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LH

Titles and Title Bouts

WBA: Tommy Loughran defended the title three times during the year, besting “Slapsie Maxie” Rosenbloom (TKO 13), Paul Berlenbach (UD 15) and Young Firpo (TKO 15).

NABF: Cuban Roleaux Saguero emerged as the unlikely titleholder with a controversial stoppage win over Maxie Rosenbloom (TKO 4). He then defended the belt versus Paul Berlenbach (TKO 9).

USBA: Ad Stone defended the belt against Leo Lomski (TKO 9) but then lost it to Young Firpo (MD 12).

CBU: Len Harvey remained active, defending this title over Tom Berry (TKO 7).

GBU: No title defenses by Gypsy Daniels for the second straight year.

EBU: Harvey defended twice, downing Battling Siki (TKO 5) and Mike McTigue (UD 12).

OPBF: No title bouts arranged yet.

LH Division Profile

Total: 133 RL: 87 TC: 46

RL by Career Stage:
End - 5
Post - 16
Prime - 39
Pre - 17
Beginning - 10 (6 New)

Rated: 59
800+: 14
500+: 31
200+ : 49

Jan 1930 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1929 in Parens):

Champ: Tommy Loughran 38-4-2 (14) (1715) (NC)
1. Len Harvey 33-4-2 (14) (1233) (+3) (EBU, CBU Champ)
2. Jack Delaney 35-6-2 (21) (1198) (+1)
3. Young Firpo 19-3-2 (14) (1068) (+6) (USBA Champ)
4. Roleaux Saguero 29-10-2 (27) (1045) (+19) (NABF Champ)
5. Maxie Rosenbloom 22-3-4 (10) (972) (-3)
6. Harry Greb 50-15-2 (27) (912) (+4)
7. Ad Stone 31-5 (20) (911) (-6)
8. Young Tony Marullo 25-10-4 (15) (906) (+4)
9. Lou Scozza 22-2 (17) (893) (+2)
10. Paul Berlenbach 22-6 (17) (891) (-3)

Others: 43. Gypsy Daniels 25-15-2 (16) (254) (-7) (GBU Champ)

Top Ten: Everyone listed above at Prime except for Greb (now at End) and Saguero, who joins Stone at Post after surging into the top 10. Loughran is a dominant Champion, having gone undefeated in his last 15 bouts spanning a four-year-plus time frame. Harvey had a busy year, defending both titles, taking a UD 10 from Greb before being held to a draw by Saguero to snap a five-bout winning streak. “Bright Eyes” Jack Delaney did not contend for any belts during the year, winning once (a UTD over Scozza) and drawing with Marullo. Young Firpo shot up the ranks with his upset win over Stone for the USBA belt, but proved way overmatched when taking on Loughran. Saguero had compiled an impressive 10-bout winning streak before the draw with Harvey, taking the NABF title belt; a UD 10 over Lou Bogash set him up for his title shot. Successive losses to Loughran and Saguero caused Rosenbloom’s stock to plummet. Greb rebounded from four straight losses with a TKO win over Stone, who slipped to #7 after going 2-2 for the year. Marullo had a strong year, with two wins and two draws, but no 1929 wins against notable top contenders. Scozza reached the top 10 with a KO over George Nichols and a UD over Greb, but slipped a bit with a recent loss to Delaney. Rounding out the top group is Berlenbach, who impressed with a one-round blowout of Nichols but struggled against Loughran and Saguero.

Other Notables: Despite winning two of three during the year, Lou Bogash slipped five spots to finish just outside the top 10 at #11. An upset loss to Tiger Jack Payne derailed Jimmy Slattery’s hopes as he dropped from #5 all the way to #13. Jack Reeves, a TKO victim to previously unheralded George Manley in his most recent outing, dropped seven spots to #15. Canada’s Charley Belanger went undefeated in 1929 to move into the top 20, at #20 spot, with a 20-5 (12) career mark and enters 1930 on a five-bout win streak. Top newcomer to the list this year is Fred Lenhart, who checks in at #26 with a 15-2 (13) record thus far; he impressed with a KO win over Martin Perez to follow up on solid UD wins over fellow prospects Clyde Chastain and Benny Miller. Mike Mandell has now won his last eight to improve to 21-2 (17) which is good for the #27 spot in the rankings. Chastain recovered from losses to Lenhart (UD 10) and Pete Cerkan (MD 10) to end at 15-2 (13), debuting at #30. Rosy Rosales enters the ranks at #37, sporting a 14-3-1 (8). On the other hand, GBU Champ Gypsy Daniels has struggled, going 0-5 since his last successful title defense in 1927, slipping further and further down the ranks.

Prospects: The “Powerful Pole,” Pete Cerkan, had won his first 13 in a row before faltering in his most recent outing, dropping a UD 10 to Willard Dix. Dix, in turn, was ripped to shreds by Tiger Jack Fox succumbing in just one round to end the year at 11-1 (7); Cerkan is 13-1 (11). Fox, on the other hand, finishes the year at 12-0, 11 KO to emerge as the division’s top prospect. Joe Knight, the only man to last the distance with Fox (in a UD 10 loss) recovered to post a UD win over Bob Godwin to end up the year at 11-1 (8); Godwin is now 10-1 (5). Bob Olin (9-0-1, 5); Battling Bozo (9-0, 5); Tony Shucco (8-0, 5); Billy Jones (6-0, 6); and Germany’s Adolf Heuser (6-0, 4) looked good mowing down TC opposition.

Retirements: There were six retirements in the LH ranks in 1929, including three former WBA Champs.

Jack Bloomfield (UK) 1918-29 28-19-1 (13) EBU, CBU and GBU Champ Highest Rank: 10
Kid Norfolk (USA) 1914-29 38-18-2 (19) WBA Champ 1918, 1922 Highest Rank: 1
Ted Jamieson (USA) 1917-29 28-22-2 (6) No Titles Highest Rank: 12
Tommy Gibbons (USA) 1911-29 44-21-3 (18) WBA Champ 1915-16
Battling Siki (SEN) 1912-29 32-25-3 (18) WBA Champ 1921
Albert Lloyd (AUS) 1912-29 28-30-4 (15) CBU Champ Highest Rank: 15

Looking Ahead: Tommy Loughran remains at the top of his game, and while guys like Harvey, Delaney, Rosenbloom and Berlenbach are around, none seem to have been able to challenge his mastery of the division. Firpo and Saguero made impressive moves up through the ranks in 1929, but Saguero is no longer at Prime and Firpo has yet to prove his mettle against top-caliber opposition. Gypsy Daniels will likely face a mandatory defense or be forced to forfeit his GBU title in 1930, although right now there is a paucity of credible opponents. Tiger Jack Fox seems to be the best of the young prospects in the division right now, while John Henry Lewis and Al Gainer are the cream of the crop of six newcomers to the division in 1930.