August 31, 1908

One week from now Stanley Ketchel and Billy Papke will fight for the world middleweight championship in Los Angeles.

The fight will be at Jim Jeffries' boxing club, and Jeffries himself will referee.

The populace of L.A. have, in the words of sportwriter H.M. Walker, "gone fight crazy!" At Ketchel's camp, the entrance gates were literally smashed to pieces under the onslaught of between six and seven thousands fans wanting to see him work out. Papke's camp was similarly thronged, with a reported four thousand spectators.

(LA Examiner)



When Sunnyside Gardens finally closed its doors in the mid '70s, a neighborhood in New York City didn't just lose a boxing arena, it laid to rest one of the most glorious eras in all of boxing.

A wrecking ball unceremoniously demolished the famous boxing arena on Queens Boulevard in Queens, New York in December 1977 and in its place a Wendy's was built - a monument to fast-food lovers and salad-bar fanatics but not fight fans. The kitchen is where the ring once was, and the tables are where the seats used to be. Gone are the dressing room and the bar and the bleachers and all those memories that were swept under the carpet like dirt.

The final show was on June 24, 1977 between Ramon Ranquello and Bob Smith, a couple of out-of-towners from Jersey City and Natchez, Miss. with no connection to New York, maybe 400 fans in the audience, and no clue that the place was about to be replaced by a restaurant whose slogan used to be "Where's the beef?"

"It was a great atmosphere. You could die of lung cancer there," said Bobby Cassidy, a middleweight contender who fought there 26 times and reportedly holds the record for main events at Sunnyside. "I went back there years ago. I parked my car under the El and just walked around the neighborhood. The Chinese restaurant was still there next door. My god, it brought back memories. I never went into the Wendy's, though, couldn't do it. Life goes on, but it hurts a little that they tore it down- all those memories."

Sunnyside was never given a proper burial and closed abruptly when Vic Manni and Nick Annest, a pair of local promoters entrusted with the keys to the building, became the centerpiece of a police investigation concerning gambling in connection with a local synagogue.

By that time the neighborhood rivalries were drying up anyway. People were leaving the city for the suburbs. The gimmicks that matched a police officer against a firefighter were drawing flies, and publicity stunts such as camera night, in which fans could have their picture taken with a famous fighter, were no longer gate attractions.

As a result, the promoters feebly resorted to gambling to pay off the $8,000-a-month rent and their operation was subsequently closed. With that, the guillotine came down on an era that once boasted around 20 fight clubs in New York - almost a show every night - and a boxing scene that was so healthy it seemed it would last forever.

"Sunnyside was the last of the real small, self-sustaining fight clubs," said boxing historian and matchmaker Don Majeski. "After it left, that was it."

Sunnyside was a mythical place, full of charm and imagination, women and cigar smoke and, best of all, fights. Dozens of world champions fought there on their way to bigger paydays at Madison Square Garden, guys like Tony Canzoneri, Floyd Patterson, Vito Antuofermo, Eddie Gregory, later known as Eddie Mustafa Muhammad. Gerry Cooney turned pro there. Heavyweight Bobby Mashburn, who fought Larry Holmes and Ken Norton and was the father of the New Orleans Hornets' Jamal Mashburn of the NBA, appeared at Sunnyside.

"Sunnyside Gardens is an ugly, red-brick relic tucked beneath a trestle for the Flushing line on Queens Boulevard, fighting for survival in a dormant sport," is how Bill Verigan of the Daily News described it on May 11, 1972.

Built in 1926 as a ritzy tennis club by millionaire Jay Goulds, Sunnyside developed into a sanctuary for activities such as wrestling, karate, arm wrestling, bingo nights and eventually boxing when it was sold in 1945. Before then, if you wanted to see a fight you went to Queensboro Arena next to the Queens Plaza station. Primo Carnera headlined there before the wooden stadium was torn down the '40s and Sunnyside became the gathering place for the discriminating sports fan where men recently returned from the service met their wives in the wooden bleachers and businessmen had a drink at the bar in the lobby.

Gamblers in fedoras huddled outside with bookmakers placing bets, and fans couldn't peek into the referee's scorecard before they made a wager like they could in the balcony at St. Nicholas Arena. A seafood restaurant across the street was the pre-fight destination and the neighboring bars like the Merry-Go-Round and Escape were the spots you hit after the fight.

Young kids lucky enough to find seats at the arena stole peaks of what their parents were doing when they weren't at home.

"I was old enough to go to my father's fights, and I was in the audience when a riot broke out," said Bobby Cassidy Jr., a writer for Newsday and son of the middleweight contender. "This fighter named Bobby O'Brien, who was a cop, was in the audience that night; he wasn't fighting and someone just cold-cocked him. He just starts knocking people out, and I'm a 10-year-old kid watching all this."

Sunnyside was around for the confluence of Spanish immigrants in the '50s and '60s who moved into the area and helped fuel famous rivalries, all chronicled in papers like La Prensa and the Long Island Star-Journal that people still talk about today.

A matchmaker at Sunnyside Gardens in the '60s, Gene Moore, now 70, never hesitated to square off fighters with divergent ethnicities. Then he crossed his fingers that the enthusiasm wouldn't boil over into bedlam. When "Irish" Bobby Cassidy Sr. fought Carmelo Martinez, a riot ensued after the decision was announced.

"The place was packed to the pillars with Puerto Ricans and my Irish crew," said Cassidy Sr., "In the seventh round he dropped me. I came back to the corner and my trainer, Jimmy Glenn, slapped me. That was the first time a trainer had ever slapped me before. I came back in the eighth round and landed some heavy shots and he was walking around like a cripple. He was wobbling around and his foot kept kicking up in the air. People were throwing chairs and tossing things into the ring after I won the decision."

The kids who belonged to neighborhood gangs, like Henny Wallitsch ("If you missed me with a punch, I was mad"), a member of the Midnight Boys, trained at local gyms and became instant celebrities at Sunnyside for their neighborhood wars and ability to sell tickets.

"Me and Bobby Halpern had a bloodbath there," said Wallitsch, "They had to move the ringside seats two rows back because of the mess. The Daily News said that it was the greatest fight in the last 20 years."

There was never a dull moment at Sunnyside. The 1965 blackout canceled a show that three busloads of fans from East Rockaway, L.I. came to see.

When the promoter, a vaudevillian character named Broadway George Albert, a retired milliner who always had a cigar in his mouth, booked the same fighters the following week, the fans never came back.

To help brunt the occasional unsuccessful promotion, Madison Square Garden subsidized Sunnyside with $500 a week during Albert's seven-year reign in the '60s. Duke Stephano, Albert's matchmaker, was Teddy Brenner's assistant at the real Garden in Manhattan, and fighters who consistently won at Sunnyside were promoted to the Mecca in Manhattan. Garden publicity chief, John Condon, handled Sunnyside's press for free. General admission was $4, ringside was $8 and it cost roughly $5,000 to put on a fight. If the promoter made a $100 profit, it was considered a moderate success.

"It was a great place," said Howie Albert, George's son who co-managed former welterweight and middleweight champion Emile Griffith. "There wasn't a bad seat in the house. I drive by the place now, and I have tears in my eyes, even though I like Wendy's. There were so many nice times there."

"Before television (changed the way boxing is operated), Sunnyside was the minor leagues of the sport," said Daily News cartoonist, Bill Gallo, who grew up in Astoria and whose father covered fights at Sunnyside for the New York Sun. "It was a popular place, and managers would come from overseas just to try their fighters out at Sunnyside. Some of them became stars, some of them didn't, but Sunnyside was a fun place to be."

Today, Sunnyside is a special word, spoken at Ring 8 meetings in Long Island City at Tony Mazzarella's Waterfront Crabhouse and at New Jersey Hall of Fame gatherings, kept alive in fight posters and ticket stubs.

To old-timers whose memories of their fights are as sharp as a diamond stud, Sunnyside Gardens is a living, breathing entity, capable of turning grown men into hyperactive kids suddenly walking along Steinway Street to the Red Door Bar, not a care in the world following a tough fight at Sunnyside, as Bobby Bartels, a popular welterweight from Astoria in the mid '50s did on more than one occasion. Those were the days.

(by Mitch Abramson)



Nov. 24, 1933 - Madison Square Garden, New York
Tony Canzoneri vs. Kid Chocolate (2nd meeting)

"Tony Canzoneri knocked out Kid Chocolate last night in the most spectacular lightweight battle in a local ring since the night Benny Leonard stopped Richie Mitchell... Before 13,000 wildly excited boxing followers in Madison Square Garden, Chocolate suffered his first knockout loss... A right hand punch finished him after 2 minutes 30 seconds of the second round. But more blood and thunder was crowded into that five and one half minutes than has been seen here in years." (New York Times - Nov. 25).


artwork


lineup


Jack Sharkey and wife at their home in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts


Nov 22, 1935 - Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts

Jack Sharkey KO's Unknown Winston...twice...in the same fight !!

Sharkey's first bout in two years.

He kayoed Winston in the first round after two blows but, as there had been "ugly talk" before of a "fix," the fans surrounded the ring shouting insults. Referee Martin tried to assure them that Winston had tried, which was greeted with louder insults. Sharkey suggested they start the bout all over. Martin consulted with the judges, and a few minutes later permitted the bout to start all over again. The fans returned to their seats. In the second round Sharkey caught Winston with a left to the jaw to floor him for an eight-count. He then slammed him with a right to the jaw and Winston was down for good. The fans booed and went home. The State Boxing Commission then suspended Winston for one year for not giving his "best efforts."



For a portion of his career, King Levinsky, the 1930's American heavyweight, was managed and trained by his sister Lena. Known as "Leapin Lena", she was a colorful character who swore like a sailor, and rooted loudly for her brother during his bouts.



Jan 2, 1930

23 year old Primo Carnera, the giant Italian future heavyweight champion, had just landed in America to make a bid for the crown left by Gene Tunney and was taking on Al Singer (a future lightweight champion) for a few playful rounds in his New York City gym.

The Italian created quite a sensation on his appearance in New York. He stood six feet seven inches tall, wore a size 17 shoe, a 20" collar and swung a 15-pound cane when he went out for a walk. He tipped the scales at 274 pounds.



"I'll die before I quit" - Stanley Ketchel



Paul Berlenbach (the "Astoria Assassin"), was born a deaf mute, and remained so until the age of eighteen...then a miraculous event occurred...while working at a disability camp for children, the 18 year old Berlenbach tried to recover a boy's kite stuck at the top of the tree's branches...climbing a pole Berlenbach released the kite from the branches but touched a live electrical wire and was electrocuted, and fell unconscious to the ground...medics were called and worked on Berlenbach frantically and he was revived.
To his amazement his hearing was restored to normal and the 18 year old Berlenbach after a long treatment developed normal speech.
He then became a wrestler, then switched to boxing becoming a LH champion (1925-26) in a golden age of great light-heavyweights all due to a miracle performing a good deed.



On July 11, 1936, before his own adoring fans at Seattle’s Civic Stadium, Freddie Steele challenged middleweight champion “Babe” Risko before a crowd of 27,000. Local reporters described the contest as the biggest fight staged in the Pacific Northwest since Jack Dempsey had outpointed Tommy Gibbons at Shelby, Montana, thirteen years previously.

Steele was ready for the challenge and in peak form as he controlled the fight all the way. But what tough men they all were in Freddie’s day. Fighters shrugged off major defeats with the resigned and philosophical air of a horse flicking away the flies. Seven months before, Risko had stumbled into an absolute nightmare at Madison Square Garden in a non-title bout against the fearsome Englishman, Jock McAvoy, whose nickname of the Rochdale Thunderbolt said pretty much everything about him. The Babe was scuttled by the first punch of the contest, a terrific right, and proceeded to visit the mat a further five times before McAvoy blasted him out of the fight in two minutes and fifty-eight seconds.

Steele threatened to finish Risko in similarly quick fashion. In the first round, Freddie uncorked one of his big left hooks to deck the Babe for a count of seven. The omens were not good for the defending champion, yet thereafter he survived the storms that raged around him with admirable grit and skill.

Steele was consistently ferocious through the fifteen rounds of battle, mounting one withering body attack after another. Lesser men than Risko would surely have crumbled under the savage pummeling. Freddie’s sharp punches to the face so often had the effect of a slash from a saber on his many opponents. One reads constantly of how the Tacoma Assassin’s blows would not merely tear the other man’s skin. They would open deep and damaging cuts.

He opened cuts over both of Risko’s eyes, but the Babe was determined to hang in there and keep punching. Steele, seemingly tireless, rarely slackened his pace. Risko was stunned again in the tenth round when Freddie doubled up with a left hook to the chin and a left to the body.

But Steele was much more than merely an attacking force. He also displayed excellent blocking skills, preventing Babe from scoring effectively with short lefts to the head.

Risko, showing a world champion’s pride, never stopped trying to the end. His work improved in the later stages of the contest as he engaged Freddie in toe-to-toe warfare with some success. But the Babe had given too much away and simply couldn’t overcome the wide points deficit.

The Associated Press was glowing in its summation of Freddie: “Steele has done all his boxing on the Pacific coast. Just twenty-three years old, he has the height, reach and hitting power of a heavyweight.”



(by Mike Casey)




July 4, 1914 - Daly City, California, USA

George Chip beat Billy Murray by KO in round 15 of 15 (non-title middleweight bout)

George Chip traveled to San Francisco in the summer of 1914 to take on Fighting Billy Murray, who was on a reported unbeaten streak of forty-nine straight victories dating to January 1912.

Chip got off to a very slow start, as he ceded much of the first half of the bout to Murray. Chip became stronger in the second half of the bout, as Murray became more reckless. Chip scored a knockdown in the 11th round, with a left hook to the head. After this Murray appeared to be concerned with reaching the end of the bout, while Chip who was tired was economical with his punching. In the 15th round, Chip landed a powerful left hook to the jaw, followed by another right to the jaw that put Murray down for the count. The photo shows Chip returning to his corner after that sequence. Referee Jim Griffin stated that Murray was winning at the time of the knockout.

(San Francisco Chronicle)



Jackie 'Kid' Berg wins "hammer and tongs battle" as Madison Square Garden "rocks with mad cheering.....as mad as anything the Garden ever heard"...



The boxer on the floor has just been knocked out in a championship contest. A few days earlier he had saved someone from drowning. Did his heroic act cause his defeat?

Frankie Burns was middleweight champion of Australia, a good-looking young man of 21, pleasant and well-mannered....and had travelled to England to futher his career.
“I was very shy about boxing in front of a big crowd,” he said. “But I am hoping to make good in England, my ambition being to win the Empire middleweight title.”

After a win against Fred Davies at London's National Sporting Club he got his shot at that title against the formidable Ted 'Kid' Lewis in June 1922.

Four nights before his fight with Lewis (at a large skating rink in Holland Park, near Shepherd’s Bush, in London) he was sound asleep in bed when he was awakened by cries for help. Scrambling out of the blankets, he ran down to the towing path where he saw that two men were struggling in the water beside an upturned canoe.

Without hesitating Frankie jumped in and grabbed one man by the hair as he was sinking. He tried to catch hold of the other without success, so swam back to the bank and managed to pull the half-drowned man out of the water.
He yelled loudly for help then dived in again and searched around for the second canoeist, while his manager danced on the toe-path, imploring him to come out. Only when he knew that there were others to continue the search was Burns persuaded to leave the river.
He was wrapped in a blanket and rushed back to bed. It had been a pretty brave thing for Burns to do, for the Australian had no knowledge of the river currents, nor had he given a thought to the risk he was taking in getting a chill that might seriously interfere with his forthcoming championship fight.

The man he had rescued was Capt. Alphonso Austin Smith who, four years later, was to be acquitted of the capital murder charge in the famous ‘Stella Maris’ murder case.
The Royal Humane Society awarded Frankie a medal, but he should have got one for facing Lewis, who entered the Holland Park ring in a most warlike and destructive mood.

It was the famous crashing, bashing Kid at his very best and poor Burns hardly got a look in. True, he fought gamely and to the utmost of his ability, but Lewis was in championship form and kept his man on the strict defensive from the opening bell.
Try as he might, Frankie could not keep his aggressive rival at bay. Lewis would wade in, swinging with both hands and once he had got to close range, he would pound at the body in non-stop fashion.
These tactics gave the Australian little opportunity to exploit his boxing skill, moreover, although he met the Kid with some well-placed punches as he came in, there didn’t seem sufficient power to stop the Londoner.

After five rounds Lewis had established a long lead, but in the sixth he slowed down from his own exertions and Burns made up a lot of leeway.
He did well in the next two rounds, making Lewis miss with some clever evasive work. But the Kid came to life again in the ninth and suddenly landed a full-arm left swing to the chin.
Down went the Australian to a yell from the fans that drowned the voice of the timekeeper. Frankie was so dazed that he rose without taking advantage of the count and stood there swaying – an open target for a finisher.
In tore Lewis, eager to plant a knockout wallop on his rival’s unprotected chin. But at that moment the bell rang out to end the round and Burns was saved.

But only temporarily! He managed to coast through the tenth, but Lewis gave him no rest and although he escaped another damaging delivery, he was a very weary warrior as he went back to his corner.
The Kid had made up his mind to finish things off and tore into Burns at the opening of the eleventh, working him into a neutral corner. Here he bombarded the Australian’s ribs with some hefty digs from each hand then, as Frankie brought his gloves down to protect his midsection, the Kid switched to the head.
Bang! Bang! Left and right hooks rattled Frankie’s teeth and he fell forward into a clinch. Lewis wrenched himself free, stepped back and then whipped in a right hook that carried his full power and strength.

The punch had ‘winner’ written all over it. Burns staggered three paces sideways, then hit the canvas like a picture falling from a wall.
He crashed on his back, his legs waving convulsively in the air. Finally, the soles of his boots contacted the ring post and he seemed to be trying to walk up it. Burns was out to the wide, yet instinctively he was trying to get away from his rival while upside-down.
There was never a chance of him beating the count and as he finally slithered to the canvas, the Kid walked to his corner and held out his gloves to be untied. He knew it was all over.

It was interesting to note that while Frankie Burns failed in his effort to win an Empire title, his son George Barnes became welterweight king of the Commonwealth.

(by Gilbert Odd)

exceprts taken from 'Story behind this picture – Frankie Burns'...the full story can be read here...
http://blog.boxinghistory.org.uk/2012/06/story-behind-this-picture-frankie-burns.html







Harry Greb


Tommy Loughran on Harry Greb



Feb 6, 1983 - Valle d'Aosta, Italy
Ray 'Boom Boom' Mancini vs George Feeney

'One of My Toughest Fights....he's definitely a world-class fighter' - Ray Mancini

...........................................

Mancini fought 10 bruising rounds against Feeney to take home a slim but unanimous decision in his first match since the bout that caused the death of Duk Koo Kim almost three months previous.

The 138-pound Mancini, the World Boxing Association lightweight champion, was cut above the left eye in the seventh round of the nontitle bout and was seriously rocked in the eighth by the durable 134-pound Briton. ''Scary,'' Mancini muttered with undisguised relief as he was led out of the packed, 1,500-seat arena with his victory.

After the fight, Mancini did not shy from the subject of Kim's death. ''With everything that happened, I was under a lot of pressure,'' Mancini volunteered. ''I'm very happy it's over, very relieved. I need mental relaxation now. I had a lot on my mind before this fight.''

'One of My Toughest Fights'

Throughout Mancini's training here, his manager, David Wolf, insisted that Feeney, the British lightweight champion, was a worthy adversary who would provide a real test despite his 15-8 record. It seemed like the typical hype, but the bout proved Wolf right. Feeney took Mancini's left jabs to the body and his sharp combinations to the head and responded in kind, never really looking shaky himself until the very end of the final round.

''That was definitely one of my toughest fights,'' said Mancini, who brought his record to 26-1, ''and I hope nobody's surprised. I said from the beginning that this man was tough and would bring out the best in me. He's definitely a world-class fighter. He definitely has a champion's heart.''

The three judges scored the fight 98-96, 98-96, 98-95, respectively. With the victory, however slim, secured, Wolf said he was pleased it had been such a trying contest. ''This was the fight we prepared for,'' the manager said. ''We knew the guy took a tremendous punch. Now we go back to a title defense without any doubts at all. If it had been an easy fight, we'd still have all those questions.''

The questions that Wolf felt were answered dealt with Mancini's reaction to having delivered the fatal blows to Kim in Las Vegas, Nev., last Nov. 13. Would his fighter be reluctant to pursue an advantage, Wolf wondered, if he were inflicting damage to his opponent?

''He finished hard,'' Wolf said. ''He didn't lay off when he had him hurt. We're right back on course.'' But Mancini was hurting in the seventh and eighth rounds. Feeney cut him above the eye in the seventh and landed blows to the head that opened the cut and wobbled Mancini in the eighth.

The fight was a physical spectacle, but the hours before were a different spectacle, with the excitement beginning Saturday night when 125 Mancini boosters arrived from Bagheria, the Youngstown, Ohio, fighter's ancestral home in Sicily. If they were weary from the 25-hour train journey, it was impossible to tell. Until late in the evening, the lobby of the hotel here rocked with accordion music and shouts of ''Boom Boom,'' the only English words the Sicilians knew.

Mancini was at the center of the tumult, hugging and kissing his great uncle and his cousins, signing autographs and posing for photographs. There were also about 50 people from the Youngstown area here for the fight, including Mancini's parents.

Throughout the afternoon, Mancini's handlers tried to send him up to his room for a nap. Instead, he greeted the Ohio contingent, taught his father to say ''mio piacere'' -''my pleasure to meet you'' - and told his mother about attending mass this morning with the Bagheria relatives at an 11th-century church in St. Vincent.

''He's not just a good boxer, he's a good boy,'' one of the waiters told the fighter's parents in halting English. Arena Conditions Protested

Meanwhile, Wolf was pacing the lobby in distress and threatening to call off the fight. The conditions at the arena, he said, were horrendous: The ring unsteady, the ropes too slack and the padding on the floor too thin. His diatribe seemed a bit theatrical, and he conceded he was especially sensitive to potentially unsafe conditions in the wake of the Kim fight.

While Wolf fumed, Murphy Griffith, the trainer, and Bob Arum, the promoter, walked down the snowy hill to check out the problems at the arena. The ropes would be tightened and the ring steadied, they told Wolf. The padding would have to suffice. The fight would go on.

The Mancini supporters turned out early, filling the arena with Italian songs, more accordion music, and constant cheering for their favorite. They did not get the knockout that they were urging with their chants of ''Mancini, Mancini,'' but they were still happily waving their banners at evening's end.

(by Jane Gross)



1943


The thing about him was his charisma and connection to the fans. Perhaps it had to do with his Pryor-like style which consisted of amazing hand speed and footwork. He swarmed his opponents with a relentless style and accurate volleys one after another. And, of course, typical of so many other Korean fighters of that era, he was a rough guy who would use head butts and elbows if necessary.

Arguably, had he fought in the U.S. during his reign, Jung-Koo Chang's popularity would had rivaled that of Aaron Pryor, from whom he took his nickname. He went 37-1 in his first 38 outings. In 1983, he avenged his first loss by icing Hilario Zapata and capturing the WBC light flyweight crown. Amazingly, "The Hawk" then established what then would be a world record for the most defenses as World Light Flyweight champion, defending the title successfully 16 times between 1983 and 1988. Chang's record for successive title defenses in the 108 pound division would fall to Myung Woo Yuh who successfully defended his WBA Jr. Flyweight Title 17 times in his first reign between 1985 and 1991. Among those "The Hawk" swooped upon were rugged Mexican bomber German Torres (thrice), a young Sot Chitalada, Francisco Montiel (twice), Hideyuki Ohashi (twice), and the great Isidro Perez. Chitalada later avenged his loss with a MD win in 1990. The following year, he lost to Muangchai "J-Okay" Kittikasem and then retired

Chang was incredibly popular in South Korea and became the first Korean boxer to ever be ranked in the top 10 P4P by Ring Magazine. He also became one of the few champions from the lower weight classes considered as the best fighter pound for pound.

A party type of guy, not unlike the great Carlos Monzon, he drew the attention of young females. By the time he flew to Japan for a rematch against the number contender Hideyuki Ohashi who he had previously stopped in five rounds, his reflexes were not what they once were. In what was one of the great closet classics, He staggered Ohashi in the opening round. In round 3, he sent Ohashi to the canvas three times, but the challenger somehow got back up, hurting the champion with a counter punch before the round ended. Then, Ohashi began to come on strong knowing that he was badly behind on the scorecards. The two exchanged savaged shots without regard to their welfare and without any semblance of defense. Finally. "The Hawk" halted Ohashi after decking him twice in the eight canto. It was one for the books and one few ever heard about.

Had he retired there and then, it would have been a perfect ending, but boxing never promises anyone a happy ending. His wife took off to America with all of his money and, without a high school diploma, he returned to the ring in an all-too familiar story. However, it was within the realm of possibility for Chang to win another world title since he was only twenty-six years old. But he had peaked long before, and his return had the inevitable result as he lost to future Hall of Fame inductee Humberto "Chiquita" Gonzalez and then, in his final bout, to Maungchai Kittikasem of Thailand in a great fight--indeed, another classic in which Chang dropped his younger Thai opponent twice and looked as though he was on his way to become a two-division champion. Going into the 12th and final round, he was leading on all scorecards, but a Kittikasem left hook from hell sent him to the canvas badly hurt. He got up and was knocked down again, this time through the ropes. Though he bravely got up, he was done and the referee had no choice but to halt the fight. Talk about dramatic endings.

"The Korean Hawk" retired for good with a 38-4 record, but he again ended up on the wrong side of the financial ledger. However, he began working with promoters and later came back to the ring as a trainer for WBC Jr. flyweight champion Yo Sam Choi (who later would be fatally injured in a fight he won). Today, he reportedly runs a chain of boxing gyms along with former Jr. bantamweight king Sung Kil Moon in Seoul and he is also involved in promoting young boxers.

(by Ted Sares)



Argentina


I can see that left hook as if it was yesterday, he didn't go down but I heard the 'aaggh!' and saw his face and from then on I knew I had him.

Once my gloves went on I was in warrior mode. The home crowd for McKenzie never bothered me – I would have fought in Vietnam because it was just me and the opponent in the ring.

After that left hook he knew that I could take him out with one punch, or at least I could hurt him, so that changed everything. Suddenly he realised he was in a fight.

He got so desperate that he tried to butt me in one of the rounds and got a warning from the referee, Randy Neumann. I managed to get out of the way but that could have not only ruined the fight but my career because it would have just opened me up.

I knew I had won, but in boxing you are never sure and Mickey Duff was lifting McKenzie and walking around the ring with him. But if they had given it to McKenzie it would have been one of the worst decisions in history.

When I heard 'and the new world champion' it gave me a feeling like I have never had before... when my hand was raised it was just indescribable.

Boxing is brutal and I remember when my mindset to the sport changed. It was the night Barry McGuigan won his World title at Loftus Road in 1985. I was fighting Bobby McDermott in a British title eliminator and I remember hearing from his corner 'Kill him, kill him Bobby, kill him Bobby and I could see the trainer out of the corner of my eye... that changed my mindset about boxing because to me it was just a boxing match. But it's more than that.

I remember before the fight all that the media was interested in was Duke, and my dressing room was like a ghost-town while you couldn't get near his for journalists. Afterwards it was the reverse, as you could not move in mine and his was empty. I slipped out to see duke to commiserate and I could just not believe the difference that there was, all because he lost the fight. But that's boxing for you - losing is a hard medicine.

(Dave 'Boy' McAuley)



*June 7, 1989 - Dave McAuley w pts 12 Duke McKenzie - IBF World flyweight title - The Arena, Wembley, London, England




Gene Tunney


Apr 24, 1953
Boston, Massachusetts



The day Ike Williams conquered Wales.


In 1946 tough Welsh Lightweight Ronnie James was desperately looking for a World Title shot after a long career fighting many of the best fighters around his weight from the UK and overseas.

The then powerful UK promoter Jack Solomans thought he had found just the opportunity for his fighter when he was ringside for Ike Williams fight against Bobby Ruffin in New York. Ike won by TKO in the 5th but Solomons still felt that Ike Williams was nothing special and that his fighter Ronnie James was just the fighter to beat him.

Straight away Solomons entered into negotiations with the Williams camp hoping to land a title fight in Wales for his fighter. As is often the case in Boxing these negotiations proved long and at times very difficult, with many arguments taking place between the two camps. Eventually Solomons managed to get all the contracts signed for Williams to come to Wales and defend his title (the Williams camp had originally wanted a ten round non-title fight).

The fight was set for 4th September 1946 and would take place in the open air at Ninian Park, Cardiff, Wales. The American Champion Williams would receive 25% of the gate and Ronnie James as challenger 15%.

Ike Williams arrived in the UK in a confident mood and was accompanied by his manager Cornelius ‘Connie’ Patrick and his trainer Harry Curley. But Jack Solomons problems were not yet over. Ike Williams then started making many demands, mainly about the food he wanted to eat, he was demanding such things like fresh fruit everyday. Solomons tried explaining to the Champion that many of the the foods he was asking for were just not available in the UK (remember this was in 1946 and food rationing was widespread). However Ike Williams wasn’t interested in excuses he wanted his requested food, and fast.

Eventually Solomons managed to cater to his demands through some contacts at the American Embassy. Then there was more problems, about two weeks before the fight it started to rain and rain and rain. Not the best of weather for a big outdoor fight. Despite many around him calling for the fight to be prostphoned Solomons insisted that the fight would still go ahead. Thankfully on the morning of the fight the rain stopped and due to this and a lot of hard work by the men preparing the arena the fight wasn’t called off.

In the weeks leading up to the fight the reports from the respective training camps was that Ronnie James was looking fantastic but Ike Williams was looking sluggish and less than motivated, this coupled with the fact that the Champion was still a few pounds over weight on the morning of the fight gave even more hope to the Welsh fans that their fighter would be lifting the Championship belt later that day.

But then the fight began, Ronnie James was a fine fighter but he was no match for the superb Ike Williams who just tore the brave Welsh fighter apart with a vicious body attack. Ronnie James hit the canvas six times that night and showed tremendous heart and bravery but in all truth he was never really in the fightand was stopped in the 9th.

Jack Solomons had made a terrible mistake, Ike Williams was indeed a great fighter who just crushed the pride of Wales that night.









London. 1980.



Robinson went down hard.

His head seemed to hit the canvas before the rest his body. When he rose, just before referee Joseph could reach eight, his legs were unsteady and it was apparent his head wasn’t quite clear.

Joseph gave Robinson’s gloves a quick wipe on his shirt and backed off. There were a full two minutes left in the round - an eternity for a shaken fighter.

Described by one writer as being elated but incredulous to the upturn in his fortunes, the blood rushed to Ohio sharpshooter’s head, as he stormed after Robinson. Ripping hooks and right crosses, all intended to finish matters on contact, Bell’s punches became a little looser and wider. Robinson immediately back pedaled, desperately ducking and dodging the frenzied attack before holding on tight when Bell got too close.

The fans were on their feet, urging the underdog on. With Robinson in full scale survival mode, Bell’s chased. With a little more composure, Bell might have been able to capitalize further, but slowly Robinson became steadier, and a little surer, and when the final bell rang was not just surviving, but gamely firing back.

Trying to capitalize on the events, and test Robinson’s resolve, Bell came out intent to keep the pressure on. Having rediscovered the composure that eluded him during the frantic push to end matters moments earlier, Bell mixed his attack nicely, using his jab, and going hard to the body.

Robinson tried to re-establish himself in the fight with his jab and keep the action as a comfortable distance, but Bell’s pressure was unyielding. Shaking off whatever Robinson threw; he kept coming forward, and just before the round ended, landed another hard left hook. The punch shook Robinson, but there was no time to follow up.

The next two rounds were also carried by the determined efforts of Bell, who kept shuffling forward, letting his hands go while never taking a backwards step. He once again managed to stagger Robinson, this time near the end of the fifth round with a right cross to jaw.

With a third of the fight in the books, Bell had a clear upper hand – however a slight shift of momentum took place in the closely contested sixth. Robinson managed to bloody Bell’s nose, which bled freely for the rest of the bout. Still Bell had his moments, and just before the bell, landed a grazing left hook, followed by a clean right hand.

Then came the decisive seventh round.

After being forced onto his back foot for much of the fight, Robinson went on the attack. He met Bell head on, and unleashed his full repertoire of dazzling offensive skills, including a relentless hooking assault to the body. Those whip like hooks, digging into Bell’s midsection, finally cracked the Ohio man’s resolve to not move backwards. Sensing his chance, Robinson drove Bell into the corner, where a left right combination late in the round buckled Bell’s knees and had him holding on.

When Bell left his corner out for the eighth, some of the fire appeared to be gone, but he still came out pressing the attack. Softened up and a little slower, but still willing and determined, he was easy pray for Robinson’s punishing counters, and soon was being hammered all over the ring. At one stage, the besieged Bell slipped to the canvas after ducking to avoid a left hook.

In the ninth round, Bell used his jab to good effect, and managed to back Robinson off a little with two hooks to the body. It was only a momentary respite however, as Robinson quickly resumed his assault, and Bell continuously got the worst of the exchanges.

Finally, in the eleventh round, after landing several damaging hooks, Robinson followed up a double left hook combo, with a crunching right hand. The barrage sent Bell toppling to the canvas.

Bell struggled to his feet at the count of 8, but by all accounts, looked a thoroughly beaten man, and Robinson went all out for the finish. He battered his unsteady rival all over the ring, but when the bell rang, Bell was still on his feet.

The twelfth was a one sided barrage.

Just about everyone in the Garden felt Robinson would finish matters, as he unloaded his full arsenal on the exceedingly game, but near helpless Bell.

Robinson wailed away in a bid for the knockout, ripping hooks and right hands to the body and head, as he sent his tottering opponent staggering all over the ring. Through it all, Bell somehow stayed upright. He clutched and grabbed and used his jab as best he could to fend Robinson off, prompting one reporter to refer to Bell's amazing survival act as a miracle of ruggedness.

Coming out for the thirteenth, Bell’s face was a gory mess. His lower lip and nose swollen and bleeding, and his eyes puffy from the pounding he’d received. Robinson looking fresh by comparison was not completely unscathed, sporting cuts around both eyebrows.

Barely able to maintain his footing through the previous three minutes, most expected Bell to resume his survival tactics, yet he discarded the jab and grab of the previous round, choosing to crowd Robinson on the inside, while winging hooks to the body. There was nothing sharp or precise about what Bell could muster, but it was stirring, gutsy stuff that brought the crowd to its feet, and won him the round on the scorecards of many ringside observers.

Bell followed up his effort of the thirteenth, by continuing to bore in and swing away, while Robinson responded with the more precise return fire. Opinions were split on who won the round, with some preferring Bell’s haphazard aggressiveness to Robinson’s accurate counters.

While both men were running on fumes heading into the fifteenth, Robinson hadn’t absorbed close to the same amount of punishment, and had a little more snap in his shots. He again seized control of the battle, catching Bell repeatedly throughout the round. He just didn’t have enough left in the tank to amp up the power on his punches, and couldn’t put Bell into further duress. As the two exhausted fighters battled to the final bell, the appreciative crowd roared their approval.

The crowd applauded, as the two fighters received congratulations from their camps, while awaiting the official result. In the minds of most observers, there was not much doubt over who the winner was, but as with all competitive fights, there’s still a palpable tension in the air while the scores are being tabulated.

“I’m the champ, George.” Robinson said to Gainford as they stood in the corner. Gainford warned him not to be so certain.

After a few minutes, the cards were handed to ring announcer Harry Balogh, who read the verdict.

Referee Joseph and Judge Arthur Schwartz both had Robinson ahead by scores of 10 rounds to 5, while Judge Jack O’Sullivan had Robinson in front by 8 rounds to 6, with one round even. Loud cheers greeted the unanimous decision, although a few scattered boos could also be heard.

The ringside press was in complete agreement with Robinson winning the decision, and with the sentiment that Bell had performed courageously in defeat.

As congratulatory cries rang down from the balcony, tears welled up in Robinson’s eyes.

He’d finally done it. The king now had his crown.

(by Andrew Fruman)

........................................

Dec 20, 1946
Madison Square Garden, New York

"Sugar Ray Robinson reached the pot of gold he has been hunting for five years by coming on in the middle rounds to outpoint Tommy Bell and win the world welterweight championship in Madison Square Garden. Robinson weighed 146½; Bell 146. The Harlem stringbean, known for five years as the uncrowned champion, finally got his shot at the crown this time and hit the jackpot, but only after the roughest, toughest going he has ever gone through in his career, as the rugged Youngstown, O., Negro walked in and belted away from start to finish of the 15-round slugfest. Loser of only one fight in his career of 75 trips to the post—and that one to a middleweight—the uptown thumper had to come off the floor from a second round knockdown to finish in front." - Associated Press



March 21, 1941 - Detroit, Michigan

Heavyweight champion Joe Louis, with both feet off the ground, lands a left to the head of the much larger Abe Simon in the 15th defence of his title - the last heavyweight title fight scheduled for 20 rounds.






.....................................................

Joe Louis Stops Abe Simon in Thirteenth Round
Associated Press, March 22, 1941...

The impossible didn't quite happen tonight but it came close enough to throw a substantial scare into Joe Louis and his fistic family before the Bomber was able to do his work.
With just a whale-sized heart and a dazzling left hand, the New York giant, Abe Simon—the big target who wasn't supposed to have one chance in a million of lasting more than three rounds—gave Louis a "helluva" fight of it for 12 full heats before running afoul of the Brown Bomber's big guns in the thirteenth.
With the greatest indoor crowd in Detroit's fistic history jamming the Olympia and gasping in amazement at Simon's sensational showing, Abe gave just about as good as he received until the thirteenth. Then, floored twice by heavy-duty right hand shells, he got up and staggered helplessly into the ropes near his own corner. There, Referee Sam Hennessey rushed in and halted the bout with Louis a tired technical knockout winner at 1 minute, 20 seconds of the thirteenth.
A total of 18,908 fans bulged this big arena at the seams and hung from the rafters to see the hometown champion, and Promoter Mike Jacobs said some 3,000 who couldn't even crowd into the packed standing room sections, were turned away. The gross gate was $56,605.10.
But, although he locked his world heavyweight championship in the safe successfully for the fifteenth time, the great Louis was slightly less than a ball of fire. After it was over, the "experts" agreed he was mighty lucky not to have had to face the speed and left hand of a Billy Conn tonight.
He finished up with a "mouse" under his left eye and the optic half closed and he left the definite impression behind that he is no longer at his peak, although at 202 pounds tonight his handlers insisted he was "in the pink."
Altogether, Louis floored Abe four times during the 13 rounds this scheduled 20-rounder lasted. In the first round—in fact the first punch he threw—Joe whistled a right off Abe's "wiskers" that dropped him near a neutral corner. He was up without a count, however. In the third, another of the same sat Abe down in another corner, and be stayed grinning on the seat of his pants until the referee reached nine.
Then, although Abe was hurt three times afterward, he didn't go down until the thirteenth. For several rounds before that Joe had been stalking the mountainous Manhattanite, obviously holding his fire until he had an open shot.
He got it in the thirteenth. A smashing right dropped Abe near his own corner for nine. He got up as Joe rushed in sensing the kill. Three more rights dropped Abe in almost the identical spot, and again he took nine before climbing to his feet. Joe raced across the ring once more, but this time "our Abe," as Manager Jimmy Johnston calls his gladiator, was helpless and through. He staggered blindly into the ropes and it was all over.
He must have wondered where the tornado had come from. He marched from his corner full of confidence at the opening bell, looking relaxed and assured as he fired off punches at his thicker-set challenger. Cerdan, protecting himself ably, waited for a pause in the storm and then erupted with a two-fisted attack that staggered the champion and forced him on the retreat. Zale never got back into the fight. Bewildered by the speed and accuracy of Cerdan’s crashing right hands, Tony was sometimes outpunched by a ratio of three or four to one as the steady beating from Marcel became more intense with the passing rounds. Cerdan would frequently feint with the right, causing Tony to shift into the firing line for the left hook.

Zale never did lose his withering look of the cold assassin. Nor did he stop punching back. He simply couldn’t make any progress. Those of his punches that were not slipped or blocked were unable to check Marcel’s progress. The Frenchman had set a torrid pace and Tony began to wilt. Mustering all his old know-how, the brave champion had no option but to clinch and muddle his way through the rounds, confining his replies to brief and ineffective bursts of punching.

By the eleventh round, Tony was holding and hustling desperately when a right uppercut finally unhinged him. In one of the most poignant vignettes ever seen in the boxing ring, Zale tried heroically to remain on his feet as he slumped against the ropes. Then sheer exhaustion cut his strings and he collapsed to his knees as his handlers rushed to his aid.

It was four o’clock in the morning in Paris when Cerdan’s many fans received the news that their man was the new middleweight champion of the world. In the Montmartre section of town, a big crowd gathered and celebrated joyously. In nightclubs and little street cafes, Cerdan was toasted. People poured onto the streets to discuss the fight after hearing the broadcast on French radio.

In the Roosevelt Stadium, Cerdan was dazed and uncertain how to react as the stunned pro-Zale crowd gradually drank in the greatness they had seen and gave a roar of appreciation for the new monarch.

(by Mike Casey)





Jack 'Kid' Berg - Kid Chocolate


Feb 7, 1949

Rinty Monaghan sang "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" in the centre of the ring after a decision loss to future world flyweight champion Terry Allen at the Harringay Arena,  London .



Rocky Marciano was retired at the time - this must have been '64 or '65 so he'd been retired seven or eight years - and Rocky and I had been friends for a while and we were in a favourite hotel of ours in Miami. Rocky said to me, 'I want to get back in shape. I want to fight this guy Cassius Clay.' Well, Rocky was nearly 40 years old, but he didn't like Clay, I think he really didn't understand where he was coming from. Rocky was this very patriotic and humble guy in many ways, and Clay at that time was the opposite.

So he's saying, 'I'm going to get back in shape. I'm going to take him on.' And I said, 'Rocky, don't do that. You retired the undefeated champion of the world. You never lost a fight. You're going to have a beautiful life now, you never have to fight again.' Rocky said, 'Well, I don't like this guy. He breaks all the rules and he is just unethical.' I talked to Rocky for an hour. I said, 'Don't you dare try to get back in shape for this guy. Can you imagine losing after winning all those fights and retiring with an unbeaten record? You'd have to whip yourself into some shape to beat this kid. This kid is great.' And I meant that, because I thought and still think Ali was wonderful, both in and out of the ring.

'Get the hell outta here,' Rocky said, 'I can beat this kid.' And he told me how strong he still was, because Rocky was an immensely strong fighter - he didn't have a lot of finesse, but my goodness this guy was strong and could punch. So again I said, 'You're doing the wrong thing. You have a great life. You have free time to spend with your family and lots of endorsements. Forget the whole thing.' So I leave the room and I go out for a while, and when I get back Rocky isn't there. So I go up to the exercise solarium which they had on the roof to look for him, and they had this sandbag which was fastened to the wall, which was kinda like a heavy punch bag. Anyway it wasn't there anymore, the bolts had come loose and the sandbag was about ten feet away on the floor, and there was dust on the floor and everything.

Two of Rocky's friends were up there and I said, "What the hell happened? Where is Rocky?' They both shrugged and said, 'I don't know. He came up here real mad about an hour ago and punched that thing and broke the wall.' I guess Rocky was mad because he knew he could never fight Clay. Which was perhaps as well, at that time, because I loved 'The Rock' but I think he didn't need it and I'm not sure he would have won that fight.

(by Tony Bennett - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Bennett )

(via Matt Hamilton)




January 1945.

Robert Earl is flattened by a young Johnny Bratton in Chicago Stadium. Earl got up to continue fight until his seconds ended the bout.





...and Johnny Bratton in the 80's...


"It was cold and snowy, and I walked all day and couldn't get a job or a meal. So that night I was standing there at the lunch counter when my friends came in again. "Billy Elmer will give you five dollars to fight tonight," they said. I was too hungry to stand it any longer. Five dollars meant a thick steak and some browned potatoes and a piece of pie and a cup of real coffee. I stood there and thought with my mouth watering. And then I went upstairs and I won my fight."

– Freddie Welsh describing the moment he took his first paid fight.




Only a minute into the fight, Walcott rocked Marciano with a straight right hand that forced Rocky to clinch. As soon as the two were separated, Jersey Joe gifted Marciano with his first knockdown at the end of a short left hook. Rocky got up at the count of four, ignoring the roars of his corner to stay down for an eight-count, and tried to redeem himself...



May 28, 1950

Jersey Joe Walcott visits Europe  to fight German heavyweight champ Hein ten Hoff. On a rainy evening at Mannheim Football Stadium, ten Hoff surprised everyone in the boxing world by losing to Walcott on a split decision over 10 rounds.

The promotor expected a 80,000 crowd. 31 special trains were on the rails to transport fans from all over the country. Yet "only" 25,000 showed up. The rain was one reason, the 70 DM price for tickets another.

In the second, ten Hoff's nose started to bleed. It was later reveiled that his nose had broken. Still he jabbed effectively into Jersey Joe's face. The American moved in fast on ten Hoff with series of hooks to the head and body. In the 4th he shook ten Hoff, but skidded on the wet canvas and the German recovered. ten Hoff had Jersey Joe against the ropes in the 5th and scored with three rights in a row. In the 6th both men slipped in the pouring rain. The 7th and 8th had occational right hand hits from ten Hoff, but Walcott was now in command, scoring at close range with series of hooks and uppercuts. His win was not controversial with the crowd.




The Johnny Bratton imposter..