8 for McNamee, who lifts the belt from the aging Carroll. Post-fight career marks: 21-5 (15) for McNamara; 38-21-5 (14) for Carroll.

Oct. 15, 1938: Big fight card in St. Louis: main event is a NABF title contest, preceded by a co-feature matching two top five LWs in a non-title matchup. Lou Ambers, current USBA LW Champ and #1 LW contender, faces his LABF counterpart, Tony Chavez, in a bout with neither title up for grabs. Ambers enters the bout having gone unbeaten in his last eight, including a draw with long-time WBA LW Champion Tony Canzoneri; Chavez has won his last two outings. Chavez moves in front with a big round four, but Ambers bounces back quickly to win the toe-to-toe exchanges in round five. Ambers then remains active, fighting outside mostly, to pull away in the second half to a fairly comfortable UD 10 win (98-92, 97-93, 97-93) to run his career record to an excellent 27-1-11 (17). The loss leaves Chavez at 25-6-1 (11). The feature bout sees an aging Barney Ross putting his NABF WW title on the line against challenger Eddie Dolan. This is a rematch of an inconclusive earlier meeting in January 1938 that ended in a draw, with Ross – now at Post-Prime – barely retaining the title. This time around, Dolan gets off to a strong start, taking an aggressive approach in the early going. By the midway point in round six, Dolan has landed enough telling blows to cause a trace of swelling to appear under the right eye of Ross. Ross takes a more offensive approach in the later rounds, and by the end of round 11, there is noticeable swelling under the right eye of Dolan. In the end, however, Dolan’s early lead holds up, enabling him to record a UD 12 (116-112, 116-112, 117-111) to take the title away from Ross. Post-fight career marks: Dolan, 26-5-4 (10); Ross, 32-9-3 (11).

Oct. 15, 1938: Mexico City is the scene for a WBA title clash, again involving Mexico’s first WBA Champion, Baby Arizmendi, who defends against fellow Latina fighter, Simon Chavez, who is not even ranked in the top 10 yet is the next challenger for Arizmendi’s WBA FW title. Chavez, thought to be an “easy” opponent for the Mexican Champ, proves to be anything but when he bloodies Arizmendi’s nose in the very opening round of the bout. As the bout progresses, the cut proves to be difficult to control, reopening a couple of times. Meanwhile, Arizmendi has landed some punishing blows of his own, causing puffiness under the left eye of Chavez as early as round two. Chavez, who appears overmatched in terms of the relative skill levels of the two, pins his hopes on a cuts stoppage and, to the dismay of the pro-Arizmendi crowd, the strategy pays off. After a trip to the ringside doctor, when the cut is reopened for a second time in round seven, the bout is called off. TKO 7 for Simon Chavez on the cuts stoppage. The win boosts the Venezuelan to 25-8-2 (6), while Arizmendi ends the bout at 36-8-2 (10), but he will have to wait for the cut to heal for a possible rematch some time in 1939.

[JCWeb]

Ring action from the second half of October 1938, covering a total of 59 bouts. Two WBA title bouts in this report, with one of them producing a shocking result.

Oct. 21, 1938: To the French Riviera for a card at the Palais de Sports in Cannes, France. Unbeaten and newly-crowned EBU MW Champ Marcel Cerdan, the “Casablanca Clouter,” faces his sternest test to date, taking on ex-WBA Champ Ken Overlin in 10-round, non-title affair. Cerdan, the aggressor, takes charge with a big round four. To-to-toe action in round five goes in favor of Overlin, the boxer, and Cerdan must contend with a mouse under his left eye. Prototypical boxer vs slugger matchup, which favors Overlin (49-47) at the midway point, according to the unofficial scorer. In rounds eight and nine, Cerdan ratchets up the pressure to close the gap. Overlin ends up with a swollen right eye as a result, and the bout goes the distance. Some hometown judging, but in the end it is ruled a majority draw (95-95 on two cards, 96-94 Cerdan from the French judge). Both men retain top five MW ranking status and excellent career records: 33-3-5 (12) for Overlin; 21-0-2 (17) for the still unbeaten Cerdan.

Oct. 22, 1938: Next is a big card at the Olympia in London, featuring a pair of title bouts. The main support matches two top 10 HWs, perennial contender Elmer “Kid Violent” Ray facing British Champ Tommy Martin, the “British Brown Bomber,” in a non-title affair. Midway through the opening round, Martin delivers a wake-up call in the form of a hard cross that forces Ray to cover up. Ray recovers quickly to dominate the action in round two, causing some initial swelling around the right eye of Martin, then moves inside to apply more pressure in round three. A hard hook later in round three forces Martin to cover up. At the outset of round five, Ray drops Martin with a hook to pull ahead (48-46) at the bout’s midway point. From then on, Martin is unable to offer much resistance and, after a brutal pummeling by Ray, the ref calls a halt in round eight to save Martin from further punishment. TKO 8 for Ray, running his career totals to 40-8 (26). Martin slips to 23-4-1 (14) with the loss. In the first of the twin title bouts, Tiny Bostock faces Jimmy Gill for the Commonwealth Flyweight title. Gill, who took a TKO in a prior bout back in 1935 (when both were at Pre-Prime), seizes control early, and by the end of the first four rounds, Bostock’s face is marked with a cut over his left eye and some major swelling under the right eye. Gill takes the first six rounds on the unofficial card, marching to a comfortable UD 12 win (118-110, 120-109, 119-109) after Bostock sustains a second cut, over the right eye, in round eight. Post-fight marks: Gill, 23-5-3 (10); Bostock, 19-9 (7). Second title bout to wrap up the card is for the GBU MW title, which has been dormant for over three years. Jock McAvoy, the “Rochdale Thunderbolt,” defends against Jack “Cast Iron” Casey; these same two met for this same title back in 1935, with McAvoy prevailing on a technical decision. Action in the opening round when McAvoy drops Casey with an uppercut; Casey bounces back up after taking a three-count. Then, in round three, Casey finds his range, staggering McVey with an uppercut. Again, in round five, a three-punch combo from the challenger stuns McVey, forcing the Champ to cover up. According to the unofficial scorer, Casey holds a razor-thin lead (57-56) at the midway point. Then, McAvoy rebounds with a huge round eight. More action in round 10 sees McAvoy come away with a cut forehead. Good cornerwork keeps the cut from becoming a serious impediment, and the bout goes down to the wire. McAvoy manages to keep the belt via a SD 12 (113-114, 114-113, 116-112) to run his record to 32-12-4 (21). Casey’s post-fight mark is an identical 32-12-4 (19), but with two fewer KO wins.

Oct. 22, 1938: Back in the USA for a well-supported WBA title bout, which sees the long awaited rematch between Joe Louis and his predecessor, Max Schmeling. First up, two chief supporting bouts, one featuring HWs and then a NABF MW title matchup featuring Tony Zale. In the first of these, veteran Joe Banovic faces Art Lasky, with Lasky on the comeback trail having lost his USBA HW title earlier in the year. A hook to the head from Banovic shakes up Lasky in the opening minute of the bout, and Lasky never recovers as Banovic dances out of the range most of the time. A gash over Lasky’s right eye in round eight is serious enough to warrant an immediate stoppage – TKO 8 for Banovic. Post-fight marks: Banovic, 37-14-2 (11); Lasky, 24-8-2 (24) – note all Lasky’s wins have been via the stoppage route. In the NABF MW title contest, Tony Zale. the Man of Steel,” defends against the “Battling Bellhop,” Freddie Apostoli; both men are 21-2 coming into the bout, with Zale having taken a UD when both were still at Pre-Prime, back in 1936. Action heats up near the end of the first round, when Apostoli drops Zale with a solid combination; Zale hits the deck but is saved by the bell. Big round two for Apostoli, who goes on the offensive in round three. Zale begins to battle back, and by the end of round five, there is a trace of swelling under the left eye of the challenger. Nonetheless, the unofficial card has Apostoli ahead (58-55) at the halfway point of the bout. Zale, touted as a likely future Champion, proves his mettle in round nine, when he lets loose with an overhand right that floors Apostoli for an eight-count. Zale’s killer instinct kicks in, and the “Man of Steel” is declared the winner via TKO 9 as the ref steps in to save Apostoli from futher punishment. The win lifts Zale to 22-2 (17), while the loss leaves Apostoli at 21-3 (18). Finally, in a bout that everyone has been anticipated, unbeaten WBA HW Champ Joe Louis faces Max Schmeling, the man he defeated in a close UD 15 to claim the title in 1936. Since that time, Louis has been an active Champion, making nine successful title defenses, winning all nine inside the distance. Schmeling, on the other hand, has gone 4-1-1 since, setting up the title rematch after winning the EBU HW title earlier in the year. This time, Louis gets off to a sluggish start, allowing Schmleing to take the opening two rounds. Then, in round three, Max lands a sharp combination to drop Louis for a count of three. Round four sees Schmeling as the aggressor, but it is essentially an even round. Round five, Louis suffers a cut forehead but does enough to win the round. At this point, the unofficial scorer has Schmeling up by three (49-46). Louis, blood streaming down from the cut, presses the action in round six. With the cut patched up, Louis goes on the attack in round seven. Schmeling begins to show the effects, with a cut and swollen right eye. Importantly, the cut over the challenger’s right eye is ruled the result of an accidental clash of heads. Round eight, Schmeling’s corner is able to patch up the cut, but it goes down as another round for Louis. In round nine, Louis moves inside while Schmeling stays on the outside. More blood pours down from the cut over Schmeling’s eye. The ref consults the ringside physician, and a halt is ordered. The bout goes to the scorecards and, as a result, Schmeling – still leading – is declared the winner via a close UTD 9 (76-75 on all three cards). Howls of protest from Louis’ corner and the pro-Louis crowd, as the momentum had swung in Joe’s favor. However, the result stands but a rematch – not to take place until 1939 – is ordered. In one of the most shocking results in recent times, Schmeling regains the title from Louis. Surprising and shocking to see Louis lose both his unbeaten career record and the title in a bout where his opponent was cut! Post-fight career marks stand at 46-5-1 (31) for Schmeling, and now 25-1 (23) for Louis.

Oct. 28, 1938: Another WBA title bout headlines an abbreviated card at Manila’s Rizal Arena. First up on the Friday night card ia a non-title bout matching two BWs, ex-WBA Champion and home crowd favorite Speedy Dado with current FBU Champ Baltazar Sangchili. Sangchili proves to be the more aggressive of the two in the early going, but in round four, Sangchili is cut over his left eye, a cut that is ruled the result of an accidental head butt (something seen in the previous WBA title match). This time the cut has little impact on the outing, and Dado rallies to secure a narrow SD 10 win (95-96, 96-95, 97-94) after Sangchili was slowed by a second cut under his right eye. Post-bout career records: Dado, 35-16-2 (14); Sangchili, 32-10 (18). Then, in the feature, longtime WBA Flyweight Champ Midget Wolgast makes his 20^th defense of the title he won back in 1931, facing reigning OPBF Fly Champ and crowd favorite Small Montana. Montana challenged Wolgast once before, back in 1936, coming away as a late round (14^th) TKO victim. This time, both men work on the inside effectively, with Wolgast taking an early lead then gradually building up a solid punches landed edge that translates into a huge points advantage as the bout wears on. In rounds seven and eight, Montana tries to move inside, with limited success. By round nine, there is swelling under the right eye of the challenger. With five rounds left, Wolgast has a solid lead (97-93) on the unofficial card. Round 12, it is Wolgast who is sporting a swollen right eye. In the last three rounds, the Champ retreats into a defensive shell and, in the end, he is rewarded with a fairly one-sided UD 15 victory (146-140, 145-141, 147-139) to retain the belt, running his career stats to 47-5-1 (18). Montana finishes the bout at 21-8-3 (8).

Oct. 29, 1938: North of the border for a card at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens, with a Commonwealth title bout headlining the festivities. The main event is amply supported by a pair of interesting non-title bouts in the MW division. First of the co-features has unbeaten MW Charley Burley in action, facing a veteran Cuban opponent in Relampago Saguero. Burley breaks through in round two when a short, clean uppercut puts Saguero on the canvas. Burley follows with a second KD in the eighth round and dominates the rest of the action, although he is unable to put his opponent away. End result is a UD 10 for Burley by a wide margin (98-91, 97-92, 98-91). The win runs Burley’s career record to 15-0 (13); Saguero drops to 26-17-1 (15) with the loss. Second co-feature has aging former Champion Mickey Walker, the “Toy Bulldog,” now in the twilight of his career, taking on Canadian Lou Brouillard. Action is slow to develop; a Brouillard cross in round five stuns the ex-Champ, enabling Brouillard to take a slim lead (49-47) according to the unofficial scorer, at the midway point. In round seven, Brouillard is cut over his right eye, but he perseveres and is rewarded with a UD 10 (97-94, 98-94, 96-95). Career marks: 29-10-2 (13) for Brouillard; 60-12-2 (44) for Walker. The Commonwealth BW title is on the line in the main event, with Canada’s Horace Gwynne defending that belt against Australian Mickey Miller. First meeting of the two; it is Miller’s second try at a regional belt having fallen short in an OPBF title attempt earlier in the year. Gwynne does enough in the early rounds to build a nice points cushion (58-55 on the unofficial card) by the midway point. Miller tries to be more aggressive in the second half, but he cannot make progress and ends up with a cut under his right eye for his troubles. UD 12 for Gwynne (116-110, 117-110, 114-113) who keeps the belt, improving to 24-3-1 (14). Miller ends up 21-7-1 (12).

Oct. 29, 1938: Final card of the month is at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Some interesting bouts, but the only one of note for this report is the USBA LH title clash, featuring Tiger Jack Fox defending for the fourth time against challenger Jack Gibbons. First meeting of the two, and Fox looks sharp early, landing some heavy leather in the opening stanza that causes a mouse to form under the right eye of the challenger. Early in round two, Gibbons surprises Fox when he connects with an uppercut that sends the Champ to the canvas. Arising at the count of five, Fox wisely covers up and is able to last the round without further damage, although (like Gibbons) he, too, is sporting a trace of swelling under his right eye as the two trade blows in the early going. Fox is back in charge in round three, connecting with a combination that sends Gibbons to the deck for a count of nine. So, one KD apiece, both suffering from swelling, the bout proceeds. Later, in round three, Fox scores a second KD and then finishes off his man with a third KD that leads to an immediate stoppage, all three KDs coming in round three. TKO 3 for Fox runs his career record to 43-4 (31). Gibbons, now 22-7-1 (17) after the loss, is already at Post-Prime, and will move to End career stage in his next outing.

[JCWeb]

Ring action from the first half of November 1938, covering a total of 51 bouts. One WBA title bouts is included.

Nov. 4, 1938: The month kicks off with a Friday night card at the Forum in Montreal. No titles on the line, although twin belt holder Jimmy Mendes (current NABF and LABF HW Champion) is featured in the main event, taking on long time title challenger and former CBU HW Champ, Canada’s Larry Gains. Mendes, who has won his last eight, looks sharp early and midway through the second round he delivers a devastating cross to the head of Gains that puts the Canadian down and out. Nothing for the Canadian crowd to cheer about, as the KO 2 win moves Mendes to 34-9-4 (27), making him a legitimate WBA title conteder. The loss leaves Gains at 44-15 (25).

Nov. 5, 1938: To Europe for a solid card at the Amor Bahn in Munich. An EBU title bout headlines the card, amply supported by a non-title bout featuring top 10 LH contender Pal Silvers, making the trip across the pond to face the Austrian Heinz Lazek. Both men are coming off recent title bout losses, Silvers (to Tiger Jack Fox) for the USBA LH title, Lazek (to Adolf Heuser) for the EBU LH belt. Early edge to Silvers, which holds up despite a late rally from Lazek … end result is a SD 10 for Silvers (96-94, 93-97, 97-95) who improves to 37-14-5 (15) with the win; Lazek drops to 27-5 (20) after the loss. In the main event, it is a rematch for the EBU Flyweight title as Istvan Enekes defends against Fortunato Ortega, with Enekes having won a narrow split duke in their most recent title meeting; he holds a 3-0 lifetime edge over the Spaniard. This time around, Ortega is the early aggressor, but Enekes pulls ahead with a big round five and holds a solid lead (59-56 on the unofficial card) at the midway point. In the second half of the bout, Ortega presses the pace but cannot penetrate some solid defense from the Hungarian. Thus, Enekes is able to retain the belt via a UD 12 (116-112, 117-111, 117-111). Post-fight marks: Enekes, 32-6-1 (10); Ortega, 22-8-4 (12).

Nov. 5, 1938: Back in the USA for a quality card at the Syracuse War Memorial Auditorium. Featured is a non-title bout with two top HWs, long-time LH Champ Tommy Loughran versus the chronically underperforming Max Baer, who is seeking to end a two-bout losing streak and move back among the top 10 HW contenders at the expense of the aging vet Loughran. No titles at stake, and Loughran prevailed (UD 12) in an earlier encounter for the NABF HW title back in 1936. After a close opening round, Baer begins to assert himself in round two, putting Loughran on the defensive. Round three, Baer moves inside, doing further damage, dropping Loughran with hammer blow. Loughran arises at the count of seven, covers up to last the round, but returns to his corner with a rapidly swelling left eye. Baer is on top by two (48-46) at the bout’s midway point, according to the unofficial card. Round eight, a Baer cross finds its target, earning Loughran a second trip to the canvas. Late in the final round, Baer suffers a cut over his right eye, but that is the only negative of an excellent showing for Max who, on the strength of his two KDs, goes on to take a convincing UD 10 (95-93, 99-89, 96-92) to lift his career totals to 27-12 (25). Loughran, approaching the final bouts of his long career, is now 61-12-4 (20). Baer, back in the top 10, is clamoring for a shot at the WBA title recently won by Max Schmeling.

Nov. 11, 1938: Friday night card at Detroit’s Briggs Stadium features a NABF LH title matchup. The protagonists are Tony Shucco, the titleholder, and Bob Olin, the challenger, who held the belt for most of 1937 and is looking to regain it. Early aggressive from Olin pays off as he puts Shucco on the defensive and builds a narrow lead (58-57) on the unofficial card at the halfway point. A huge round nine puts Olin in the drivers’ seat, forcing Shucco to become more aggressive in the final three rounds. Olin hangs on and takes a solid UD 12 (116-111, 115-112, 116-111) to lift the title belt. For Olin, now 32-12-3 (10), this turns out to be his last bout as Prime as he hits Post-Prime in 1939. For Shucco, now 29-12 (11), it is back to the drawing board to rebuild his career and possibly earn another title shot in the future.

Nov. 12, 1938: Gran Stadium in Havana, Cuba is the venue for the next fistic action, featuring a WBA title clash preceded by a non-title matchup in the BW division. Sixto Escobar meets Chris Pineda in the co-feature, and frankly the bout is a bit of a snoozefest as Escobar builds an early lead and then coasts to a UD 10 win (98-93, 97-94, 95-93) without much of a challenge from the Filipino boxer. Post-fight, Escobar pushes his career totals to 29-6-1 (10). Pineda drops to 25-4-2 (8) after the loss. In, the main event, the WBA WW title is on the line, and it is a rematch between newly-crowned Champion, Cocoa Kid, and the man he defeated for the title, veteran Jimmy “Baby Face” McLarnin. Kid has won his last 11, while McLarnin is the four-time former WBA Champ, now at the Post-Prime stage of his career. Early edge to Kid, and McLarnin is forced to battle from behind. After five, Kid holds a narrow one-point edge (48-47) on the unofficial card. In round eight, a barrage of blows from the ex-Champ puts Kid on the canvas; he arises at the count of two. McLarnin continues to force the action, landing a three-punch combo in round 10 that stuns the Puerto Rican fighter. McLarnin’s strong rally in rounds eight through ten has put him in front (95-94 on the unofficial card). McLarnin continues to be the more aggressive of the two, and Kid cannot prevent the experienced ex-Champ to lift the belt for the fifth time – second time at Post-Prime: UD 15 for McLarnin (143-141, 144-143, 144-140). Yet another good fight-of-the-year contender sees post-fight marks of 52-9-1 (24) for McLarnin; 34-15-2 (11) for Cocoa Kid.

Nov. 12, 1938: Back to the States for a card at New Orleans’ Coliseum Arena. The main event is for the USBA FW title, currently held by Battling Battalino. Chalky Wright is the challenger. Wright took a SD 10 from Battalino back in 1933, and both men are still at Prime career stage; both are coming off title losses, Battalino for the WBA FW crown, Wright for the lesser NABF belt. Wright is on target early, and by the end of the fourth round, there is telltale signs of swelling around the right eye of Battalino. By virtue of this strong start, Wright pulls out a solid lead (59-56, according to the unofficial ringside observer) at the midway point. Battalino moves inside, applying more pressure, and opening up in the final three rounds. No effect on Wright, however, who goes on to take the title via a UD 12 (116-113, 116-113, 117-112). With the win, Wright moves to 30-10-4 (14) overall; Battalino ends the bout at 39-12 (13).

[JCWeb]

This is a summary of ring action from the second half of November 1938, covering a total of 54 bouts. One WBA title bout is included.

Nov. 18, 1938: Friday night card at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. No title bouts, only bout of note is the main event featuring top 10 WW contender Izzy Jannazzo and Fritzie Zivic, the “Croat Comet.” Jannazzo gets off to a strong start but soon Zivic becomes the aggressor, and Jannazzo has little to offer. No cuts or knockdowns as the bout goes the distance, with Zivic taking a UD 10 (97-95, 97-95, 98-94) to move up the rankings, all while improving his career record to 25-6-3 (14). For Jannazzo, his fourth career setback leaves him at 25-4 (13).

Nov. 19, 1938: Back in Europe for a nice card at the Palais des Sports in Cannes, France. A huge crowd is on hand to watch Marcel Cerdan, the “Casablanca Clouter,” in the first defense of his EBU MW title. But first up is a non-title matchup pairing two top 10 Flyweights, as Frankie Genaro takes on French hope Eugene “Tiger Cat” Huat. Genaro holds a prior UD win earlier in the year. In the rematch, Huat – who is still at Prime while Genaro, the higher ranked boxer, is on the downside of his career – puts in a good performance, but Genaro is able to nurse an early points lead into the later rounds. Huat, who has to battle a swollen right eye, is able to mount a late rally, enough to convince just one of the three judges. Thus, it goes into the books as a SD 10 win for Genaro (96-95, 94-96, 96-94) who improves to 50-18-6 (19) with the win; Huat drops to 28-17-7 (12) with the loss. In the main event, the unbeaten Cerdan puts his EBU MW title on the line, facing veteran German Hein Domgorgen for the belt. Cerdan drops Domgorgen for a two-count with aa hook in the second round, then continues to build on his early success, pummeling Domgorgen who is pinned against the ropes, covering up to last the round in round four. The end comes a couple of rounds later, after Cerdan trapped Domgorgen in a corner and beginning landing blow after unanswered blow – TKO 6 win for Cerdan to keep the belt, and no protest from the challenger’s corner as Cerdan was a clear, dominant winner. Post-fight marks: Cerdan, 22-0-2 (17); Domgorgen, 43-20-1 (22). The win marks Cerdan as a top echelon MW and a future WBA title contender.

Nov. 19, 1938: Back to the States, specifically the West Coast, to Seattle’s Sicks Stadium, where hometown hero Freddie Steele is set to defend his WBA MW title. But, first on the agenda, is a supporting bout featuring two LHs: Fred Lenhart and GBU LH Champ Len Harvey. Early edge to Lenhart, who scores a knockdown in the opening round. Then, in the seventh round, a second KD. Harvey does well to recover, battling back to make the bout competition. In the end, the two KDs are the difference, with Lenhart taking a MD 10 (98-90, 94-94, 96-92) despite some widely divergent scorecards. Post-fight career marks: Lenhart, 35-15 (26); Harvey, 48-21-3 (19); both are at the Post-Prime stages of their respective careers. In the WBA MW title clash, Steele faces the man he defeated for the belt, Holman Williams, in a rematch. Williams starts strongly, consistently outhitting the Champ. Steel begins to turn things around in the fifth round, and after five the unofficial card has Steele ahead by one (48-47). Williams lands a big hook to take round seven, but at this point he begins to run low on stamina. Big edge to Steele (97-93) heading into the final five rounds. Late in round 13, a Steele combination drops a badly tiring Williams. In the last two rounds, Williams launches an all-out assault but cannot break down Steele’s defenses. The bout goes the distance and Steele, the “Tacoma Assassin,” retains the belt via a MD 15 (144-140, 142-142, 143-141), to run his career stats to 43-6-1 (28). For Williams, now 26-5 (18), it was his third straight loss (two to Steele, the third to Tony Zale). It is Zale who is reported to be in line for the next title shot, some time in 1939.

Nov. 25, 1938: Friday night card at Manila. Filipino and Aussie boxers are featured. No titles at stake, but two interesting co-features matching boxers from the States versus OPBF Champs from the Far East. In the co-feature, OPBF FW Champ Tsuneo Horiguchi takes on Petey Sarron, a long-time fringe contender and a former NABF and USBA FW titleholder. Halfway through the second round, a big right from Horiguchi gets through, forcing Sarron to cover up. However, the rest of the way, it is good defense and strong counterpunching that enable Sarron to pile on the points, impressing the judges. No more strong moments for Horiguchi, as Sarron takes a solid UD 10 (98-92, 97-93, 97-93) despite some shaky moments in the second round. Post-fight career marks: 33-17-6 (8) for Sarron; 22-5 (14) for Horiguchi. Then, in the main event, ex-WBA WW Champ Young Corbett III squares off against OPBF WW titleholder Irineo Flores, a local fan favorite. However, age has taken its toll on the Filipino vet, and it shows in this bout as Corbett manages to build an early lead and coast to a UD 10 (98-92, 98-92, 96-94) with one judge’s card being somewhat generous to the hometown fighter. Post-bout career totals: Corbett, 53-15-6 (12); Flores, 47-24-2 (29).

Nov. 26, 1938: To London for a big fight card at Harringay Arena. With Max Schmeling having lifted the WBA HW belt from Joe Louis in a controversial result, the EBU title is vacant and that match headlines the card. First up, a trio of entertaining preliminary bouts. In the FW division, newly crowned GBU FW Champion Frank Parkes tests himself against a ranked American fighter, Mike Belloise. Belloise looks sharp early, landing repeatedly and causing some noticeable swelling around the left eye of Parkes. Parkes tries to be more aggressive in the second half of the bout, but he cannot break through Belloise’s defenses. In the end, it goes as a UD 10 for Belloise (98-94, 97-95, 97-95) who runs his record to 21-7-4 (7). For Parkes, who is not used to facing this level of opposition, it is only his second career loss, dropping him to 20-2 (14). Second preliminary bout of note matches EBU and CBU LW Champ Jack Kid Berg, the “Whitechapel Whirlwind,” with another Yank, Sammy Fuller. Early in the bout, in round two, Berg is cut over his left eye. Fuller is able to take advantage, pulling ahead to a slight lead at the midway point. The cut is reopened in round seven, and, in a mild upset, Fuller goes on to take a MD 10 win (98-93, 96-96, 97-94). Post-bout career marks: Fuller, 44-13-1 (11); Berg, 38-14-5 (14). Next up is unbeaten LW prospect, Lew Jenkins, aka “the Sweetwater Swatter,” who has come from the States to face British LW Champion Harry Mizler. (For some reason, Berg did not want to face Mizler, so two bouts versus American fighters were hastily arranged.) Mizler starts strongly and is ahead (49-46 according to the unofficial ringside observer) at the midway point. However, Jenkins battles back, despite a rapidly swelling right eye, and lands enough heavy blows to secure a draw (95-95, 96-95 Jenkins, 94-97 Mizler) – not a pleasing result to the pro-Mizler crowd. As a result, Jenkins remains unbeaten at 18-0-1 (11) – one more bout before hitting Prime – while Mizler dips to 19-8-4 (5). Then, for the vacant EBU HW title, Primo Carnera, the Ambling Alp, faces Brit Jack Peterson. Carnera is gunning for his first ever title bout, while Peterson – a one-time GBU HW Champ –must battle the effects of aging, as he is now at Post-Prime. Carnera starts well, registering with some big shots in round two. At the outset of round four, however, a Peterson combination rocks Carnera, dropping the Italian giant for an eight-count. Peterson follows up with a second KD from a cross later in the round, but the bell saves Carnera from further damage. Both men land some big shots in the toe-to-toe action in round five. Round six, both men move outside and take a breather. Peterson is winded now, and stamina is a huge advantage for Carnera. Nonetheless, Peterson is able to scored a third KD with an overhand right in round seven. Carnera arises after taking a count of four, and by the end of the round, Peterson is on the defensive, nursing a swollen left eye. The bruising battle continues into the later rounds: in round 10, Carnera is cut over his right eye and, by the end of the round, there is swelling under that eye. Carnera bounces back with a big round 11, and the card at ringside has the bout dead even going into the final round. Both men last the distance and claim victory. Despite the unofficial card favoring Carnera (114-113), the real-life judges have Peterson the winner via a MD 12 (115-111, 113-113, 114-111), with the three knockdowns the key. Peterson improves to 27-9 (17) with the win, while Carnera drops to 28-10-3 (21) with the loss. Carnera’s connections are calling for a rematch in three month’s time.

Nov. 26, 1938: An action-packed month of fistic action comes to an end with a card at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. A USBA title bout headlines the card, amply supported by the co-feature which matches unbeaten LH prospect Eddie Booker with Melio Bettina. Booker works inside and compiles an early points lead. In round four, a big left from Booker finds its target, forcing Bettina to cover up. More trouble for Bettina in round six, as he is forced to battle a cut over his right eye. The cut is reopened in round nine, but it does not reach the point to dictating a stoppage. Booker goes on to claim a solid UD 10 (97-93, 96-94, 97-93) to run his unbeaten mark to 18-0 (13). Bettina’s loss, only the second of his career, drops him to 19-2-1 (10). Big USBA HW title bout in the main event, with Jersey Joe Walcott defending the title against challenger Lee Ramage. Ramage is on good form, on target for much of the early going. By the end of round three, there is noticeable swelling around the right eye of Jersey Joe. Walcott bounces back in round four, connecting with a vicious hook to the head that puts Ramage down briefly. Ramage continues to pose problems for Walcott throughout the middle rounds, but a late surge from Walcott – including a second KD in round 11 from an uppercut that put Ramage down for the count of eight – is enough to enable Walcott to retain the title via a MD 12 (114-112, 113-113, 117-110). Post-bout career totals are 35-5 (21) for Walcott, and 32-8-1 (11) for Ramage.

[JCWeb]

Ring action from the first half of December 1938, covering a total of 52 bouts.

Dec. 2, 1938: Opening the month’s activities is a Friday night card at Jersey City’s Roosevelt Stadium. Only bout of note is the main event, matching two veteran fringe HW contenders: Johnny Risko, the “Cleveland Rubber Man,” with Natie Brown, a man whom Risko has bested in two prior encounters. This time around, the bout remains close through the early and middle rounds. Late in the bout, Risko opens a cut over Brown’s left eye that helps him retain his perfect record over Brown, as the bout goes the distance, with the UD 10 nod going to Risko (98-93, 97-94, 97-94). The win moves Risko to 39-18-5 (7) overall; the loss drops Brown to 27-12-2 (8).

Dec. 3, 1938: Next card is in Europe at the Sportpalast in Berlin. The EBU WW title is on the line, as Bep Van Klaveren defends the belt against German WW contender Gustav Eder, who holds two prior wins (via the DQ route), but lost to the Dutchman in their title matchup earlier in 1938. Two minutes into the bout, Eder connects with a big cross that sends Van Klaveren reeling; the Dutchman covers up and manages to last the round. Early aggressiveness from Eder pays off, as the German piles up an early points advantage. Van Klaveren battles back in the middle rounds, keeping the bout close. Eder tires badly down the stretch, and Van Klaveren does just enough to keep the belt, taking a UD 12 (116-111, 116-113, 116-113). Post-bout career marks: Van Klaveren, 27-11-5 (11); Eder, 29-8-9 (9).

Dec. 3, 1938: Next card is at the Forum in Montreal, and a pair of bouts headline the card. In the co-feature, CBU LH Champ Charley Belanger faces Ray “Excelsior Assassin” Actis in a non-title bout. First meeting of the two, and after a long feeling-out process, the bout remains close through the first five rounds. Then, in the fifth, Belanger drills Actis with a sharp combination. Later in the bout, in round eight, Belanger is cut over his right eye. In the end, to the delight of the Canadian crowd, Belanger escapes with a UD 10 win (96-95, 96-95, 97-94) to run his career totals to 41-18 (19), while Actis ends the bout at 24-10 (27). Then, in the second co-feature, the NABF BW title is on the line, as Horace Gwynne defends that belt against LABF and former WBA BW Champ Panama Al Brown, currently the #1 contender. Panama Al looks sharp early, stifling any attempt at counterplay by the Canadian Champion. As the bout wears into the middle rounds, Gwynne gets more and more aggressive. Panama Al Brown holds on to lift the belt via a UD 12 (116-112, 116-113, 117-112). Post-bout records are 58-10-1 (20) for Brown; 24-4-1 (14) for Gwynn, who will hit Post-Prime with his next outing.

Dec. 9, 1938: Friday night card at New Orleans. Featured bout is for the NABF LW title, currently held by Frankie Klick. Wesley Ramey is the challenger. Klick holds a prior UD win over Ramey from 1936, and is making his fifth defense of the belt he has held since 1937. Two boxers squaring off makes for a defensive struggle throughout most of the contest. In the middle rounds, Klick pulls slightly ahead. Then Ramey, exhibiting superior stamina, begins to assert himself heading into the later rounds. Klick, sensing the title slipping away, goes on the attack, starting in round 10. Ramey holds on, sealing the win by taking the final round. SD 12 to Ramey (114-115, 115-114, 117-112) who lifts the belt. Post-bout career totals: Ramey, 29-8-5 (10); Klick, 37-16-6 (13).

Dec. 10, 1938: Solid card at the UK at the Stadium in Liverpool. A pair of co-features headline the agenda, including a GBU title bout. In the first co-feature, long-time American challenger K. O. Morgan takes on his British counterpart, Benny Sharkey, in a non-title contest. The two battled to a draw in a prior encounter, back in 1931. At the outset, Morgan stuns Sharkey with a a sharp uppercut but, later in the opening round, a nasty cut appears over the right eye of the American. Morgan continues to dominate the action, but the cut appears to be in a bad spot and a major issue as the bout continues. Sharkey battles on, despite a rapidly swelling right eye and a 49-47 deficit, according to the unofficial scorer, at the halfway point. However, the cut over Morgan’s eye, which has been a problem throughout, is once again reopened and leads to an immediate stoppage in round eight. Despite trailing on all three cards, Sharkey is declared a TKO 8 winner via the cuts stoppage. With the win, Sharkey improves to 31-13-2 (18), while Morgan ends up at 28-11-5 (16). Then, in the main event, the GBU Flyweight title is on the line as Benny Lynch, now at Post-Prime, defends that belt against challenger Jackie Brown. Brown is confident, as he holds a 2-1 edge in their prior bouts. This time around, Lynch looks sharp early, landing repeatedly from the outside. Brown is further handicapped by a cut over his right eye that first appears in round four. Brown battles back to take a narrow points lead (58-57) at the midway point, according to the unofficial scorer at ringside. Brown takes charge with a big round seven. Lynch rebounds to take round eight, as the cut over Brown’s eye is reopened. After a close round nine, the unofficial scorer has the bout even (87-87). The final three rounds go the way of the challenger, Brown, who goes on to take the title via a MD 12 (116-112, 114-114, 115-113). Post-bout career marks: 34-14-3 (12) for Brown; 29-7 (16) for Sharkey.

Dec. 16, 1938: It’s a Friday Night “Down Under” card at Melbourne, Australia, and a trio of title bouts are on the agenda. First up, Canadian Pete DeGrasse makes the long trip to defend his Commonwealth FW title against Aussie Merv “Darky” Blandon. It’s a rematch of an earlier title bout from January in Montreal that resulted in a UD 12 win for DeGrasse. DeGrasse forges an early points lead after a big round two. Blandon struggles but suffers a cut over his right eye in addition to a rapidly swelling left eye, all in round eight. The cut reopens a couple of rounds later, leading to an early stoppage. Little protest from the corner of Blandon, who was well behind on the scorecards, so it goes down as a TKO 11 for DeGrasse, who moves to 36-14-3 (10) with his fourth successive defense of the title he has held since 1936. Blandon, now 22-13 (15), is nearing the end of his career. Next up is a Commonwealth WW title contest, with Jack McNamee defending the belt he won earlier, taking on reigning GBU WW Champ Ernie Roderick. McNamee is the early aggressor but cannot make much impression on Roderick, who boxes solidly throughout to impress the judges and come away with the title and a UD 12 victory (117-112, 116-113, 117-111). Post-bout career totals: Roderick, 21-8-3 (6); McNamee, 21-6 (15). The evening wraps up with an OPBF MW title clash, featuring Filipino Ceferino Garcia against challenger Ambrose Palmer, two familiar foes who have fought four times previously, with Palmer having won three although Garcia won their most recent, for the OPBF title back in January. This time around, Garcia looks sharp early, compiling an early points lead, then connects with a big uppercut near the end of round four. Palmer is literally out on his feet, and the ref steps in to save the Aussie from further punishment. TKO 4 for Garcia, who improves to 39-18-2 (24) with the win, re-establishing his credentials as a possible WBA title contender. For Palmer, now 30-14-1 (17), it means a third loss for the Aussie fighters in the three key title bouts on the card.

[JCWeb]

Ring action from the second half of December 1938, covering a total of 65 bouts.

Dec. 17, 1938: Action on the French Riviera at the Palais des Sports in Cannes. French EBU FW Champion Maurice Holtzer is in action, taking on his NABF counterpart, Freddie Miller, in a non-title affair. The bout takes a sudden turn when Miller sustains a nasty gash over hir left eye in the opening round. Miller soldiers on, but the cut is in a bad spot and leads to an immediate stoppage when it is reopened in round three. TKO 3 win to Holtzer on the cuts stoppage, running his career record to 40-15-3 (14); Miller is now 35-10-1 (15). Unfortunately for Holtzer, he will hit Post-Prime in his next outing, in 1939. Then, in the main event, the EBU BW title is on the line as Baltazar Sangchili takes on Tom Smith, the newly crowned GBU BW titleholder. Sangchili is confident, having bested Smith once before (via a UD 10 back in 1936). However, in round three, a cut appears over the left eye of the Champ. Meanwhile, by the midway point, there is noticeable swelling under the right eye of the challenger, Smith. Smith manages to carve out an early points lead (58-56 on the unofficial card, at the midway point). Sangchili battles back, dishing out enough punishment to cause Smith to come away with a bloody nose in round nine. More trouble for the Spanish Champion later in the bout, when he sustains a second cut under his ritght eye, and then some swelling under the left eye. The bloody bout goes the distance, with Sangchili escaping with a hard-fought SD 12 verdict (117-111, 113-115, 115-113) to retain the belt – barely. Post-bout career marks: 33-10 (18) for Sangchili; 18-5-4 (10) for Smith.

Dec. 17, 1938: Back in the States for the next fistic action, this time in Miami. Featured is an NABF WW title contest, with Eddie Dolan – fresh off an upset win over Barney Ross – defending that title against King Tut. Both men are ranked among the top 10 WWs, Tut rising through the ranks with a four-bout winning streak to set up this title matchup. Tut begins the bout as the aggressor, but, after moving inside in round three, he sustains a nasty looking cut over his right eye. Dolan manages to build an early points edge, while Tut’s corner remains focused on controlling the cut. Eventually, the cut proves too difficult to manage, leading to a stoppage. TKO 8 for Dolan, who retains the title. Post-bout records: Dolan, 27-5-4 (11); Tut, 33-15-4 (19). For Tut, it is his last bout at Prime – effectively ending his title aspirations.

Dec. 23, 1938: Next card is at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. No titles at stake, and the main event features two top 10 WWs, ex-WBA Champ Ruby Goldstein (now at the Post-Prime stage of his career) and Jimmy Garrison. The two met earlier in 1938, with Garrison taking a UD 10. This time around, Goldstein moves inside in round three, but his efforts are thwarted by some strong defense and counterpunching from Garrison, the “Mud Flats Kid.” Garrison pulls ahead by three (49-46) on the unofficial card, and seems to have matters well in hand heading into the second half of the bout. Goldstein steps up the pace, tries to be more aggressive, all to no avail as Garrison’s blows continue to find the range, causing a trace of swelling to appear under the right eye of the ex-Champ. Solid UD 10 win for Garrison (98-92, 99-91, 98-92), who pushes his career record to an excellent 23-2-1 (2) with the win. Goldstein slips to 40-13-4 (25) with the loss.

Dec. 26, 1938: Time for the traditional Boxing Day card, this time at Harringay Arena in London. Twin Commonwealth title bouts top the agenda, first is a matchup for the Commonwealth Flyweight title, with Jimmy Gill defending against challenger Joe Curran. The two fought to a draw in 1935, and this bout devolves into a bruising battle, with Gill suffering from a swollen right eye while Curran is cut over his right eye. Curran boxes impressively and carves out a narrow lead (87-86 on the unofficial card) heading into the final three rounds. Gill, bothered by the cut most of the way, makes a stand and rallies to retain the belt by a narrow UD 12 (115-114, 117-112, 116-113). Post-bout marks: Gill, 24-5-3 (10); Curran, 19-10-2 (8). Then, in the feature, it is another rematch as Tommy Farr faces GBU HW Champ Tommy Martin for Farr’s Commonwealth HW title, with the two having drawn in a prior meeting. The challenger looks sharp early, taking the opening round. Martin tries to get more aggressive, but is thwarted by Farr’s excellent defense. Farr gradually pulls ahead to a slight points edge (58-57 on the unofficial card) at the midway point. Martin stages a late rally, taking round 11, but Farr holds on to retain the title, taking a UD 12 (116-113, 117-112, 116-112) to run his career mark to 42-13-2 (13), while Martin drops to 23-5-1 (14) with the loss.

Dec. 30, 1938: New York’s Madison Square Garden is the scene of the next fistic action, and it is a packed card topped by an NABF title bout. First up, on the undercard, unbeaten MW prospect Charley Burley runs his record to 16-0 (14) with a cuts stoppage win – going in the books as a TKO 9 for Burley – over aging veteran Ben Jeby. Next up, German HW Walter Neusel faces rising American HW Abe Simon. Simon takes charge at the outset, stunning Neusel in the opening round with a three-punch combo. By the midway point, Neusel is sporting a mouse under his left eye. Neusel manages to keep the bout close (47-all at the halfway point, accorinding to the unofficial scorer) but Simon appears to be gaining the upper hand headed into the later rounds, when Neusel is called for a flagrant low blow. Despite protests from his corner, an immediate disqualification is the result, with Simon taking the win via a DQ-7. Post-fight records: Simon, 20-1-1 (15); Neusel, 23-9-2 (7). Next, in the co-feature, LH Billy Conn – now ranked in the top 10 – takes on Jimmy Adamick in a non-title affair. It’s a typical boxer versus slugger confrontation, with Adamick assuming the role of aggressor, attempting to break down Conn’s excellent defense. Conn, who is on target early, builds an early points lead and also causes some swelling to appear around Adamick’s left eye. Later in the bout, swelling appears under Adamick’s other eye, and Conn cruises to a UD 10 victory (98-92, 100-90, 99-91) with Adamick offering very little resistance. With the win, Conn improves to 19-1-2 (11), compared to a 23-7-1 (21) post-right record for Adamick. In the main event, the “Man of Steel,” Tony Zale, puts his NABF MW title on the line, making his second defense of that belt against reigning USBA MW Champ, Johnny “Bandit” Romero. Huge opening round for Zale, who is on target early, causing a trace of swelling to appear under the right eye of Romero. Near the end of round five, Zale catches Romero with with a big shot, Romero goes down but is saved by the bell when the count reaches five. A hard left to the head from Conn in round six leaves Romero reeling, and the ref steps in before the end of the round to save the challenger from further punishment. TKO 6 for Zale, who runs his career record to 23-2 (18). The loss leaves Romero at 36-13 (23).

Dec. 31, 1938: The year wraps with a New Year’s Eve card at Havana’s Gran Stadium. In the co-feature, ex-WBA MW Champ Ken Overlin faces former Commonwealth MW Champ Lou Brouillard. Two boxers, so the bout evolves into a defensive struggle, favoring Overlin. However, in a sharp exchange in the fourth round, Overlin suffers a cut over his left eye and, by the end of the round, there is a trace of swelling under his right eye as well. Brouillard takes a slight points advantage into the later rounds. In round nine, Brouillard traps Overlin in the corner, and lands an uppercut that reopens the cut over Overlin’s eye. The cut is reopened again a round later, leading to an immediate stoppage. TKO 10 to Brouillard on the cuts stoppage. Post-bout marks: Brouillard, 30-10-2 (14): Overlin, 33-4-5 (12). Then, in the feature, Tony Chavez faces Pedro Montanez for Chavez’s LABF LW title. Fourth defense for Chavez, but he faces a tough opponent in Montanez, who has racked up seven straight wins to set up his first-ever title challenge. The challenger serves notice in the opening stanza, when he nails Chavez with a hard cross than stuns the Champ. This enables Montanez to control the pace of the bout and build a slight points edge (59-58 at the halfway point, according to the unofficial card). Chavez, forced to battle back, becomes more and more aggressive in the later rounds, but this leaves him open for some countershots from the opportunistic-minded challenger. For example, in round 11, Chavez is stunned by a Montanez combination, forcing the Champ to cover up for a second time in the fight. The bout goes the distance, and Montanez is able to lift the belt, taking a UD 12 (116-114, 117-114, 117-114) to continue his rise up the LW ranks. Post-bout records: 30-6 (16) for Montanez; 25-7-1 (11) for Chavez.

Another year in the books, stay tuned for the year-end summary reports.

[JCWeb]

First of the year-end wrapup reports, beginning (as always) with the HWs.

HW Title Bouts

WBA: Three more successful defenses by Joe Louis, all within the distance, defeating Art Lasky (KO 3), James Braddock (TKO 7) and Tommy Farr (KO 5). Then, in a shocking turn of events, Louis lost the belt to Max Schmeling (UTD 9).

NABF: Max Baer began the year with this belt, but he was defeated by Jimmy Mendes (KO 5). Mendes went on to defend once, beating Joe Banovic (UD 12).

USBA: Three USBA HW title bouts during the year. First, Roscoe Toles captured the belt from Art Lasky (SD 12). Then, Jersey Joe Walcott took the title from Toles (UD 12). Finally, Walcott retained the belt, defeating Lee Ramage (MD 12).

CBU: Tommy Farr defended this title three times, defeating Larry Gains (SD 12), battling to a draw with Tommy Martin (D 12), then defeating Martin in the rematch (UD 12).

GBU: No defenses by Tommy Martin, who was busy challenging for the CBU and EBU titles.

EBU: Four title bouts and four times this belt changed hands during the year. First, Primo Carnera knocked out defending Champ Andre Lenglet (KO 8) to capture the belt. Next, Walter Neusel stopped Carnera (TKO 8) to capture the title. Neusel then lost the title to his countryman, Max Schmeling (UD 12). Then, after Schmeling regained the WBA title, he vacated the EBU title, setting up a match for the vacant belt, which was won by Brit Jack Peterson over ex-Champ Primo Carnera (UD 12).

OPBF: Inactive since the retirement of Tom Heeney.

LABF: Jimmy Mendes retained this belt, despite no defenses in 1938.

HW Division Profile

Total: 186 RL: 107 TC: 79

RL by Career Stage:
End - 9
Post - 25
Prime - 47
Pre - 13
Beginning - 13 (9 New)

Rated: 81
800+: 20
500+: 48
200+ : 73

Jan 1939 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1938 in Parens):

Champion: Max Schmeling 46-5-1 (31) (1596) (+1)
1. Joe Louis 25-1 (23) (1595) (-1)
2. Elmer Ray 40-8 (26) (1300) (+5)
3. Jersey Joe Walcott 35-5 (21) (1288) (+1) (USBA)
4. Jimmy Mendes 34-9-4 (27) (1218) (+10) (NABF, LABF)
5. Joe Banovic 37-14-2 (11) (1206) (NC)
6. Tommy Farr 42-13-2 (15) (1204) (+2) (CBU)
7. Max Baer 27-12 (25) (1169) (-1)
8. Tommy Loughran 61-12-4 (30) (1168) (-6)
9. Lee Ramage 32-8-1 (11) (1130) (+8)
10. Larry Gains 44-15 (25) (1115) (-7)

Others: 12. Tommy Martin 23-5-1 (14) (948) (-1) (GBU)
19. Jack Peterson 27-9 (17) (807) (+2) (EBU)

Comments: Loughran, Ramage, Gains and Peterson all at Post for 1939, everyone else listed will be at Prime. Schmeling rebounded from a split decision loss to Walcott to regain both the EBU and then the WBA titles, the latter dethroning Louis in a controversial ending. Louis’ perfect 25-0 career record was marred by the one setback. Ray had a successful year, going 3-0 with wins over Levinsky (UD) and TKOs versus McCorkindale and Martin, and he carries a six-bout winning streak into 1939. Jersey Joe suffered a surprising UD loss to Ramage after beating Schmeling, but then he bounced back with three straight wins, a KO over Baer and then the two USBA title bout triumphs. Mendes added the NABF title to his LABF one, rising up the ranks by virtue of a KO 2 demolition of long-time top contender Larry Gains; Mendes has now won his last nine. Banovic scored a UD win over an aging Tommy Loughran, a TKO over Art Lasky but then faltered in the NABF title bout with Mendes. Farr recorded two wins, one draw and a loss, all in title bouts. Baer downed Loughran but regressed with a pair of KO losses. Loughran slid down the ranks with a subpar 1-2 year; his own win was a UD over Gains. Ramage, in his last year at Prime, stormed into the top 10 win a pair of UD wins over Walcott and Abe Simon, but suffered a MD defeat in the rematch with Jersey Joe. Gains won just one of his four 1938 outings, a TKO over Peterson, but it was enough to retain top 10 status for another year. Dropping out of the top group at #11, down from #10 last year, was Roscoe Toles, who had three wins versus lesser opposition but was a UD loser when facing Walcott. Former CBU Champ Don McCorkindale dropped five spots to #14, going 0-2 for the year and now winless since 1936, having lost six in a row. GBU Champ Tommy Martin struggled, suffering a TKO loss to Ray, a loss and a draw in the title matchups with Farr, and his only win a MD over the lower-ranked King Levinsky. Now at #15, Jack Trammell has won his last eight, going 4-0 during a year that included wins over Johnny Risko (UD 10) and James Braddock (SD 10). Peterson, the new EBU Champ, was 2-1 during the year, taking a UD 10 win over Uzcudun but suffering a TKO loss to Gains that prevented further progress. Further down the ranks, a subpar 2-2 season left Primo Carnera at #22 (despite a brief interlude as EBU HW Champ), and Jimmy Braddock (who has now lost six in a row) is mired in 25^th place, one spot below rising star Max Marek, now 19-2 (14). Only one newcomer makes the top 50, and that is Lou Nova, at #41, now 16-2 (13); Nova suffered his second career loss to veteran journeyman Herman Weiner, but bounced back with a KO win over Javier Munsell.

Prospects: Bob Nestell, now 13-1 (9), went 5-0 for the year, including wins over Jack O’Malley and Charley Boyette. Still perfect at 12-0 (10) is “Lammin” Lem Franklin, who took out Ray Impelletiere after an impressive series of wins versus TC opposition. Still feasting on TCs are Tony Musto, now 10-0 (1); Bill Poland, 8-0 (5); Buddy Millard, 7-0 (5); and Chuck Crowell, 7-0 (3). Ernie Woodman, now9-1 (8), avenged his only loss, a SD 8, to a TC.

Retirements: No fewer than 10 HWs left the ranks in 1938.

Les Marriner (USA) 1927-38 22-19 (16) No Titles Highest Rank: 59
Jack Doyle (IRL) 1922-38 31-21-4 (21) CBU, EBU Champ Highest Rank: 9
Ernst Guhring (GER) 1927-38 26-17-2 (14) No Titles Highest Rank: 49
Stanley Poreda (USA) 1929-38 22-16 (11) No Titles Highest Rank: 73
Hein Muller (GER) 1927-38 27-14-6 (11) No Titles Highest Rank: 34
Jack O’Malley (AUS) 1929-28 25-12 (12) No Titles Highest Rank: 58
Bearcat Wright (USA) 1920-38 32-26-5 (22) USBA Champ Highest Rank: 11
Jack Sharkey (USA) 1924-38 35-20-1 (19) WBA Champion 1928-29
Paul Cavalier (USA) 1922-38 37-21-3 (17) No Titles Highest Rank: 14
Fred Feary (USA) 1933-38 14-10-1 (11) No Titles Highest Rank: 77

Looking Ahead: Shake-up at the top with Schmeling regaining the title in a rematch with Louis (albeit via a controversial butt cut stoppage). Look for a third meeting of the two for the belt in 1939. Ray and Walcott are also lining up for a shot at the WBA belt, as is a red-hot Jimmy Mendes. Farr and Baer are struggling to regain lost form, while veterans like Loughran and Gains are fading from the scene. Lower-ranked guys like Abe Simon and Max Marek may make a run at top 10 contender status, but not a lot of talent among the nine newcomers slated to join the HW ranks in 1939 – none are rated higher than a “6” in overall ability.