[JCWeb]

Well, Ric, Mike Belloise is rated a 7, the best of the three newcomers for 1932, so he certainly has a chance to do well.

On to the BW recap ...

BW Titles and Title Bouts

WBA: The revolving door for this title among BWs continued, as three new Champions were crowned in four title bouts. First, Pablo Dano defeated Kid Francis (UD 15) to capture the belt. In his first defense, Dano lost to Archie Bell (UD 15). Then, Bell was dethroned by Dano’s countryman, Speedy Dado (UD 15). Dado then matched to make a successful defense against Bobby Leitham (UD 15).

NABF: Former WBA Champ Panama Al Brown sought and won this title from Howard Mayberry (TKO 4). But, in his first defense, he was upset by Canada’s Bobby Leitham (DQ 7). Leitham then defended once, versus Bud Taylor (UD 12).

USBA: “Cannonball” Eddie Martin began 1931 with this belt, and he defended it twice, versus Bushy Graham (UD 12) and Memphis Pal Moore (UD 12).

CBU: Nipper Pat Daly started the year as the incumbent, defending once against Alf Pattenden (D 12). He was then dethroned by Johnny King (KO 8), who added this title to his EBU and GBU belts.

GBU: Johnny King defended this belt once, in a rematch against the man he won it from, Johnny Brown (KO 5).

EBU: Johnny King retained this title, turning aside the challenge of ex-Champ Kid Francis (MD 12).

OPBF: No title defenses in 1931. The belt was held by Speedy Dado, but has since been vacated once Dado won the WBA crown.

BW Division Profile

Total: 98 RL: 61 TC: 37

RL by Career Stage:
End - 7
Post - 16
Prime - 15
Pre - 14
Beginning - 9 (8 New)

Rated: 43
800+: 16
500+: 28
200+ : 42

Jan 1932 Rankings (Perf Points and Changes from Jan. 1931 in Parens):

Champ: Speedy Dado 20-7 (11) (1004) (+17)
1. Pablo Dano 22-1-2 (14) (1106) (+11)
2. Eddie Martin 33-13-3 (15) (1084) (+4) (USBA)
3. Bushy Graham 30-13 (10) (1080) (+1)
4. Johnny King 24-2 (14) (1054) (+5) (EBU, CBU, GBU)
5. Panama Al Brown 37-5 (15) (1026) (-3)
6. Bobby Leitham 21-3-1 (8) (1003) (+19) (NABF)
7. Vic Foley 33-14-1 (10) (961) (+4)
8. Kid Francis 23-10-2 (16) (956) (-8)
9. Memphis Pal Moore 54-21-7 (15) (938) (+4)
10. Archie Bell 28-7-2 (7) (905) (-2)

Top Ten: A lot of turnover in this division, with five newcomers to the top group, including a new Champion and #1 contender. Eddie Martin joins Memphis Pal at Post in 1932, while all the rest are still at Prime. Dado went 3-0 for the year, taking a UD 10 from Pete Sanstol before zooming up the ranks by winning the WBA title. Dano was 1-1 in title bouts, supplemented by a pair of UD wins over Nipper Pat Daly. Eddie “Cannonball” Martin wrapped up the Prime stage of his career with a solid year, going 3-2 with two title defenses, a MD 10 over Kid Francis, the losses coming at the hands of Panama Al Brown and Vic Foley. Graham did well in non-title bouts (a UD over Goldstein and a SD win versus Foley), but faltered in his title try. King won bouts for three different titles and has now won his last seven. Panama Al was a surprising loser via a DQ to Leitham, but he bounced back with a UD 10 win over Martin. Leitham fashioned a five-bout winning streak, taking the NABF belt after non-title wins over LaHood (UD) and Green (UD) but that streak was snapped with his title loss to Dado. Veteran Foley continued to remain a top contender by winning three of four in 1931, most notably a UD over Martin but he dropped a SD to Graham. Francis, now an ex-Champ, went 0-3 for the year, coming close in a MD loss to “Cannonball” Martin. Memphis Pal had a strong year (four wins, one draw) before his loss to Eddie Martin in the USBA title matchup. Bell rounds out the top 10, his only results being a win and a loss in two title bouts.

Other Notables: Top 10 dropouts: (1) Bud Taylor, slid 10 spots down to #11 after losses to Charley Phil Rosenberg (TKO) and Pete Sarmiento (UD); (2) Nipper Pat Daly, who fell from #5 to #12, after going winless (three losses and one draw) in 1931; (3) Charley Phil Rosenberg, who fell 12 spots to #15, due to a UD loss to Carl Tremaine, after a TKO win over Taylor, and also managed a draw with Memphis Pal Moore; (4) Howard Mayberry, who dropped 10 spots to #17, after going 0-4 for the year; and (5) Harold Smith, who was #10, but retired. Now poised at #13 is Pete Sanstol, who won three of four in 1931, with UD wins over Mayberry and Sarmiento after an earlier loss to Dado, who since became WBA Champ. Topping the newcomers is an unbeaten Brit, Benny Sharkey, who racked up 17 wins in a row before being held to a draw by K. O. Morgan; KO wins over Humery and Atherton and a UD over Moreno helped move him to #20 at 17-0-1 (15). Morgan is next among the newbies at #24, his 14-0-2 (11) career mark including a UD over Young Tommy and two draws with Sharkey and Little Pancho. Pancho debuts at #28, having split two bouts with Tommy and won a rematch with Chris Pineda to end the year at 12-2-2 (7).

Prospects: Filipino Young Tommy ends the year at 12-2 (9), the two losses coming against Little Pancho (MD 10) and K. O. Morgan (UD) to go with wins over Pineda (UD) and an earlier SD win over Pancho. Puerto Rican Sixto Escobar kept his slate clean, defeating John Yasui (KO) and Baltazar Sangchili (UD) to end the year at 12-0 (8). Tony Marino, likewise, is 12-0 (8), having added UD wins over Henny Catena and Ollie Bartlett to his collection of TC scalps. Henry Moreno, at 11-1 (5), suffered the one loss to the now highly rated Sharkey. Yasui (10-1, 5 KO) had the one loss to Escobar. Canto Robleto dropped a pair of SDs to Escobar to go with an early TKO loss to a TC, ending 1931 at 7-3 (6). Mickey Cohen (7-0, 5 KO) and Jo Teiken (5-0, 4 KO) are still unbeaten against TC opposition. Henry Hook won his debut bout and is now 1-0 (0).

Retirements: Three retirements from the BW ranks in 1931. Their career records:

Johnny Brown (UK) 1919-31 26-14-3 (18) CBU, GBU Champ Highest Rank: 10
Chuck Hellman (USA) 1921-31 23-19-3 (14) No Titles Highest Rank: 24
Harold Smith (USA) 1921-31 30-14-4 (14) NABF Champ Highest Rank: 4

Looking Ahead: A lot of volatility in this division, particularly since Panama Al Brown’s lengthy title reign. Brown remains a viable top contender, with Graham, Leitham, Francis and Bell also potential title challengers. Brit Johnny King is going to have difficulty juggling three titles at once if he hopes to move up and challenge for the WBA crown, and there’s the question of the now dormant OPBF title, vacated in late 1931 by the current Champ. Look for the UK’s Benny Sharkey and Alf Pattenden to challenge for top 10 status. Marino and Moreno may be the best of the young prospects. A large crop of newcomers join in 1932, led by Americans Lou Salica and Ernie Maurer, Mexican Raul Casanova and Canadian Horace Gwynne.