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[JCWeb]

Final year-end recap is a list of titleholders as of January 1932.

Date in parens. is month and year title most recently changed hands, and the number in parens in the number of successful defenses to date.

HW

WBA: Tuffy Griffith (Nov. 1931) (0)
NABF: George Godfrey (Nov. 1931) (0)
USBA: Jack Sharkey (Aug. 1930) (1)
CBU: Tommy Farr (Oct. 1931) (0)
GBU: Tommy Farr (Jan. 1931) (1)
EBU: Max Schmeling (Nov. 1931) (0)
OPBF: George Thompson (Sep. 1929) (2)

LH

WBA: Tommy Loughran (Aug. 1926) (19)
NABF: Jimmy Slattery (Jun. 1931) (0)
USBA: Tiger Jack Fox (Mar. 1931) (3)
CBU: Jack Delaney (Apr. 1931) (0)
GBU: Gypsy Daniels (Dec. 1927) (2)
EBU: Len Harvey (Oct. 1925) (3)

MW

WBA: Mickey Walker (Apr. 1925) (22)
NABF: Harry Ebbetts (Dec. 1930) (2)
USBA: Freddie Steele (Jun. 1931) (0)
CBU: Jock McAvoy (Jun. 1931) (0)
GBU: Jock McAvoy (Oct. 1930) (2)
EBU: Len Johnson (May 1928) (5)
OPBF: Ceferino Garcia (Jul. 1927) (4)

WW

WBA: Jimmy McLarnin (Sep. 1931) (0)
NABF: Joe Dundee (Oct. 1931) (0)
USBA: Johnny Indrisano (Dec. 1931) (0)
CBU: Vacant
GBU: Jack Hood (Jan. 1930) (0)
EBU: Cleto Locatelli (Jun. 1930) (2)
OPBF: Lope Tenorio (Sep. 1929) (0)

JWW

WBA: Jack Kid Berg (Jan. 1928) (7)
USBA: Mickey Cohen (Aug. 1930) (1)

LW

WBA: Billy Petrolle (Sep. 1929) (9)
NABF: Tony Canzoneri (Dec. 1930) (2)
USBA: Al Gordon (Nov. 1930) (2)
CBU: Billy Grime (Nov. 1929) (1)
GBU: Harry Mason (Apr. 1929) (1)
EBU: Benny Valgar (Jun. 1928) (2)

JLW

WBA: Tod Morgan (Jul. 1931) (0)
USBA: Vacant

FW

WBA: Babe Herman (Apr. 1931) (2)
NABF: Jose Lombardo (May 1931) (1)
USBA: Dick Finnegan (Mar. 1930) (2)
CBU: Johnny Cuthbert (Feb. 1928) (6)
GBU: Johnny Cuthbert (Sep. 1931) (0)
EBU: Knud Larsen (Oct. 1931) (0)
OPBF: Elino Flores (Jul. 1931) (0)

BW

WBA: Speedy Dado (Sep. 1931) (1)
NABF: Bobby Leitham (Jun. 1931) (1)
USBA: Eddie Martin (Dec. 1929) (4)
CBU: Johnny King (Apr. 1931) (0)
GBU: Johnny King (May 1930) (1)
EBU: Johnny King (Jul. 1929) (2)
OPBF: Vacant

FLY

WBA: Midget Wolgast (May 1931) (1)
NABF: Ruby Bradley (Nov. 1931) (0)
USBA: Izzy Schwartz (Jan. 1931) (2)
CBU: Kid Socks (Oct. 1931) (0)
GBU: Johnny Hill (Sep. 1930) (1)
EBU: Emile Pladner (Nov. 1931) (0)
OPBF: Vacant

Comments: With a large amount of turnover in these titles, the long reigns of Walker and Loughran stand out. Exactly 50% (27 of 54) the titles changed hands during 1931, not counting those vacated during the year. Bucking this trend was the LW division, where all six of the titleholders kept their respective belts throughout the year.

Anyway, hopefully this Uni will keep going for awhile longer. Will take a bit of a break, then start up action beginning with January, 1932.

[JCWeb]

After a bit of a hiatus, here’s the first reports of 1932 action with bouts from rings around the world in the first half of January (62 total bouts).

Jan. 2, 1932: A strong card to open the year at the Sports Palace in Rome, Italy. Dual main events, one is an EBU title bout. The first co-main event matches two top 10 Flys, former EBU Champ and fan favorite Johnny Vacca, and current NABF Champ Ruby “Dark Cloud” Bradley. Vacca, now at Post-Prime, seems a step slower than in prior bouts, and Bradley seems to build a narrow lead through the early rounds. However, the crowd spurs Vacca on, to a late rally, that enables him to escape with a SD 10 win (98-95, 96-97, 96-95). Post-fight, Vacca is 25-5-1 (11) while Bradley slips to 22-10-4 (5); a conservative approach in the later rounds may have cost the American a win. The final bout on the card is for the EBU LH title, with Len Harvey defending this belt for the first time since 1929 by taking on the challenge of Italian Rinaldo Palmucci. Harvey doesn’t allow the crowd into the bout, drilling Palmucci with a big cross that puts the challenger down for a six-count in the opening stanza. The Italian’s left eye begins to swell by the third round, and then Harvey follows up with a second KD when he connects with a hook in round four. Harvey decks Palmucci a third time in the seventh, but the game Italian hangs on to last the distance, despite having absorbed a lot of punishment that came close to closing that swollen eye. The decision, decidedly one-sided, goes to Harvey via a UD 12 (120-104 on all cards) to allow the Brit to improve to 37-7-2 (15) compared to 22-12-2 (18) post-fight for Palmucci.

Jan. 2, 1932: Next fight action is in Miami. Co-main events with two titles on the line headline a strong card to start the new year. In the first, NABF HW Champ Harry Ebbetts faces the challenge of the USBA Champ, once-beaten Freddie Steele. Steele starts on the right foot when he rocks Ebbetts with a hook to the head near the end of round one. Ebbetts begins to suffer from the effects of swelling under his right eye by the end of the second round. Ebbetts also suffers a cut over his right eye and, at the end of round three, Steele stuns his opponent with a nice uppercut. It’s only a question of time, and Steele is able to dominate the action in round five, forcing a stoppage as the ref steps in to save Ebbetts from further punishment. The TKO 5 win means Steele is now the NABF Champion and seen by many as the logical successor to Mickey Walker as WBA Champ in this division. Post-fight, Steele is now 24-1 (20); Ebbetts, 20-7-4 (11). The second title matchup is for the USBA HW crown, currently held by Jack Sharkey. Sharkey’s challenger in this defense is the unbeaten King Levinsky, who is a couple of bouts short of hitting Prime career stage, and many feel he may be over his head at this stage in his career with a savvy ring veteran such as Sharkey. This proves to be the case, as Levinsky takes a beating from the outset, as he shows signs of swelling under his left eye by the end of his opening round. In round four, Sharkey lands a strong shot that puts Levinsky on the canvas. The end comes a round later, when Sharkey connects again and puts the challenger down and out. The KO 5 lifts Sharkey to 27-6 (17), while Levinsky’s first career loss leaves him at 17-1-1 (10).

Jan. 8, 1932: More action in the States, as the Friday night fight series returns to Buffalo. A packed card is headlined by a NABF LH title clash, with Jimmy Slattery defending the belt against Young Tony Marullo. For Marullo, who is a veteran of the ring wars and no longer that “young” any more, it is his first title shot of any kind, but Slattery (who holds a UD 10 win in one prior encounter) seems confident of victory. Marullo breaks through in the third round when he nails Slattery with an uppercut, causing the Champ to wince, then puts him down with a nice hook. Slattery tries to cover up to survive but, later in the same round, Marullo catches him with another uppercut to score a second KD. Slattery survives the round but is sporting a rapidly swelling right eye as an indication of the ferocity of Marullo’s telling blows. Slattery settles down and seems to be making progress from a points-scoring standpoint in the middle rounds. In round eight, the two mix it up, and Slattery stuns Marullo with an uppercut. Marullo appears to tire as the bout enters the later rounds – remember this is the first time Marullo has gone beyond the 10^th round. Nonetheless, Marullo unleashes a ferocious attack in round 11, dominating the action. Slattery hangs on. In the final round, Marullo staggers Slattery with a straight right, and the two men continue to battle right until the final bell. It has been a good action bout, and the two early KDs plus the late surge is just enough to secure a UD 12 for Marullo (115-113, 114-112, 114-113). Post-fight, Marullo is now 30-12-4 (16); Slattery dips to 30-12-2 (12).

Jan. 9, 1932: Next up is a Saturday card at the Stadium in Liverpool. Unbeaten British BW prospect Benny Sharkey is a top attraction on the undercard; his opponent is veteran Dynamite Murphy. Sharkey builds a solid early lead and adds a couple of late KDs to register a UD 10 (98-91, 99-90, 100-89) to run his record to 18-0-1 (15), bringing him to within one bout of Prime career stage and a likely shot at a title belt of some kind. The main event is for Harry Mason’s GBU LW title, and George Rose is once again the challenger. It’s the first title defense since late 1930, when Mason took a SD 12 win over Rose. This time, there is little action until round six, when Rose makes Mason wince when he lands a hard hook to the body. Mason, who appears lethargic for most of the bout, finally comes to life in the final round when he decks Rose with a sharp combination that puts the challenger down for a six-count. Mason escapes with a draw (115-113 Mason, 113-115 Rose, 114-114) to keep the belt. Post-fight marks: 29-17-3 (4) for Mason; 17-6-2 (7) for Rose.

Jan. 9, 1932: More fight action on the West Coast, this time at Los Angeles’ Olympic Auditorium. A world title bout, preceding by a strong supporting non title bout that features Benny Leonard matched with former WBA WW king Young Corbett III. Leonard holds an earlier UD 15 win over Corbett, but the “Ghetto Wizard” is now at Post-Prime career stage so a repeat win is by no means certain. Corbett gets off to a solid start, while Leonard appears slow and lethargic, a shadow of his former self. Later in the bout, Leonard mounts a late surge, coming through with a big round nine that sees Corbett suffering from some swelling that appears under his left eye. The bout goes to decision and, afer a long wait, the cards are read – it’s a SD 10 win for Corbett (94-97, 96-95, 96-95) and, for the first time in his long career, Leonard has suffered back-to-back losses. Corbett moves to 35-8-3 (12) with the win, and the loss leaves Leonard at 81-6-2 (42), as the “great Bennah” appears to have left his best days behind him. The WBA title bout that concludes the card is for the Flyweight crown, which sees Midget Wolgast defending against Commonwealth Champ Kid Socks. In round one, Socks surprises Wolgast with a strong shot that puts the Champ down for a count of seven. However, Wolgast recovers quickly and opens up a gash over Socks’ right eye later in the round. By the end of round three, Wolgast has landed even more telling blows, and Socks’ other eye (the left one) has begun swelling as a result. Wolgast seems to be gathering momentum, building a solid points lead, until round seven, when he suffers a split lip. The tables turn once more in the next round, the eighth, as blood spurts freely as the wound over Socks’ eye is reopened. The ref steps in and calls a quick halt. The TKO 8 cuts win enables Wolgast to retain the belt, and his record improves to 27-4 (13). Socks is now 26-15-2 (8).

Jan. 15, 1932: More Friday night action “Down Under” at Melbourne, Australia. This card, offering only a handful of bouts, is high on quality, with co-main events and two Commonwealth title bouts. First of these is for the CBU HW title, as Tommy Farr takes on the challenge from hometown favorite and reigning OPBF titleholder, George Thompson. It’s Thompson's first bout since hitting Post-Prime career stage. Farr looks sharp early and piles up a points lead. In round six, Thompson suffers a cut over his right eye. In the later rounds, Thompson becomes more and more aggressive, and also more desperate as he just can’t break through Farr’s excellent defense. Farr goes on to take a lopsided UD 12 (118-110, 120-108, 120-109) and keeps the title belt. In the co-main event, ex-CBU WW Champ Bermondsey Billy Wells, also in his first bout at Post-Prime, is seeking to regain the CBU WW title for the fourth time. His opponent is Aussie Jack Carroll, who was lost to Wells twice previously but has perhaps his best chance now that the Brit has begun to suffer the effects of aging. The CBU title has been vacant since Jimmy McLarnin stepped up to win the WBA title in 1931. Carroll surprises Wells with a big left hook that forces the ex-Champ to cover up to survive the opening round. In round six, a hard uppercut from Carroll forces Wells into the ropes. Carroll is forced to battle a swollen left eye in the later rounds, but it has no effect on the outcome, as a solid effort by Carroll enables him to take a UD 12 (116-112, 117-111, 117-111) to capture the title. The win runs Carroll’s record to 26-10-3 (12); Wells is 49-16-3 (17) post-fight.

[JCWeb]

Here's the summary of action from the second half of January 1932 (62 total bouts), including four WBA title contests.

Jan. 16, 1932: Back to Europe for ring action at the Sportpalast in Berlin. No titles at stake, but some key action involving several highly regarded German fighters. On the undercard is unbeaten WW Gustav Eder, matched against another top young prospect, once-beaten Paul Junior. It turns out to be a very close bout,a tough defensive struggle where neither fighter is in serious trouble. Eder’s right eye begins swelling late in the bout, but it is not a factor as the German goes on to take a SD 10 win (96-95, 95-96, 97-94) to remain unbeaten. Post-fight, Eder is 19-0 (7) while Junior slips to 15-2-2 (10) – one more bout before both men hit Prime career stage. The main event is an intriguing matchup featuring the NABF HW Champ, George Godfrey, against the newly-crowned EBU Champ, Max Schmeling. It’s the first meeting of the two, and the pro-Schmeling crowd should give Max a large boost. The “Black Uhlan” responds by building a solid points lead in the early rounds. Then, in round six, there is some swelling appearing under Schmeling’s left eye. Godfrey appears to be mounting a rally when, in round seven, he walks into a Schmeling combination that puts the “Leiperville Shadow” down for a count of three. By the end of round seven, Godfrey is also sporting a cut lip that is quickly patched up by his corner. Godfrey is still dangerous, nailing Schmeling with a hard cross that stuns the German in round nine. The bout goes the rest of the distance without incident. Schmeling takes a solid UD 10 (97-94, 98-92, 98-92). Schmeling improves to 27-3 (20) with the win, while Godfrey is now 44-12-1 (32) after the loss.

Jan. 16, 1932: Next fight action is at the Forum in Montreal. A relatively weak undercard leads into the main event, a WBA title bout with WW Jimmy McLarnin defending the belt against EBU Champion Cleto Locatelli. The action heats up in the opening round, when McLarnin rips open a cut over the right eye of Locatelli. The Swiss and his corner is forced to battle the cut throughout the opening rounds, and the cut is reopened in round four. When, the cut is reopened a second time in round seven, the ref steps in to call an early halt. The TKO 7 win on the cuts stoppage moves McLarnin to 34-4 (21); Locatelli emerges from the bout with a 23-6-1 (18) mark.

Jan. 22, 1932: More action in the States, and it’s a Friday night fight card in New Orleans. Highly touted young FW prospect “Homicide Hank” Armstrong is on the undercard, and he puts on an impressive display, dismissing a Cuban TC in less than a round; Armstrong is off to a perfect 4-0 (4) start to his career at this point. Then, in the main event, WBA LW king Billy Petrolle – now up to #3 in the PFP list – makes the 10^th defense of that title in a rematch with Luis Vicentini, the man he defeated to capture the belt back in 1929. The bout remains close for four rounds, but in the fifth Petrolle lands a huge shot that puts the challenger on the deck for a four-count. Petrolle steps up the pace and remains the aggressor into the middle rounds. In round eight, he catches Petrolle with another strong shot, a hard cross, and this time Vicentini barely beats the count,arising at the count of eight. The “Fargo Express” wastes little time and finishes the job, with the ref calling a halt to save Vicentini from further punishment. TKO 8 win for Petrolle runs his career totals to a gaudy 38-3-3 (21). Vicentini is now 34-9-1 (13).

Jan. 23, 1932: Next card is in the Far East, at Manila’s Rizal Arena, and there is a WBA title on the line. The main support has current OPBF FW Champion Elino Flores matched with former Commonwealth and GBU Champ Al Foreman in a non-title affair. By the end of the third stanza, there is noticeable swelling developing under Flores’ right eye. Foreman continues to get good leverage on his punches through most of the bout, and by the later rounds, Flores’ other eye begins to swell. The Filipino lacks the firepower to mount a rally and, thus, it is no surprise when Foreman takes a UD 10 (98-93, 99-92, 98-93) by a fairly wide margin. This moves the British FW to 27-12-1 (21), compared to 29-14-4 (12) post-fight for Flores. Then, it is time for the main event, as Panama Al Brown seeks to regain the WBA BW title from the current Champ, Speedy Dado, before Dado’s hometown crowd. In round one, Brown serves notice when he stuns Dado with a solid hook. The Panamanian builds a solid lead before breaking through with a series of blows in round five. With Dado “out on his feet” and hopeless clinging to the ropes, the ref has no choice but to call a halt with just five seconds left in round five. The TKO 5 win puts Brown back on top in the BW division. Post-fight marks: 38-5 (17) for Brown; 20-8 (11) for Dado.

Jan. 29, 1932: More Friday night fight action, this time it’s a card at Earls Court in West London. In the co-main event, Jock Malone, veteran top 10 MW, faces unbeaten Jock McAvoy, the current Commonwealth and GBU Champion, and it is a stern test for the young McAvoy. Experience tells as the bout wears on, with Malone piling up a sizable points lead. McAvoy tries to mix it up in the later rounds, but all he gets for his troubles is a bloody nose. The bout goes to decision and, it goes in the books as a UD 10 win for Malone (96-95, 99-91, 97-93) to push the veteran to 36-18-4 (13) overall while the initial loss leaves McAvoy at 20-1-4 (15). The feature bout has WBA JWW Champ, Jack Kid Berg, “the Whitechapel Whirlwind,” facing ex-WBA WW king Young Jack Thompson in a non-title affair. Berg starts well, dropping Thompson in the opening stanza; that same round, a nasty cut appears over Thompson’s left eye. However, a round later Thompson turns the tables on Berg, evening the KD count at one apiece when he decks the Brit with a strong shot of his own. A hook from Thompson puts Berg down again in round five. From then on, it’s a struggle for Berg, as Thompson is able to pull off a dramatic finish when he lands another huge shot to put Berg down and out in round seven. KO 7 for Thompson, and the pro-Berg crowd goes home unhappy. Post-fight, Thompson improves to 31-8-4 (18). Berg is now 28-3-3 (13).

Jan. 30, 1932: The month wraps up with a huge card at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Two interesting HW bouts are on the undercard, with the main event being a WBA title clash. First up is Jersey Joe Walcott who steps up to a 10-rounder, facing a 1-12 TC opponent. Jersey Joe is patient, probing for an opening which prevents itself in round three, after which he overwhelms his hapless opponent. Walcott wins via a TKO 3 stoppage to run his career totals to 10-0 (9). Then, fan favorite James Braddock takes to the ring in his biggest matchup to date, facing a former NABF Champion and top 10 HW contender, and now #20 rated Lanky Ralph Smith. Smith is now on the downside of his career and proves to be a good opportunity for Braddock to rise up the ratings list. In round two, Braddock suffers a cut over his left eye but does a good job of protecting the cut, which is patched up by his corner. Braddock gradually builds a solid points lead. In round six, he survives after being rocked by a solid cross from Smith by covering up to last the round. Braddock wisely adopts a defensive posture in the later rounds, and Smith is unable to follow up on his round six success. The “Cinderella Man” goes on to take a UD 10 (97-93, 97-94,98-92). Post-fight records are 21-5-2 (6) for Braddock, and 23-13-2 (8) for Lanky Ralph Smith. The main event has WBA LH Champ Tommy Loughran defending the title he has held since 1926 for the 20^th time. His opponent, a familiar foe, is “Slapsie Maxie” Rosenbloom, who battled Loughran to a draw in early 1931. The bout sees a cautious approach by both men through the early rounds, and by the end of round five there is swelling under Rosenbloom’s left eye caused by the effect of Loughran’s more accurate punching. The bout devolves into a boxing exhibition from Loughran in the middle rounds. Rosenbloom stages a strong rally in the ninth and tenth rounds, but the Champ regains control of the bout with a strong round 12 and goes on to take a UD 15 (145-142, 148-140, 146-142) as the remainder of the bout proceeds without incident. Post-fight marks: Loughran, 46-4-4 (18); Rosenbloom, 26-8-6 (12).

[JCWeb]

Here’s the summary of bouts from rings around the world in the first half of February 1932 (66 total bouts).

Feb. 5, 1932: First Friday card of February is at the Miami Stadium in Florida. The card is headlined by some double-barreled title bout action, with two USBA titles at stake. In the co-feature, Dick “Honeyboy” Finnegan defends his FW title against the challenge of Christopher “Bat” Battalino; five successive wins have led to Battalino’s first title shot in a career that dates back to 1927. Battalino literally draws first blood in round five when he opens a cut on Finnegan’s forehead; at the same time, there is a touch of swelling visible under the Champion’s left eye. Finnegan stages a rally in the middle rounds to keep the bout close. Then, in round 11, the cut is reopened, and this time the flow of blood is too great to ignore. The ref calls a halt, and it goes as a TKO 11 win for the new Champion, Battalino. Post-fight, Battalino is 22-4 (12) while a post-Prime Finnegan dips to 31-14 (9). The final bout of the evening is for the USBA MW crown vacated by Freddie Steele, who moved up to capture the NABF title belt. The contenders are Jack McVey, the “Pride of Harlem,” and Tony Tozzo, making his first appearance in a title bout. In round three, Tozzo stuns McVey with a sharp blow, and a trickle of blood appears below McVey’s left eye. McVey battles back to keep the bout close. In round eight, he staggers Tozzo with a three-punch combo. However, a round later, another cut appears on the bridge of McVey’s nose, slowing his progress. The bout goes the rest of the distance without incident, and Tozzo emerges victorious, taking a MD 12 (114-113, 114-114, 116-112). Tozzo improves to 18-5-2 (13) with the win, while McVey slips to 31-15-2 (16) with the loss.

Feb. 6, 1932: Next fight action is at the Stadium at Liverpool in the UK. No titles at stake, and the headliner features veteran Belgian HW Pierre Charles, who is matched with visting American HW, Joe “Bingo” Banovic. After lots of sparring through the early rounds, Banovic gradually builds a slight edge in the middle rounds. Both men are tired at the end, which sees no cuts, swelling or knockdowns. Banovic takes a MD 10 (97-93, 95-95, 96-94) to move to 23-4 (8); Charles emerges from the bout at 30-13-1 (21).

Feb. 6, 1932: More action in the States, this time at Boston Garden. The main event is a rematch of a USBA Flyweight title bout from last year that ended in a controversial DQ call, with Izzy Schwartz defending against former WBC Champ Frankie Genaro. Genaro gets off to a strong start, piling up a points cushion in the first four rounds. Trouble comes, however, in the fifth when a deep gash appears above the challenger’s left eye. The cut is in a bad spot, and it becomes difficult for Genaro’s corner to control. After being reopened a second time, a halt is called with Schwartz being awarded a TKO 8 win via a cuts stoppage, over protests by Genaro’s corner. A second controversial end to a USBA title clash between these two. Post-fight, Schwartz is 28-12-2 (7), while Genaro is now 38-12-1 (17).

Feb. 12, 1932: Next Friday night card is at the Forum in Montreal. After a parade of desultory prelim bouts on the undercard, the arena is packed for two exciting bouts which are the co-features tonight. In the first, long-time WBA MW kingpin Mickey Walker steps up to LH to take on the current NABF Champ, Canadian Jack “Bright Eyes” Delaney, who is the reigning LH Commonwealth titleholder, in a 10-round, non-title contest. The “Toy Bulldog” stalks Delaney in the opening three rounds, looking for an opportunity to get some leverage with his punches. Neither fighter is able to gain an upper hand in the first four rounds, but in round five it is Walker who breaks through with a big hook that staggers his opponent. Delaney covers up and lasts the round. By round seven, a mouse appears under Delaney’s right eye. Walker continues to apply pressure as the bout heads into the later rounds. Both men launch all-out offensives in round nine, and late in the round Walker breaks through, putting Delaney on the deck for a five-count. The bout goes to decision, and the judges’ cards give Walker a solid UD 10 triumph (96-93, 97-92, 97-91). Walker’s career totals are now 48-1 (37), and he plans to continue campaigning as a LH while retaining his MW title for as long as possible. A deflated Delaney (who is now at Post-Prime career stage) slips to 39-9-3 (25). The final bout on the card is for the Commonwealth BW title, and the holder, Johnny King, has traveled from the UK to face local favorite and current NABF BW Champ, Bobby “Verdun Flash” Leitham. A cut appears over Leitham’s right eye in the third round, but some quick cornerwork means the cut is patched up and not an issue for the rest of the bout. By the midway point of the bout, Leitham appears to be getting the worst of it, as there is some noticeable swelling under his left eye at this point. King takes a slight points lead into the later rounds. Leitham, buoyed by the hometown crowd, mounts a strong rally that sees King’s left eye beginning to puff up as a result. Both men remain on their feet as the bout goes the distance. The cards announce that King has retained his title via a MD 12 (117-111, 114-114, 115-113) as the majority of the judges were not swayed by the hometown crowd, which goes home disappointed as both Canadian fighters fell short. Post-fight, King is now 25-2 (14), compared to 21-4-1 (8) for Leitham.

Feb. 13, 1932: The next card is at the Amor Bahn in Munich. No titles at stake, but there are two HW bouts of note, the first matching the “Ambling Alp,” Primo Carnera, with Rudi Wagener. Some think Carnera may be over his head taking on a veteran opponent at this early stage of his career, but the Italian answers his critics by taking the initiative from the outset, landing a solid cross in the opening round that puts the German down for the count. KO 1 for Carnera to move the Italian to 15-2-1 (12). The other bout is the main event features two former EBU titleholders, with Norwegian Otto Von Porat facing the “Basque Woodchopper,” Paulino Uzcudan. It’s the first meeting of these two, each of whom is looking to revitalize a stalled career. Through the first half of the bout, there is little to choose between the two. Then, in round six, Uzcudan connects with a strong shot, dropping Von Porat for a five-count. A round later, Uzcudan follows up with a big hook that staggers the Norwegian, who manages to cover up and last the round. A late surge from Von Porat is insufficient to overcome the impact of the KD on the judges, who proclaim Uzcudan to be a UD 10 victor (95-94, 96-93, 97-92). Post-fight, Uzcudan improves to 30-8-1 (12). Von Porat is now 20-6-1 (14).

Feb. 13, 1932: Next up is a packed card at the Coliseum Arena in New Orleans. There is double-barreled USBA title bout action on the agenda, as each of the co-features is a 12-rounder for these titles in both the BW and JWW divisions. First up is the USBA BW title matchup, with Eddie “Cannonball” Martin, the current titleholder, facing a challenge from former WBA Champ Archie Bell. Bell builds an early points lead as Martin, now at Post-Prime, struggles to find his timing. Seeing his title in jeopardy, Martin gets more aggressive as the bout heads into the later rounds, but he falls short. Bell takes a solid UD 12 win (117-113, 118-112, 116-114) to capture the belt. Post-fight records are 29-7-2 (7) for Bell, and 33-14-3 (15) for Martin. The other co-feature has USBA JWW Champ Mickey Cohen taking on challenger Mushy Callahan. Callahan, who holds a MD 10 win over Cohen in a prior encounter, must deal with the effects of aging as this will be his first outing at Post-Prime career stage. Cohen builds a points edge in the opening rounds, then coasts to a points win as Callahan battles a swollen right eye for most of the second half of the bout. The final cards show a solid UD 12 for Cohen (115-111, 116-111, 115-111) to enable him to keep the belt. Post-fight records: Cohen, 17-12-1 (9); Callahan, 24-10-2 (8).

[JCWeb]

Here’s the summary of bouts from rings around the world from the second half of February 1932 (64 total bouts).

Feb. 19, 1932: Friday night fights goes “Down Under” for another popular card at Sydney, Australia. No titles at stake, but two co-features match some current and former Champions in non-title affairs. First of the co-main events has LW Joe Glick paired with reigning Commonwealth Champion and crowd favorite Billy Grime. Things start badly for Grime when the Aussie suffers a severe cut over his left eye in the opening round. Things go from bad to worse in round three, when the cut is reopened, forcing an early stoppage. Glick moves to 30-10-5 (13) on the TKO 3 (cuts stoppage); Grime drops to 25-17-2 (14). The next co-feature bout has ex-WBA WW Champ Irineo Flores, still a top 10 contender, facing off against current GBU titleholder, Jack Hood. The two battled to a draw in a prior encounter. This time, it’s a defensive struggle with Flores eventually emerging as the victor in a UD 10 (98-93, 97-94, 96-94). Flores improves to 35-12-2 (18) with the win, while Hood has to regroup at 22-7-5 (8) after the loss.

Feb. 20, 1932: Next fight action is back in the States at Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field. Henry “Homicide Hank” Armstrong in on the undercard, making his fifth pro start against an 0-2 TC opponent. What should be a routine win for Armstrong turns into disaster after Armstrong suffers a cut over his right eye and some swelling under the left eye in the opening stanza. Two rounds later, the cut is reopened and the result is a TKO 3 loss via a cuts stoppage. Armstrong, now 4-1 (4), needs to rethink his career but will be clamoring for a rematch after a brief layoff. The main support bout is a 10-round LW clash featuring #1 contender Ray Miller in action against aging veteran Jimmy Goodrich, who is still a dangerous opponent. However, Goodrich is past his prime and the bout devolves into a boxing exhibition as Miller showcases his skills in hopes of earning a title shot sometime soon. The bout goes the distance, and the UD 10 goes to Miller (99-91, 97-93, 96-94) with the latter two cards being somewhat generous to Goodrich. Post-fight career marks are: Miller, 32-8 (14); Goodrich, 42-16-2 (10). Then, it’s on to the main event of the evening, as Joe Dundee puts his NABF WW crown on the line against the current USBA titleholder, Johnny Indrisano. The bout is a close one, with Dundee taking a slight lead in the early rounds, as Indrisano shows signs of swelling under his right eye. However, starting in round seven, Indrisano mounts a rally. Dundee, seeing the title slipping away, becomes more aggressive in the later rounds. The bout goes the distance, and Indrisano takes the belt via a close but UD 12 (115-114 on all three cards) to move to 24-4-4 (10); Dundee is now 35-12-6 (12).

Feb. 20, 1932: Next card is at the Olympia Stadium in Panama City. Not much of note on the undercard, but the headliner is a NABF FW title affair with the defending Champ, Jose Lombardo, putting the title up against challenger Baby Arizmendi as two “South of the Border” Hispanic fighters vie for the belt. Arizmendi exhibits some slick boxing skills, with a “hit and run” attack that leaves Lombardo with a rapid swelling left eye starting after the third round. Arizmendi continues to dominate the rest of the way, making the most of his first title shot by taking a UD 12 verdict (120-108, 117-111, 120-108), with the margin of his win being a major surprise. Post-fight, Arizmendi, the new NABF FW Champion, is now 19-2-1 (9); Lombardo is now 31-13-3 (19). This talented young Mexican has become a new rising star in the FW ranks.


Feb. 26, 1932: It’s a rare Friday night fight card at the Earls Court in London. No titles at stake, and the main event on a rather light card sees EBU FW Champion Knud Larsen matched with ex-WBA FW Champ Chick Suggs. For Larsen, it’s his first bout at Post-Prime. Suggs appears to dominate the early round to gain a sizable points lead. However, in round five, Larsen connects with a sharp combination for the fight’s first knockdown. Suggs recovers nicely, covering up to last the round, then firing away at long range. By the end of round seven, there is noticeable swelling under Larsen’s left eye. The bout comes to an end after a whirlwind assault by Suggs in round eight leaves Larsen dazed and defenseless, out on his feet. The ref calls a halt with just one second left in the round, and it goes into the books as a TKO 8 for Suggs. Post-fight, Suggs is now 41-12-4 (13), compared to 31-10-3 (14) for Larsen.

Feb. 27, 1932: The next card is at the Palais des Sports in Cannes, France. The “French Flash,” Benny Valgar is featured in the main event, making the first defense of his EBU LW title in over 18 months. Valgar defends against Belgian Francois Sybille, whom he defeated in a prior title matchup in 1929; however, it will be Valgar’s first outing at Post-Prime, so there is some room for optimism in Sybille’s camp. Valgar builds an early points lead through the early rounds, and in the middle rounds Sybille becomes more aggressive. Sybille has a strong round seven, landing several telling blows; Valgar begins to tire at this point. In the later rounds, a cut over Sybille’s left eye slows his progress. In the end, Valgar has done enough to secure a UD 12 verdict (118-111, 119-110, 118-111), with the size of the margin being a bit of a surprise, as the French fans go home happy. Post-fight, Valgar improves to 44-16-3 (13). Sybille is now 20-11-1 (7).

Feb. 27, 1932: Final card of the month is at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. A nice card, headlined by a WBA title bout. Tod Morgan defends the JLW belt agains the challenge of Leslie “Wildcat” Carter. First meeting of the two, and Morgan starts out by dominating the action through the first five rounds with a strong, solid boxing exhibition. Carter breaks through with a strong round six, but in the seventh he finds himself on the receiving end of Morgan’s punches and winds up with swelling developing under his left eye. Morgan is back in charge, and remains so until the end of the bout. In round 12, Carter suffers a cut over his right eye. No knockdowns, just a solid effort by Morgan who takes a fairly comfortable UD 15 (148-139, 144-141, 147-139) to retain the belt. Post-fight records: Morgan, 36-9-2 (12); Carter, 21-6-1 (9).

[JCWeb]

Here’s the summary of 54 bouts from rings around the world from the first half of March 1932.

Mar. 4, 1932: Friday night card at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City. Hometown fan favorite, unbeaten HW prospect, Jersey Joe Walcott, puts his unbeaten mark on the line in a prelim bout against a 1-14 TC opponent. After an uneventful opening round, Walcott takes charge in round two, using his jab to set up a powerful hook that puts his opponent down and out. Walcott moves to 11-0 (10) with the KO win. No other bouts of note except for the main event, a 10-round nont-title affair that sees top 10 LH contender George Manley matched with up-and-comer Tony Shucco, who has only two losses on his ledger but is still at Pre-Prime. Manley is on target in the early rounds, and there is some swelling under Shucco’s right eye as a result. Then, in the middle rounds, Shucco rallies, and by round seven it is Manley who shows signs of swelling under his right eye. Close bout, goes the distance, and Manley escapes with a SD 10 win (95-97, 98-93, 97-94). Manley improves to 28-13 (15) with the win, while Shucco drops to 16-3 (8) with the loss.

Mar. 5, 1932: Next action is in Europe at the Sports Palace in Rome, Italy. No titles at stake, but two interesting 10-round Flyweight bouts are on the card. One has ex-EBU Champ Johnny Vacca, on the comeback trail, facing Frenchman Valentin Angelmann. Vacca suffers a cut over his left eye in the opening round, and then things get worse in round four, when Vacca is cut over the other eye. Nonetheless, the Italian perseveres and, with some good help from his corner to keep the cuts in check, he manages to survive with a SD 10 verdict (96-94, 93-97, 97-93) – perhaps some close rounds went Vacca’s way in the eyes of the two hometown judges. Anyway, two split duke wins in a row, and Vacca is now 26-5-1 (11) while Angelmann winds up the bout at 19-5-1 (11). Then, in the main event, current EBU Champ Emile Pladner takes on ex-WBA Champ Fidel LaBarba. This one is close through the first four rounds, but then the veteran LaBarba gradually begins to pull ahead in the middle rounds. No cuts or knockdowns as the bout goes to decision, with LaBarba taking a UD 10 (97-94, 98-93, 97-94) to move to 27-5-1 (9); Pladner is now 19-8-1 (9).

Mar. 5, 1932: Next card is back in the States at Chicago’s Soldier Field. It’s a relatively light card and the only bout of note is the main event, with Al Gordon defending his USBA LW belt against Sammy Fuller. Fuller, who is higher rated than Gordon, is confident of victory in part because Gordon is hitting Post-Prime career stage. The challenger gets off to a strong start in the opening two rounds but runs into trouble when sustaining a cut under his left eye in the third round. Near the end of the fifth, however, Fuller unloads with a nice shot that puts Gordon on the deck briefly, but the Champ bounces back up, claiming to be unhurt. Gordon continues to battle on in the later rounds despite a rapidly swelling left eye. The bout goes the distance and, to no one’s surprise, the UD 12 goes to Fuller (117-110, 117-110, 118-109), although the margin of his win is a bit larger than most observers expected. Post-fight, Fuller, now the new USBA LW Champion, is 31-5 (8); Gordon is 28-10-7 (9).

Mar. 11, 1932: Friday night fights series goes north of the border to Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. Not much of note on the preliminary card, but the main event features WBA WW king Jimmy “Baby Face” McLarnin defending against unbeaten Barney Ross, aka “the Pride of the Ghetto.” Ross, still at Pre-Prime, is 16-0 coming into the bout, and many feel he may be in over his head taking on the experienced McLarnin at this early stage of his career. Ross sets up shop outside but is on the receiving end of the McLarnin’s blows for most of the opening four rounds and thus, by the end the fourth, Ross’ right eye shows signs of swelling. Ross begins to find the range in the middle rounds, and by round eight he is confident enough to move inside and do some damage; both McLarnin’s eyes are beginning to swell as a result. However, as the bout moves into the later rounds, the experienced McLarnin’s greater stamina shows, and Ross is gradually worn down. Despite a warning from the ref for a severe head butt at the end of the 13^th round, all of the later action favors the Champ. McLarnin walks away with a UD 15 win (143-140, 144-139, 145-138) to retain the title. McLarnin improves to 35-4 (21) with the win, while it is the first career loss for Ross, who is now 16-1 (7) but still has a bright future.

Mar. 12, 1932: The scene for the next action is the Stadium in Liverpool, England. Key matchup is the main event, a 10-round non-title affair matching reigning Commonwealth and GBU MW Champ Jock McAvoy with former NABF and USBA titleholder, Vince Dundee. McAvoy, the “Rochdale Thunderbolt,” gets off to a strong start when he nails Dundee with a big uppercut in the opening round; Dundee is forced to cover up to last the round. Dundee settles in however, working mainly from the outside to outbox his younger opponent. In round seven, McAvoy staggers Dundee with a big hook, drawing a roar from the partisan crowd. Some strong defense in the last two rounds enable Dundee to escape with a SD 10 (95-94, 94-95, 95-94), a result that is greeted by boos by the pro-McAvoy crows. Post-fight, Dundee improves to 29-6-1 (13). McAvoy is now 20-2-4 (15).

Mar. 12, 1932: Next up is a strong fight card at Denver’s Mammoth Gardens. Headlined by a NABF title bout, the undercard features unbeaten HW prospect Lee Ramage, who faces his toughest test to date in the form of Roy “Hoot” Burger. Burger puts together a combination of punches to cause Ramage to topple to the canvas in round two. However, Ramage rallies and, by the midway point, Burger is feeling the impact of the accumulated punches, and there is noticeable swelling under Burger’s right eye. In round five, Burger nails Ramage with a big hook that forces Ramage to cover up. Ramage perseveres, and by round nine Burger has tired, and his other eye has begun to swell. Ramage goes on to take a UD 10 (96-94, 97-93, 97-94) to life his record to 16-0 (8). Burger, now at Post-Prime, ends the bout at 19-7-1 (11). Then, it’s time for the main event. George Godfrey, the “Leiperville Shadow,” puts his NABF HW title on the line against challenger Joe “Bingo” Banovic. Godfrey holds a prior UD win over Banovic but now the aging Champion is at Post-Prime, so Banovic’s corner is optimistic. In round one, Godfrey suffers a split lip. Then, the third round sees the Champ in more difficulty as Banovic unleashes some punishing blows that cause Godfrey’s right eye to begin to swell. No knockdowns, but Godfrey appears to be far behind and thus, when the scorecards are read, it is surprising to see a close decision: a split duke to Banovic (115-114, 113-116, 115-114) means the belt changes hands although most observers had Banovic winning by a wider margin. Post-fight records: Banovic, 24-4 (8); Godfrey, 55-13-1 (32).

[JCWeb]

Here’s the summary of 58 bouts from rings around the world from the second half of March 1932. Only a couple of title bouts, but one of them saw a long-time title reign come to an end.

Mar. 18, 1932: Friday night fights at Manila’s Rizal Arena. No titles at stake, but a good matchup in the main event as top 10 FW Freddie Miller faces Willie Smith. Early in the bout, Smith sustains a cut over his left eye, and soon the eye begins to puff up as well. By round five, Smith’s other eye is beginning to swell, further hindering his chances in the bout. Miller begins to coast in the second half of the bout, but then the cut is reopened in round seven. The ref wastes no time in waving off the bout, despite protests from Smith’s corner. It goes down as a TKO 7 for Miller on the cuts stoppage. Miller improves to 20-2 (10) with the win, and his management is actively pursuing a title shot. Meanwhile, Smith drops to 22-7-2 (5) with the loss and will be out of action for several months.

Mar. 19, 1932: Next action is in Europe at the Sportpalast in Berlin, Germany. Featured in the main event is fan favorite, Max Schmeling, who makes the first defense of his EBU HW crown against a man he holds a prior KO win, Portugese HW Jose Santo. Midway through the opening round, a straight right from Schmeling stuns Santo. Schmeling outclasses his hapless opponent through the middle rounds. In round six, Santo decides to mix it up with Schmeling on the inside, and both men emerge from a huge action round with rapidly swelling left eyes. Then, in round 10, Max finally breaks through with a nice combination to put Santo on the deck. Two more KDs soon follow, then the ref calls a halt. The three KDs in the same round result in a TKO 10 win for Schmeling, who easily retains the EBU belt. Post-fight, Schmeling’s record is an impressive 28-3 (21) and ranked among the top five HWs; Santo is now 22-8 (17).

Mar. 19, 1932: Next card is in the States at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. It’s a solid card despite the absence of any title bouts. The undercard features unbeaten HW prospect Art Lasky, who ups his career totals to 12-0-1 (all 12 wins by KO) with a fifth-round TKO demolition of veteran TC Bud Rogers. Then, veteran MW Jock Malone faces crowd favorite Harry Smith, aka the “Harlem Thunderbolt,” in a MW encounter. Despite a gaudy 19-2 record, Smith, the younger fighter, actually hit post-Prime career stage in 1932 and proves to be less of a challenge for Malone, to the disappointment of the partisan crowd. Malone outboxes Smith to take a UD 10 verdict (97-93 on all three cards) in a bout which had little drama. Post-fight career marks: 37-18-4 (13) for Malone; 19-3 (14) for Smith. Then, in another strong support bout, another unbeaten prospect, Chilean MW Antonio Fernandez, takes to the ring against veteran Phil Kaplan. Fernandez proves to be the better boxer, taking a solid UD 10 (98-92, 99-91, 99-91) to move to 15-0-1 (8) compared to 24-14-2 (10) for the shopworn Kaplan. Then, in the main support, two veteran LH contenders square off as Fred Lenhart faces “the Blonde Italian,” Lou Bogash. The fans are barely settled in their seats when Lenhart drops Bogash with a big shot in the opening round. Bogash can’t beat the count, and the surprise KO 1 win lifts Lenhart to 22-4 (16); Bogash is now 37-21-3 (18) and definitely on the downside of his career. Finally, the main event follows, with WBA LH Champion Tommy Loughran moving up to HW and facing a top 20 contender, Mack House. House proves to be no match for the slick-boxing Loughran who dominates the scorecards en route to a lopsided UD 10 victory (99-91, 99-91, 98-92). Loughran, now 47-4-4 (18), is looking for a big money fight against one of the top HWs, while House, at 31-14 (23), needs to find some easier opposition.

Mar. 25, 1932: Friday night action at the Gran Stadium in Havana, Cuba. It’s a good, solid card despite the lack of any title contests. In the first of two main supports, a pair of 12-0 BW prospects collide as Tony Marino faces Puerto Rican Sixto Escobar, aka “El Gallito.” Starting in the fourth round, Escobar targets a cut over Marino’s right eye. By the end of round five, the eye is starting to swell as well. Marino, behind on points, becomes more aggressive in the later rounds but to no avail. No knockdowns in this one as Escobar takes a fairly one-sided UD 10 win (98-91, 98-91, 99-90). Escobar is now 13-0 (8); Marino’s first setback leaves him at 12-1 (8). Next, the main support bout features top 10 MW Johnny Romero against long-time top contender Panama Joe Gans; Romero is looking to repeat an earlier UD 10 win. Gans is in trouble after the first four rounds, as both eyes begin to swell from the accumulated effect of Romero’s blows. A barrage of blows from Romero in round five puts Gans on the deck. In round eight, Panama Joe goes down a second time after absorbing a wicked hook to the head from Romero. Gans manages to last the distance, but the result – a UD 10 for Romero (100-88, 98-89, 98-90) – is no longer in doubt. Post-fight marks: Romero, 21-4 (15); Gans, 54-18-3 (19). Gans is now at the end of his long career. Then, the main event features two long-time BW contenders, as Memphis Pal Moore faces former WBA Champ Pete Sarmiento. The two are familiar foes, as this is their fifth career meeting (2-1 Sarmiento with one draw in the prior meetings). Halfway through this 10-rounder, Moore has a solid points edge. Sarmiento rallies with a strong sixth round, causing some puffiness under Moore’s right eye, but Moore re-establishes control and the bout proceeds to decision without further incident. Moore takes a UD 10 (97-93 on all three cards) to move to 55-21-7 (15) with the win, while Sarmiento slips to 33-16-6 (20) with the loss.

Mar. 26, 1932: The scene for the next action is the London’s Harringay Arena. Not much of interest on the undercard, but the main event matches ex-WBA Champ Young Stribling, in his first outing since losing the title in a shocking upset loss to Tuffy Griffith, with the Commonwealth and GBU Champ, Tommy Farr. It’s the “King of the Canebrakes” against the “Tonypandy Terror” in a 10-round, non-title affair. Stribling staggers Farr with a winging right hand in round four, then a round later he seizes control of the bout when he nails Farr with a big hook that causes the Welshman to sink to the canvas. Farr beats the count, but he is unable to mount much of a challenge to Stribling, who coasts to a UD 10 win (99-90, 98-91. 99-91) that puts him firmly on the comeback trail. Post-fight, Stribling improves to 31-6-2 (21). Farr is now 26-4-1 (12).

Mar. 26, 1932: Final card of the month is at the Uline Arena in Washington, D. C. Again, one big fight on the card: a WBA LW title bout as Billy Petrolle, the “Fargo Express,” makes the 11^th defense of the title he won back in 1929. His opponent is Tony Canzoneri, the “Roman Warrior,” who battled Petrolle to a draw in a prior title matchup. This time, Canzoneri gets off to a strong start, piling up points with a high work rate and punches landed count in the early rounds. Petrolle then becomes more aggressive in the middle rounds, and he stages a strong rally in the eighth and ninth rounds. Canzoneri’s corner has to battle a rapidly swelling right eye as a result. With the swelling brought under control by some excellent cornerwork, Canzoneri battles back in the later rounds. Petrolle shows signs of slowing down, and there’s noticeable swelling under the Champ’s left eye. Canzoneri settles into a defensive posture in the later rounds, but – with many close rounds in the book – it could prove to be a dangerous tactic. Canzoneri finishes with a strong final round, and his corner proclaims victory. It’s a long wait for the cards to be collected and read, but in the end it goes as a UD 15 win for Canzoneri (144-141, 143-142, 144-142), and Petrolle’s three-year reign as WBA Champion comes to an end. Post-fight records: Canzoneri, 25-4-2 (12); Petrolle, 38-4-3 (21).

[JCWeb]

Back after a bit of a hiatus, with a summary of 64 bouts from rings around the world from the first half of April 1932. Note: One of these was a World HW title bout!

Apr. 1, 1932: Opening Friday night card at Exhibition Gardens in Vancouver. No titles, but the intriguing main event matches Canadian LH contender Charley Belanger with ex-NABF Champ Lou Scozza, who is back on the comeback trail. One prior meeting between the two, back in 1927 when both were at Pre-Prime, went the way of Scozza. Scozza looks sharp in the early rounds in this one, but Belanger, urged on by a hometown crowd, pushes the pace in the middle rounds. By the end of round seven, there is noticeable swelling under the right eye of Scozza. Scozza battles back in the late rounds to escape with a MD 10 win (96-94, 95-95, 97-93) as he looks to put his career back on track for another title shot. Post-fight marks: Scozza, 30-4-1 (22); Belanger, 26-10 (12).

Apr. 2, 1932: Next card is at Boston Garden, and the main event is for the WBA HW crown. Tuffy Griffith, determined to prove his ascension to the HW crown was no fluke, makes his first defense a tough one, facing ex-Champ Jack Sharkey in the latter’s home town. It is the first meeting of the two. Griffith, the aggressor early in the fight, has a strong round three to seize the early edge. In the middle rounds, Sharkey sets up shop outside, using the jab to set up his long-range attacks. Then, in round seven, Griffith nails Sharkey with a right cross that puts the Boston Gob on the canvas. Starting in round nine, Sharkey shows signs of fatigue, and Griffith takes advantage, wearing down his opponent. In round 11, the bout comes to a sudden end as Sharkey, unable to fend off Griffith’s blows, is “out on his feet,” and the ref steps in to call a halt. It goes down as a TKO 11 for Griffith, who keeps the title and moves to 26-4-1 (16). It’s a disappointing result for Sharkey, who is now 27-7 (17) and has to go back to the drawing board.

Apr. 8, 1932: More Friday night fights, this time at Atlantic City’s Convention Hall. No titles at stake, but a packed card is headlined by two HW tilts. First in the co-main event, it’s a replay of a historic bout that ended quite tragically in real-life as top young prospect Max Baer faces veteran Frankie Campbell. The only positive about this one is that it ended quickly, with Baer landing a huge shot near the end of the opening round; Campbell (who had already been suffering from a rapidly swollen right eye) did not beat the count. Baer moves to a perfect 16-0 (15) while Campbell, now 26-11-1 (13) is on the downside of his career, likely finished as a HW contender while Baer certainly has a very bright future. Then, in the final bout of the evening, top 10 HW Elmer Ray faces Ad Warren, and it’s an action-packed affair as both men are angling for a NABF or USBA title shot. The first big blows are landed in round five, when Ray nails Warren with a nice combination that forces the latter to cover up. Warren, who had built up a points lead in the early rounds, appears to run out of gas in the second half of the bout, as he is bothered by a rapidly swelling left eye. In round eight, a huge left by Ray shakes Warren, who barely is able to remain on his feet. In round nine, Ray steps off the gas for a moment and suffers a split lip. Then, in the final round, with Warren now behind and desperate, Ray unloads with a cross to deliver the fight’s first knockdown. Then, later in the round, a huge overhand right causes Warren to hit the deck a second time. A third KD later in the round forces a stoppage. TKO in 10 for Elmer “Kid Violet” Ray to run his career totals to 22-3 (15). Warren, now 20-4 (17), will need to re-think his career goals after this loss.

Apr. 9, 1932: Back to the UK and a fairly light Saturday afternoon card at Liverpool. Featured bout is a rematch for the GBU LH belt, as Gypsy Daniels, lacking other qualified contenders, is in a mandatory matchup with Charlie Tonner, the same man he defeated in his most recent defense back in 1930. The two sluggers set shop in the middle of the ring, and once again it’s Daniels who is the more accurate puncher, breaking through with a solid hook than stuns Tonner in round two. Then, in round five, a Daniels cross also has Tonner in trouble, but the clumsy-looking challenger remains upright. In round six, Daniels breaks through to register the bout’s first knockdown, but Tonner regains his footing and is able to last the round. Daniels appears to coast the rest of the way, solidifying his points lead with a second KD in round 11. The UD 12 goes to Daniels by a wide margin (117-108, 118-107, 118-107) and, given the paucity of challengers in Great Britain in this division right now, he appears to be due for a long reign with the GBU title. Post-fight records: Daniels, 30-18-2 (18); Tonner, 24-16 (21).

Apr. 9, 1932: It’s a steamy Caribbean setting for the next fight card, at Havana’s Gran Stadium. It’s a rather robust card, headlined by a WBA title contest. The main support bout matches two top Cuban FW prospects, Filio Julian Echevarria and the more popular-named Kid Chocolate. The bout evolves into a defensive struggle, and there’s not much action until rounf dive, when a rapid succession of blows cause Echevarria’s left eye to puff up, while Kid Chocolate suffers a cut under his right eye. The cut is not a factor, and the bout remains close into the later rounds. By round nine, Chocolate is also showing the effects of noticeable swelling under his left eye as well. The bout goes to decision, and it is a majority draw after 10 hard-fought rounds (98-93 for Kid Chocolate, 95-all on the other two cards). The result leaves Echevarria at 17-4-3 (11) and Chocolate, at 16-2-4 (14). Next up is the main event, as Panama Al Brown, who regained the WBA title earlier in the year, faces a challenge from Johnny King, who simultaneously holds three belts – the EBU, British and Commonwealth titles – and now seeks to add a fourth. Panama Al mixes an outside and inside attack well to gain the upper hand early on, and he takes a slight points lead into the middle rounds. King mounts a sustained rally in rounds nine and ten, however, and Panama Al suffers a split lip in round 10. Brown appears to be a step slower in the later rounds, while King remains full of energy as he pressures the Champion in the later rounds. Then, in round 14, a solid cross from King puts the Champ on his back. A strong final round is not enough to Brown to retain the belt in the face of the knockdown, and King takes a close but UD 15 (144-140, 144-141, 144-140) to take the WBA title. Post-fight, King improves to 26-2 (14). Brown is now 38-6 (16).

Apr. 15, 1932: It’s a packed Friday night fight card “Down Under” in Melbourne, Australia. The long, dormant OPBF MW title belt is finally on the line, plus there’s a non-title contest pitting two top five WWs on a rather impressive-looking card. The WW bout matches ex-Champ Irineo Flores with Joe Dundee for their third meeting, with Flores holding the edge with a win and a draw in those prior contests. The Filipino builds an early points lead, but midway through the bout he begins to suffer the effects of a rapidly swelling left eye, which allows Dundee to seize the initiative in the middle rounds. Flores suffers a cut over his right eye in round nine, but nonetheless he perseveres and the cut proves not to be an issue as the SD 10 goes to Flores (96-94, 93-97, 97-93) as the judges are definitely divided as to the winner in this one. Post-bout records: Flores 36-12-2 (18); Dundee, 35-13-6 (12). The main event has Flores’ countryman, Ceferino Garcia, putting his OPBF MW title on the line for the first time in almost two years. The challenger is Aussie Ron Richards, making his first appearance in a title bout of any time after recently having hit Prime career stage. It’s a good action fight, and Richards falls behind early when he walks into a Garcia uppercut and tumbles to the canvas in round two. Then, in round four, Richards drills Garcia with a nice three-punch combination, forcing the Champ to cover up. Richards manages to keep the bout close in the middle rounds, and in round seven Garcia suffers a cut over his right eye that requires repeated attention from his corner in the latter half of the bout. Garcia launches a late surge, but then some swelling under the right eye also bothers the Champ. In the end, it’s not enough as Richards – perhaps with a little help from the hometown crowd and some hometown judging – lifts the belt via a SD 12 (114-113, 113-115, 116-111). The victory, in his first title try, runs the Aussie’s career totals to 19-2-2 (17); Garcia slips to 27-9 (20).

[JCWeb]

Here’s a summary of the ring action from the second half of April 1932, which covers a total of 66 bouts.

Apr. 16, 1932: Back to Europe for a card in Rome, Italy. Two non-title bouts of interest, both involving HWs. On the undercard is Primo Carnera, the “Ambling Alp,” in his toughest test to date as he takes on former EBU titleholder Piet VanDerVeer. Carnera starts well, stunning VanDerVeer with a big hook that lands flush in round two. Carnera continues to stalk his opponent, showing periodic burst of clumsy aggressiveness, but he cannot put the aging vet away. The Dutchman tires badly near the end, and he also battles a badly swollen right eye that becomes problematic in the later rounds. The UD 10 goes to Carnera (96-95, 97-95, 96-95) to move the young Italian to 16-2-1 (13); VanDerVeer is now 34-21-6 (20). The feature matches Pierre Charles with a former EBU titleholder of more recent vintage, Norwegian Otto Von Porat. Charles is looking to avenge a 1931 loss to Von Porat for the EBU title, while Von Porat is looking to set himself up for another title shot. Von Porat is the sharper of the two in the early rounds, and he builds a points lead as a result. In round seven, Von Porat rains a combination of blows to the head of Charles, who crumbles to the deck as a result. The Belgain bounces back with a strong rally in round nine, nailing Von Porat with a straight right that forces the Norwegian to cover up. Charles is bothered by a late cut, and Von Porat walks away with a close but UD 10 win (96-93, 95-94, 96-93) as he looks to put his career back on track for another title shot. Post-fight marks: Von Porat, 21-6-1 (11); Charles, 30-14-1 (21).

Apr. 16, 1932: Next card is in Detroit, headlined by some double-barreled title fight action, with two NABF titles on the line. First, matched for the vacant NABF LW title (vacated by current WBA Champ Tony Canzoneri) are Roger Bernard and Cecil Payne. It turns out to be a defensive battle, with Payne battling a swollen right eye down the stretch. Then, in the final round, Payne staggers Bernard with a left hook to the body to finish with a flourish. The strong final round is enough to convince the judges, and Payne takes close but UD 12 (116-113, 116-113, 115-114) to capture the belt in his first title try. Post-fight, Payne improves to 26-3-3 (7), while Bernard winds up at 23-4 (12). Then, in the main event, Johnny Indrisano puts the NABF WW belt he won in February on the line, facing Baby Joe Gans, whom Indrisano had defeated back in 1929. In the opening round, Gans suffers a cut over his right eye and, when the cut is reopened in round three, things don’t look that great for the challenger. But, some good cornerwork keeps the cut under control, and round five sees Gans battle back, dropping Indrisano with a hook and, at this point, Indrisano also is cut over the right eye. Gans becomes more and more aggressive in the middle rounds, and he manages to hang on to take the title via a close UD 12 (114-113, 115-112, 114-113). Post-fight, Gans moves to 30-11-4 (14) with the win. Indrisano, whose record dips to 24-5-4 (10) after the loss, still retains the USBA WW title he held going into 1932.

Apr. 22, 1932: Friday night fight action in Europe, at Ullevi Stadium in Sweden. It’s a strong card, with two support bouts of note leading up to an EBU title bout. In the first of the two main supports, unbeaten WW prospect Gustav Eder puts his 19-0 record on the line as he faces GBU WW Champ Jack Hood. Eder is slow getting off the mark, and Hood proves to be a difficult opponent for the German. The bout remains close into the later rounds, and the end result – a draw (95-95, 96-94 Eder, 94-96 Hood) – seems justified. Post-fight, the first blemish on his record means Eder wraps up the Pre-Prime stage of his career at 19-0-1 (7) while Hood moves to 22-7-6 (8). Next up is an intriguing matchup with former EBU and GBU FW Champ Dom Volante facing young American Chalky Wright. Wright has the edge in the early rounds, piling up a slight lead in points. Volante steps up the pace in the second half of the bout, but he is slowed by a cut on his forehead in round nine. The bout goes to decision, and Wright takes a UD 10 (99-91, 98-92, 98-92) with the margin a surprise to many observers. Post-fight, Wright is now 18-2-2 (11); Volante, 26-10-2 (17). Then, in the final bout of the evening, long-time EBU LW Champ Benny Valgar, now at Post-Prime, faces GBU Champ Harry Mason. It’s the fourth try against Valgar for Mason, who has held the GBU belt since 1929 but has gone 0-3 in three prior EBU title bouts with the “French Flash.” Mason looks strong early, and he builds a solid points edge. Valgar, seeing his title slipping away, finally gets on track in the ninth round, when he stuns the Brit with a sharp combination, forcing Mason to cover up. The bout goes the rest of the way without incident, and Harry Mason takes the UD 12 (117-112, 116-112, 117-112) and the EBU title belt. The victory runs Mason’s career totals to 30-17-3 (4). Valgar, now 44-17-3 (13), is definitely on the downside of a fairly successful career.

Apr. 23, 1932: Big fight night at Madison Square Garden in New York City. There’s a couple of interesting bouts on the undercard, followed by a WBA title matchup. First, the popular HW Jimmy Braddock tries to take a step up as he faces Jimmy Mendes. Braddock gets off to a rough start, and by the end of the third round there’s some swelling under his right eye. His corner does a good job to keep the swelling under control, and Braddock gets stronger as the bout wears on, dominating the action with his patient, plodding style. The bout goes to decision, and Braddock takes a MD 10 (96-94, 95-95, 96-94) although the punches landed stats suggested it should have been even a wider margin. Post-fight, Braddock moves to 22-5-2 (6) while Mendes is now 19-4 (17); good, solid win for the hard-luck Braddock. The main support bout has WBA MW king Mickey Walker continuing to campaign at LH, taking on top five contender and former NABF LH Champion Jimmy Slattery. Slattery looks sharp early, scoring repeatedly in round two as Walker appears to be sluggish and off-target with many of his punches. Walker presses forward in the middle rounds, but he is unable to break down Slattery, who takes a surprising UD 10 (97-93, 96-94, 97-93) to end one of the longest winning streaks in recent memory. Slattery moves to 31-12-2 (12) with the win, while Walker’s second career loss leaves him at 49-2 (37). Walker slipped over 500 PPs as a result, from an all-time high of 2060 to the 500s, but he still has the MW title should he abandon his quest to move up to LH. Then, in the main event, WBA FW Champ Babe Herman makes his third title defense against former Champion Louis Kaplan. The two are 1-1 in prior meetings, so this is the rubber match. Kaplan is on target early, and Herman develops some swelling under his left eye as a result. Near the end of round five, Kaplan staggers the Champ with a three-punch combo. Seeing the title slipping away, Herman tries to get more aggressive but the challenger manages to keep him off-balance for most of the rest of the bout. Kaplan walks away with a solid UD 15 triumph (147-139, 146-140, 144-142) to commence his fourth stint as WBA FW Champion, dating back to 1924. He improves to 40-11-1 (10) with the win, while Herman slips to 33-17-4 (14) with the loss.

Apr. 29, 1932: The scene shifts to Seattle’s Sicks Stadium for the next Friday night card. It’s a strong card, headlined by a NABF title bout but the co-feature matches two top five FWs in a 10-round, non-title affair: ex-WBA Champ Chick Suggs faces Andy Martin. Suggs stuns Martin with a big hook near the end of round three, forcing Martin to cover up. Martin, however, begins to put in a solid display of boxing skill to seize a points edge through the middle rounds of the bout. Then, in the later rounds, Suggs battles back. The bout goes to decision. It’s a majority draw (with one judge calling it 98-92 for Suggs, while the others had it 95-all). Post-fight records: Suggs, 41-12-5 (13); Martin, 29-8-2 (9). Next up is the main event, with Freddie Steele, “the Tacoma Assassin,” appearing before a partisan crowd, as he makes his first defense of the NABF MW title he won earlier in the year against Gorilla Jones, who briefly held the USBA MW title in 1930 and is looking to re-establish himself as a leading HW contender. Steele starts slowly, and Jones has managed to put sufficient punches on target to cause some swelling under Steele’s right eye in round three. Steele responds, nailing Jones with a huge left in the following round that forces Jones to cover up. By the midway point, Steele seems in command as Jones starts to show signs of swelling under his right eye as well. Steele rocks his opponent with a sharp combination in round eight, but Jones remains standing. The challenger manages to last the distance, and Steele retains the belt with a solid but fairly close UD 12 (116-112, 116-112, 115-113) to take the WBA title. Post-fight, Steele improves to 25-1 (20) – his only loss coming to Mickey Walker in a WBA title tilt. Jones is now 28-9-1 (17).

Apr. 30, 1932: Final card at the month, and the venue is London’s venerable Harringay Arena. No titles at stake, but some interesting matchups in the lower weight classes as the hometown fans see some top U. S. fighters making the trip overseas. On the undercard is an intriguing matchup involving current USBA BW titleholder Archie Bell, who faces a former Commonwealth Champ, Nipper Pat Daly. Bell patiently builds a points lead, while Daly – now at Post-Prime – has trouble getting on track. No fireworks in this bout, as there are no cuts and knockdowns to report. A solid effort by Bell yields a UD 10 win by a wide margin (99-91 on all three cards) and moves the American’s career totals to 30-7-2 (7). Daly dips to 26-14-3 (12). The main event features two Flyweights, ex-Champ Fidel LaBarba, who faces the current GBU titleholder, Johnny Hill. LaBarba looks sharp from the opening bell and rapidly builds a solid points lead. The British Champion offers little in the way of resistance, and so LaBarba coasts to a UD 10 win (98-92 on all cards). The win lifts LaBarba to 28-5-1 (9) as he looks to regain the WBA title’ Hill, who is at Post-Prime, is 20-11-1 (12) with the loss.

[JCWeb]

Here’s a summary of the ring action around the world from the first half of May 1932, covering a total of 56 bouts.

May 6, 1932: The month starts off with a strong Friday night card at Buffalo’s Memorial Auditorium. Vying on the undercard are two top young HW prospects, each with one loss on their career slates, as Patsy Perroni faces King Levinsky. The action starts in the opening stanza when Perroni staggers Levinsky with a big hook to the head and follows up with the bout’s first knockdown later in the round. Levinsky battles back in round three, picking off a Perroni combination and landing a huge shot of his own to send Perroni toppling to the canvas. Late round four, however, Levinsky is troubled by a cut over his right eye that slows his progress heading into the later rounds. Perroni takes advantage of the situation to open a solid points lead. Levinsky battles to the end, but cannot close the gap. The UD 10 goes to Perroni (96-92, 95-93, 96-92). Post-fight records: Perroni (already ranked in the top 20) is 21-1 (3); Levinsky is 17-2-1 (10). The feature matches two Flyweight contenders, with USBA Champ Izzy Schwartz challenging Ruby “Dark Cloud” Bradley for the latter’s NABF title belt. Schwartz is confident, having registered a MD 10 win over Bradley in a prior bout, but he may be handicapped by the effects of aging, having hit Post-Prime career stage in 1932. After a close couple of early rounds, Schwartz gradually pulls ahead in the middle rounds of the bout. Bradley, seeing the title slipping away, presses home the attack in the later rounds, but to no avail. Schwartz takes a rather convincing UD 12 win (117-112 on all three cards) to capture the belt. Post-fight marks: Schwartz, 29-12-2 (7); Bradley, 22-11-4 (5).

May 7, 1932: Next card is at the Palais des Sports in Cannes, France. Headliner is for the EBU MW crown, currently held by Brit Len Johnson. Ex-Champ Rene DeVos, who has been stopped by Johnson in two prior EBU title affairs, is seeking to regain the belt. Things get off to a rocky start for the challenger, who suffers a split lip in round one. However, the cut is patched up and the “Little Fox” is able to gradually build a points lead as the bout wears on. However, when the scores are announced, it is a SD 12, with DeVos barely doing enough (114-116, 115-114, 116-113) to take the title as one of the judges favored Johnson. Post-fight, DeVos is now 48-13-2 (18) while Johnson’s career totals dip to 28-13-2 (16) with the loss.

May 7, 1932: Next card is in Canada, at the Forum in Montreal. A couple of key bouts worth noting here. In the main support, two top 10 HWs collide as Canadian favorite Larry Gains faces Jim Maloney. It’s a non-title affair, but a key “crossroads” fight in the careers of both. Both men start slowly, but the pace picks up in round five when Gains tumbles to the deck after a delayed reaction to a solid hook from Maloney. Maloney, who is suffering the effects of some swelling under his left eye, is unable to follow up, however. Gains is able to regain some momentum in the later rounds, and he goes on to take a popular – with the home crowd – UD 10 win (96-93 on all three cards) but his chin obviously remains a question mark when facing top caliber HWs. Post-fight marks are 31-8 (19) for Gains, and 24-9-1 (22) for Maloney. Then it’s time for the main event, as the vacant Commonwealth BW title (vacated by Johnny King who won the WBA title earlier in the year), with NABF titleholder Bobby Leitham favored against veteran Howard Mayberry. Leitham builds a solid early points lead, peppering Mayberry from all angles, but there is little in the way of dramatic action until the ninth round, when Leitham catches Mayberry with a big uppercut for the bout’s first knockdown. Mayberry arises, struggling on to the finish despite a rapidly swelling right eye. Leitham goes on to take a lopsided UD 12 (120-108, 119-109, 120-108) to add the CBU title belt to his NABF one. The victory moves Leitham’s career totals to 22-4-1 (8). Mayberry, now 32-17-2 (14), is definitely on the downside of his lengthy career.

May 13, 1932: Next Friday night card is at Manila’s Rizal Arena. Several top Filipino BWs, past Champions and potential future stars on the card, headlined by an OPBF title contest. One of the key bouts on the undercard matches ex-WBA kingpin Pete Sarmiento with unbeaten BW prospect, K. O. Morgan. With Morgan well ahead on all three cards and headed to victory, the bout ends suddenly on a TKO stoppage in the final round when Morgan injures his hand and is forced to retire. The TKO 10 lifts Sarmiento to 34-16-6 (21), compared to 16-1-2 (12) for Morgan, who is licking his wounds after suffering his first career defeat. Then, in the main event, Speedy Dado defends the OPBF title against ex-WBA Champ Pablo Dano; both men have held the WBA title in recent years, and Dano is 2-0 in prior meetings. Dado builds an early lead; however, in round eight he walks into a Dano uppercut and drops to the deck in the bout’s first and only knockdown. Despite the knockdown, Dado manages to recover and goes on to take a narrow UD 12 (114-113, 114-113, 117-110). Dado moves to 21-8 (11) with the win; for Dano, it is just his second career loss, leaving him at 22-2-2 (14).

May 14, 1932: The scene shifts to Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis for the next fight card. Not much of interest on the undercard, but the main event has USBA LW Champ Sammy Fuller defending that title against challenger Jack Portney. Fuller builds a slight lead coming out of the first four rounds. Then, Portney digs in, outboxing the Champ through most of the middle rounds. The outcome remains in doubt through the final rounds. In a minor surprise, Portney takes a UD 12 (116-112, 115-114, 116-113) and takes the title. Post-fight records: Portney, 22-3-2 (14); Fuller, 31-6 (8).

May 14, 1932: Another card that day on the West Coast, at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. The main support bout features two top five MWs, as Johnny Romero faces Vince Dundee. Not much action in the early rounds, as Romero pounds away and Dundee begins to show the effects, with swelling noticeable under his right eye starting from the bout’s midway point. Near the end of round seven, Romero rocks Dundee with a big hook that finds its target. A round later, Romero follows up with a huge shot to score the bout’s only knockdown. Dundee manages to last the distance, but the judges call it a UD 10 for Romero by a wide margin (97-91, 98-90, 98-90). The win moves Romero to 22-4 (15) and enhances his call for a title shot. Dundee slips to 29-7-1 (13) with the loss. The main event is a USBA JWW title bout, with Mickey Cohen defending against top-ranked contender, Battling Shaw. It’s a bruising battle, and both men show signs of swelling as a result of the accumulated blows. As it turns out, Cohen confounds the experts as he manages to keep the belt via a UD 12 (117-111, 115-113, 116-112), and Shaw must go back to the drawing board. Post-bout records: Cohen, 18-12-1 (9); Shaw, 19-2-2 (11).

[JCWeb]

Here’s a summary of the ring action around the world from the second half of May 1932, covering a total of 57 bouts.

May 20, 1932: Friday night fights “Down Under” in Sydney, Australia. No titles at stake, and it’s a light card, headlined by ex-WBA WW Champ Young Corbett III who faces recently crowned Commonwealth titleholder, fan favorite Jack Carroll. In round one, Carroll is roughed up and suffers a cut under his right eye as a result. The bout proceeds through round eight, when Carroll turns things around by landing a huge shot on the top of Corbett’s head that forces the ex-Champ to cover up. Carroll goes on to score a huge upset, taking a UD 10 (97-93, 96-94, 96-94) over a disappointed Corbett. Post-fight records: Carroll, 27-10-3 (12); Corbett, 35-9-3 (12).

May 21, 1932: Next card is at the Palazzo del Sport in Rome. Featured is a clash for the vacant EBU BW title, recently held by Johnny King who recently became the first EBU BW titleholder to step up and win the WBA title. Ex-Champ Kid Francis is matched with Benny Sharkey, the recently-crowned and still unbeaten GBU BW Champion, for the vacant crown. It turns out to be a very topsy turvy about, full of action. Sharkey is the aggressor for most of the bout, and he seems to be making progress judging by the fact that Francis’ left eye began showing the effects with some swelling around the bout’s halfway point. However, at the end of round six, Francis catches Sharkey with a cross that leads to a flash knockdown of the Brit. Next round, Francis follows up with a solid hook that stuns Sharkey, then a wild overhand right results in knockdown number two. Then, in round nine, there is more trouble for Sharkey who sustains a cut under his left eye. A resilient Sharkey mounts a late surge, and he nails Francis with a big left that forces the Italian to cover up. Francis soldiers on, despite suffering a cut over his right eye. In the end, the two KDs are too much for the judges to ignore, and it goes down as a UD 12 for Francis (117-113, 117-113, 115-112). Post-fight, Francis is 24-10-3 (16) with the win, while Sharkey drops to 18-1-1 (15), wrapping up the pre-Prime stage of his career with his first setback.

May 21, 1932: Madison Square Garden in New York City is the scene of the next fight card. The main event and main support bouts both feature some highly regarded LHs, with the unbeaten USBA titleholder, Tiger Jack Fox, headlining the card. In the main support, two top 20 LHs – Fred Lenhart and once-beaten Battling Bozo, now at Prime career stage – look to improve their prospects in this competitive division. Through the first half of the bout, the balance of clean blows landed seems to favor the veteran Lenhart. In round six, he opens a cut just above Bozo’s left eye. However, a late surge from Battling Bozo turns the bout around, and he takes a close but UD 10 win (97-93. 96-94, 96-94). Post-fight career marks are 20-1-1 (9) for Bozo, and 22-5 (16) for Lenhart. Then it’s time for the main event, with Fox making his fourth defense of his USBA LH title against challenger Tiger Jack Payne. Fox’s very aggressive punching style is on display in the early rounds of the bout, and he builds a solid points lead. In round eight, a solid hook from Fox puts Payne on his back. Payne, who is gradually being worn down, shows signs of swelling under his right eye. In round 11, Fox puts Payne on the deck a second time with a hook to the head. Payne suffers a cut under his right eye. Later in the same round, a Fox overhand right connects for knockdown number 13. Payne arises but is in for further punishment in round 12, when a cut on the bridge of his nose adds to his troubles, followed by a fourth and final KD as Fox delivers with a solid right cross. The ref finally halts the affair with 10 seconds left in the bout. TKO 12 for Fox in a dominant display of raw power, and Fox remains unbeaten with impressive 24-0 (18) career totals. Payne slips to 23-9 (9) with the loss.

May 27, 1932: Next Friday night card is in Panama City. Two non-title bouts top the agenda, featuring some top Latin American fighters. In the co-main event, once-beaten LW Justo Suarez faces Chilean Stanislaus “El Gato” Loayza. Midway through the bout, Loayza appears to have the upper hand as Suarez shows some signs of swelling around his right eye. In round six, Suarez rebounds, connecting with a big uppercut that forces Loayza to cover up. The bout remains close into the final few rounds. In the eighth round, Loayza also shows signs of swelling under his right eye. In the final round, Loayza lands a wild overhand right that puts Suarez down and out. The KO 10 lifts Loayza to 25-13-3 (11), and the second career loss leaves Suarez at 22-2 (14). Then, in the main event, former NABF FW Champion Jose Lombardo meets the current CBU and GBU titleholder, Johnny Cuthbert. Nothing much happens until round three, when Lombardo rocks Cuthbert with a sharp combination. The Brit covers up, but Lombardo cuts off the ring and follows up with a knockdown, and Cuthbert can’t beat the count. KO 3 for Lombardo, sending his hometown fans home happy. Lombardo moves to 32-13-3 (20) with the win; Cuthbert is now 29-18-1 (10) after the defeat.

May 28, 1932: Back to London and the Earls Court for the next card. The co-feature matches longtime EBU LH Champ Len Harvey against another top 10 LH, George Manley. The bout evolves into a defensive struggle, which favors the slick-boxing Harvey. However, Manley is able to get some shots in, and midway through the bout, Harvey is suffering from swelling under his right eye. The bout comes down to the wire, and a strong final round is just enough to enable Harvey to walk away with a SD 10 win (97-94, 95-96 Manley, 96-95). Post-bout, Harvey is now 38-7-2 (15) compared to 28-14 (15) for Manley. In the main event, Commonwealth and GBU MW Champion Jock McAvoy defends the latter belt against veteran Ted Moore, whom he defeated in early 1931. McAvoy quickly piles up a huge points lead, and as early as round three there is noticeable swelling under the right eye of the challenger. A solid cross from McAvoy drops Moore on his back for the bout’s only knockdown in round nine, and McAvoy goes on to retain the title with a lopsided UD 12 (119-108, 119-108, 119-107). Post-fight records: McAvoy, 21-2-4 (15); Moore, 34-17-6 (12).

May 28, 1932: Final card of the month is at Atlantic City’s Convention Hall. The undercard sees unbeaten HW prospect Jersey Joe Walcott register another win, a TKO 2 (stoppage) over a 2-19 TC to run his career totals to 12-0 (11). The main support bout matches the #2 ranked LW, Ray Miller, with Joe Glick, in a non-title contest. Miller quietly builds a points lead in the first half of the bout. Glick lacks the weapons to seriously bother the highly ranked Miller, who coasts to an easy UD 10 win (98-93, 100-93, 98-92) as Glick, bothered by a rapidly swelling right eye, fades badly near the end. Post-fight, Miller moves to 33-8 (14) while Glick ends the bout at 30-11-5 (13) with the loss. The main event is for the USBA FW title, with Battling Battalino making his first defense against Freddie Miller. Battalino is the aggressor in the early rounds, and he gets off to a strong start. Miller battles back and, by the end of round six, Battalino shows the first signs of swelling under his left eye. In round eight, Battalino takes charge, dropping Miller with a strong shot for a count of eight. Miller’s left eye begins to swell. The bout goes the distance, and Battalino retains the title with a comfortable UD 12 win (117-110, 117-111, 116-111). Post-bout records: Battalino, 23-4 (12); Miller, 20-3 (10).

[JCWeb]

Here’s a summary of the ring action around the world from the first half of June 1932, covering a total of 52 bouts.

June 3, 1932: The month starts with a Friday night card at Vancouver’s Exhibition Gardens. The main event matches defending Champion Jack “Bright Eyes” Delaney with a fellow Canadian, Harry Dillon, for Delaney’s LH Commonwealth title. It is Delaney’s first defense of the title won back in April 1931, and it is Dillon’s first career title shot of any kind. Delaney takes charge early, breaking through with a KD in round four when a short, clean uppercut drops Dillon. Delaney wastes no time, overwhelming the challenger until the ref steps in to save Dillon from further punishment. It’s a TKO 4 win for Delaney. Post-fight records: Delaney. 40-9-3 (26); Dillon, 19-12-1 (10).

June 4, 1932: Next card is at the Amor Bahn in Munich, Germany. Newly crowned EBU FW Champ Knud Larsen makes his first defense against Frenchman Maurice Holtzer in the feature bout. Larsen holds a prior win via DQ over Holtzer back in 1929, but he has since his Post-Prime after winning the EBU title in late 1931. Holtzer puts in a solid performance, and by the end of round nine, both men show signs of wear and tear with some noticeable swelling under the left eye of both. Holtzer withstands a late surge by Larsen to capture the title via a UD 12 (116-112 115-113, 115-113). Post-fight, Holtzer moves to 24-7-1 (11) with the win, while Larsen drops to 31-11-3 (14) with the loss.

June 4, 1932: The scene shifts to Soldier Field in Chicago. The main event matches veteran Jock Malone with Tony Tozzo for Tozzo’s USBA MW title. Since Malone is higher ranked, Tozzo is hoping a win will boost his status in the MW rankings. Malone is on target in the early rounds, and some well-timed shots mean Tozzo’s left eye begins to swell up as early as round four. In round five, Tozzo counters with a big hook that staggers the challenger. More action in round nine, as Malone walks into a hard shot by Tozzo to the top of Malone’s head. Tozzo, thinking he’s behind, launches a last-ditch effort in the final round that pays dividends. He puts Malone on the deck with a hook to the head, and then follows up with a second knockdown. Malone barely manages to last to the final bell, and all three judges score it a 10-7 round for Tozzo. Tozzo secures a UD 12 win, although the scorecards (117-110, 117-110,116-111) indicate the bout was not really that close. Post-fight records: Tozzo, 19-5-2 (13); Malone, 37-19-4 (13).

June 10, 1932: Next Friday night card is at Manila’s Rizal Arena. On the undercard, unbeaten prospect Cocoa Kid runs his record to 17-0 (10) with a solid UD 10 win over veteran WW Billy Alger. Then, in the co-feature, ex-WBA FW Champion Chick Suggs takes on current OPBF FW Champ Elino Flores in a 10-round, non-title affair. Suggs amasses a huge points lead in the first half of the bout, and by the midway point there is noticeable swelling under the left eye of Flores. Suggs then coasts to a UD 10 victory (99-91 on all three cards) to move to 42-12-5 (13), and the loss drops Flores to 29-15-4 (12). Then, in the main event, Lope Tenorio makes the first defense of his OPBF title in almost three years, the delay caused by a lack of suitable challengers. Stepping into the breach is New Zealand’s Ted Morgan, who is still at Pre-Prime career stage. Tenorio looks strong in the early rounds, and the near the end of the fourth round he is able to put Morgan on the deck for a flash knockdown. As the bout wears on, Morgan gradually runs low on energy as is overmatched in terms of experience, and he lacks the firepower to seriously challenge Tenorio. To the delight of the hometown crowd, the Filipino retains the belt with a solid UD 12 (114-113, 117-110, 115-112). Post-fight records: Tenorio, 26-10-6 (7); Morgan, 15-3-1 (8). One more bout before Morgan hits Prime career stage, and then perhaps a rematch will be in order.

June 11, 1932: More action in the UK, this time at the Stadium in Liverpool. The only matchup of note on the card is the main event, where Johnny Hill faces Jackie Brown for Hill’s GBU Flyweight title. These two pugilists split two prior bouts, each winning one, but now Hill is at the tail end of his career and more vulnerable than the time he won the belt from Brown two years ago. Hill gets off to a rough start, suffering a cut over his left eye and swelling under his right eye early on. Brown builds an unassailable points lead before suffering a cut over his left eye late in the bout. However, Hill’s cut eye is an even bigger problem, and finally the ref steps in to call a halt. It’s a TKO 11 win for Brown, who becomes the new Champion. The win moves Brown to 21-5-2 (9) overall; meanwhile, Hill announces his retirement the next day, wrapping up with career totals of 20-12-1 (12).

June 11, 1932: It’s a solid Saturday night card at Boston to wrap up action for the first half of the month. The headliner is a WBA JLW clash, and it’s a rematch as Tod Morgan defends against Benny “Little Fish” Bass, the same fighter he defeated to capture the title in 1931. The two have met twice before, each winning once, so this is the rubber match. The bout evolves into a defensive struggle, and Morgan gains the upper hand in the early going. Bass becomes the aggressor after falling behind early. He finds it difficult to penetrate the Champ’s excellent defense, although about two-thirds of the way through the bout there is some noticeable swelling under Morgan’s right eye, indicating that Bass’ punches are having some effect. The bout goes the distance, and the end result is a solid UD 15 for Morgan (145-140, 145-138, 147-136) to retain the title. Post-bout records: Morgan, 37-9-1 (12); Bass, 37-13-3 (4).

[JCWeb]

It's a fairly busy second half of June 1932, with one more card than usual, so here's a summary of the ring action around the world, covering a total of 68 bouts.

June 17, 1932: It’s another Friday night “Down Under” card at Melbourne, Australia. Only five bouts on the card, but it is headlined by some double barrel title action: one OPBF title matchup and another for a Commonwealth belt. The first of the two co-main events has CBU LW Champ Billy Grime defending the belt against a familiar foe, Brit Harry Mason, against whom he is 4-1 in prior bouts. Grime starts off well, nailing Mason with a huge combination that forces the challenger to cover up in round one. A cut appears over Mason’s right eye in round two, and a round later the cut is accompanied by swelling around the eye as well. Grime builds a strong points lead, and Mason – bothered by the cut eye – is unable to respond. The bout ends in a TKO 7 (cuts stoppage) for Grime when the ref decides the cut – repeatedly reopened during the bout – has become too severe to continue. Grime moves to 26-17-2 (15) with the win; Mason drops to 30-18-3 (4) with the loss. The final bout is for the OPBF HW crown, held by George Thompson who faces a stiff challenge from ex-Champ Tom Heeney. Thompson, who holds a UD 12 over Heeney, has since hit Post-Prime career stage and that, plus some ring rust, begin to show as Heeney piles up an early points lead. By the later rounds, there is noticeable swelling under Thompson’s left eye. The bout goes to decision and, as anticipated, Heeney lifts the belt with a UD 12 (115-114, 117-111, 117-112). Post-fight records: Heeney. 33-16-1 (11); Thompson, 25-10-2 (14).

June 18, 1932: Next card is at the Sports Palace in Rome. Two 10-round non-title bouts headline the card. In the co-feature, former WBA HW Champion Young Stribling takes on ex-EBU Champ Otto Von Porat. In round two, Stribling lands a huge shot and drops Von Porat for a six-count. Stribling builds a huge points lead and coasts to a UD 10 triumph (98-92, 99-90, 96-93). Post-fight, Stribling moves to 40-6-2 (21) with the win, while Von Porat drops to 21-7-1 (11) with the loss. Then, in the main event, Benny Leonard (still seeking a WBA WW crown) faces the current EBU Champ, the Swiss Cleto Locatelli. Leonard holds a UD 10 win in a prior bout, but Leonard has slowed a step and is now at Post-Prime career stage, so Locatelli’s camp is optimistic that the 10-year age difference might work in his favor in this rematch. For the first half of the bout, the wily Leonard is able to use his vast experience to battle Locatelli on even terms. Then, in the later rounds, Leonard begins to tire. Locatelli suffers a cut under his left eye that is not a factor in the final outcome, which sees Locatelli walk away as a UD 10 victor (97-93 on all cards), reversing the earlier result. Post-fight, Locatelli moves to 24-6-1 (8) while Leonard is now 81-7-2 (42).

June 18, 1932: Next card is at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, and there are two Flyweight bouts on the agenda, including a WBA title clash in the main event. On the undercard, veteran top 10 contenders Frankie Genaro and Pinky Silverberg, who have not met before, are matched in a 10-round, non-title affair. Silverberg’s corner is kept busy, having to patch up a split lip at the end of round four, then later on, they had to deal with swelling around both eyes of Silverberg. However, in a minor upset, Silverberg pulls off a MD 10 win (96-95, 95-95, 96-94) in an exceedingly close bout. Post-fight, Silverberg improves to 32-20-5 (10) while Genaro, now 38-13-1 (17), must go back to the drawing board. The main event is for the WBA Flyweight title, and Midget Wolgast defends against ex-Champ Fidel LaBarba. Wolgast defeated LaBarba in a title clash late in 1931, but LaBarba has won three in a row since then to set up the rematch. Not much action through the first five rounds, as Wolgast quietly builds up a solid points lead. LaBarba becomes more active in the middle stages of the gap, with some success as he closes the points gap somewhat. In round 11, LaBarba suffers a nick under his right eye. Wolgast continues with some strong defense, but in the final round LaBarba connects with a huge uppercut that forces the Champ to cover up. The bout goes to the scorecards, and Wolgast comes away with a UD 15 (145-141, 146-140, 145-141) although many ringside observers saw the bout a bit closer than the scorecards would indicate. Post-fight records: Wolgast, 28-4 (13); LaBarba, 28-6-1 (9).

June 24, 1932: Friday night fight card in Pittsburgh. On the undercard, FW prospect “Homicide Hank” Armstrong looks to rebound from his first career setback (TKO loss on cuts) and takes it out on an 0-5 TC whom he ices with a second-round KO to move to 5-1 (5). Then, in the main event, the “Roman Warrior,” Tony Canzoneri, defends the WBA LW belt he won earlier in the year against challenger Cecil Payne. Payne appears to be overmatched from the early going, and Canzoneri has little difficulty handing him. He pounds out a solid UD 15 (145-140, 149-136, 149-136) in a rather one-sided, desultory affair. Post-fight, Canzoneri moves to 26-4-2 (12) while Payne drops to 26-4-3 (7).

June 25, 1932: The scene shifts to Gran Stadium in Havana, Cuba. No title bouts, and the main event matches two top 10 LW contenders: Luis Vicentini and Al Gordon. The two battled to a draw in a prior matchup. This time, the two boxers effectively neutralize each other, and the bout devolves into a defensive struggle. Gordon does slightly better and takes a MD 10 (98-93, 97-94, 96-96). The win moves Gordon to 29-10-7(9) overall while Vicentini ends the bout at 39-10-1 (13). Both men are at Post-Prime career stage.

June 25, 1932: Next card is at Denver’s Mammoth Gardens. Not a scintillating card, but the main event has a USBA title at stake, as Archie Bell defends the USBA BW crown against Happy Atherton; the two battled to a draw in a prior 1929 encounter. Atherton, however, has reached Post-Prime career stage and is given little chance of upsetting Bell this time around. The bout takes a negative turn for the challenger in the second round when Atherton suffers a severe cut over his left eye. Despite the efforts of his corner, the cut proves difficult to control, and it leads to an early stoppage two rounds later. Bell retains the title via the TKO 4 cuts stoppage to move his career totals to 31-7-2 (8) overall, while the loss means Atherton is now 27-14-3 (7).

June 25, 1932: The month of June wraps up at London’s Harringay Arean, and the headliner is a WBA JWW title clash, with the “Whitechapel Whirlwind,” Jack Kid Berg, defending that title against Johnny Jadick. The two met for the same title in 1930, with Berg emerging as the winner in a UD 15, and he looks to repeat in this rematch; Jadick has won four of his last five to set up another title try. Berg paces himself through the early rounds, and he quietly and efficiently builds a solid points lead. In the middle rounds, Jadick battles back to keep the scores reasonably close. In the end, though, it is all Berg as he retains the title with a convincing UD 15 victory (144-1410, 146-139, 145-140) to retain the title. Post-bout records: Berg, 29-3-3 (13); Jadick, 27-14-1 (7).

[aaron777]

I'm sorry for my ignorance -- but what is this?

What are you using to determine these outcomes?

Can you just give me a general outlook on whats going on, on this thread?

- Aaron

[JCWeb]

Aaron

Go back to the first post to get an idea of what's going on. It's a historical universe including all the leading fighters in all weight divisions going back to the late 1880s that is now up to 1932. Moving alot slower these days, unfortunately ...

[Infinity]

Originally Posted by aaron777

I'm sorry for my ignorance -- but what is this?

What are you using to determine these outcomes?

Can you just give me a general outlook on whats going on, on this thread?

- Aaron

Aaron,

In all of these universes we have lovingly created, we use Title Bout 2.5 (some do use earlier versions as well). Title Bout is the logical computer heir to the Title Bout board game created by the Trunzo brothers and sold through Avalon Hill prior to the personal computer. I hope this helps you out a bit. Check out the game, it's a lot of fun!

[JCWeb]

As a further response to the last few posts, I still use version 2.0 since that's what I started with and I have wanted to continue with manually adjusted aging as opposed to the random option. Anyway, on to the next month (starting the second half of 1932), and there are some good HW bouts on the agenda, including the main event on the final card which culminates in the crowning of a new HW WBA Champion.
Here’s a summary of the ring action around the world from the first half of July 1932, covering a total of 54 bouts.

July 1, 1932: Fistic action kicks off with a Friday night card at St. Louis’ Kiel Auditorium. One of the main support bouts has unbeaten HW prospect, 17-0 Lee Ramage, gunning for a top 20 spot as he faces veteran Jack Gross, currently a rated contender, in a non-title affair. The bout is close from the early rounds, with Gross being more aggressive compared to Ramage, who relies on some slick boxing skills. Late in the bout, Ramage suffers from a rapidly swelling right eye. Nonetheless, he appears to have the upper hand until a late spurt from Gross leaves the issue in doubt. The bout goes the distance and, to the surprise of many, it’s a close but UD 10 win for Gross (96-95 on all three cards). Gross, now at Post-Prime career stage, improves to 24-6 (13) with the win, while Ramage is now 17-1 (8) after suffering his first loss. The main event has Bobby Leitham, the “Verdun Flash,” defending his NABF BW title against Dynamite Murphy. Leitham is looking to avenge an earlier loss, his only setback in a non-title contest, a UD defeat at the hands of Murphy in 1930 when Leitham was still at Pre-Prime. This time, the shoe is on the other foot as Murphy has slipped to Post-Prime career stage. Leitham gets off to a solid start, steadily piling up a points lead. Later in the bout, Murphy suffers a cut over his left eye, and in the final round, the cut is reopened and leads to a late stoppage. Not much protest from Murphy’s corner, as the challenger was well behind on points. The TKO 12 runs Leitham’s career totals to 23-4-1 (9); Murphy is now 28-19-2 (13).

July 2, 1932: Next card is at the Palais des Sports in Cannes, France. The headliner is a EBU title clash, with Rene DeVos defending the EBU MW title against challenger Mario Bosisio. It is a rematch of a bout for the same title from 1926 that went in favor of DeVos by a MD 12. In round five, the pace picks up as DeVos nails Bosisio with a big shot, dropping the Italian for a four-count. The “Little Fox” remains in control the rest of the way to easily retain the title via a UD 12 (117-110 on all three cards). Post-fight, DeVos moves to 49-13-2 (18) while Bosisio slips to 30-14-3 (15).

July 2, 1932: Next card is at the Edmonton Gardens in Canada. Brit Tommy Farr, who now holds the Commonwealth HW title in addition to the British one, has graciously agreed to defend the former in a rematch against Canadian HW Larry Gains, the man he edged in a controversial MD 12 decision in late 1931. This time, the advantage shifts to Gains when Farr gets careless and runs into a crushing Gains cross late in the bout’s opening stanza. As it turns out, Farr cannot beat the count and is counted out. The shocking KO 1 result lifts Gains to 32-8 overall (20 by knockout). Post-fight career totals for Farr are still an impressive 26-5-1 (12).

July 4, 1932: Fourth of July holiday in the USA is celebrated with a special fight card in Philadelphia. In a rematch of a 1930 encounter, veteran British LH Len Harvey has traveled to the States to face another top five LH, “Slapsie” Maxie Rosenbloom, in a 10-round, non-title affair; Harvey took a UD 10 in a prior matchup in the UK. In the return match, Rosenbloom appears to be the sharper of the two boxers, gradually building a solid points lead through the middle rounds. No cuts, swelling, knockdowns or near-knockdowns in this one as both men exhibit superior defensive and boxing skills throughout. Rosenbloom reverses the earlier result and takes a UD 10 (98-95, 98-95, 97-96) although Harvey closed the gap somewhat in the later rounds. Post-fight, Rosenbloom moves to 27-8-6 (12) while Harvey drops to 38-8-2 (15).

July 8, 1932: The scene shifts to the Stadium in Liverpool for the next card. Main event has Kid Socks defending the Commonwealth Flyweight title against Canadian Albert Belanger. It’s the first meeting of the two. Socks breaks open a close bout by seizing control in with a strong round five. Despite a rapidly swelling left eye, Belanger battles back and manages to last the distance. The nod from the judges goes to Socks, who retains the belt with a fairly comfortable UD 12 (116-113, 117-112, 117-112). Socks moves to 27-15-2 (8) with the win; Belanger ends the bout at 25-8-1 (10).

July 9, 1932: Next card is at Washington D. C.’s Uline Arena and features two top HW tilts at the top of the card. The co-feature has two top 10 HW contenders: Elmer “Kid Violet” Ray versus Patsy Perroni. It’s a prototypical puncher versus boxer matchup, as Ray has 15 career KOs to just three for Perroni. Perroni, the slick boxer, is able to evade Ray’s lunges and build a points lead through the first half of the bout. Ray battles back, winning rounds eight and nine, and turns the scoring around to his favor. With the late surge, Ray manages to walk away with a MD 10 win (97-95, 96-96, 96-95) to push his record to 23-3 (15) compared to 21-2 (3) for Perroni. Then, in the main event, Tuffy Griffith puts his WBA title on the line against the current EBU Champion, Max Schmeling. It’s Schmeling’s second try for the World crown, having fallen short in a 1930 encounter with Young Stribling. This time, Max enters as a favorite against Griffith. After a close pair of opening rounds, Max begins to find the range in the third, and by the end of the round Griffith’s corner is forced to deal with some swelling under his right eye. Griffith battles back to keep the bout close with a strong outing in round four. Then, a couple of rounds later, Schmeling connects with a solid hook that drops the Champ for a seven-count. After the knockdown, Schmeling’s killer instinct kicks in unless a defenseless Griffith is left battered against the ropes. The ref wisely steps in to call a halt; Max Schmeling is the new HW Champ by a TKO 6 result. The win moves his career totals to 39-3 (22) overall, while the loss drops Griffith to 26-5-1 (16).

[Cap]

This has got to rank as one of the top 3 universes still going today.

Cap

[JCWeb]

Gee, thanks, Cap. On with the show ...
Here’s a summary of the ring action around the world from the second half of July 1932, covering a total of 63 bouts.

July 15, 1932: The next Friday night card takes place at Manila’s Rizal Arena. No titles at stake, and the headliner is a 10-round, non-title affair featuring two top BW contenders. First up is a matchup of two unbeaten MW prospects on the undercard, and Aussie Fred Henneberry outpoints Young Stuhley (UD 10, 98-94 on all three cards), with Stuhley bothered by a cut over his right eye sustained halfway through the bout. Post-fight records: 13-0 (10) for Henneberry; 13-1-1 (12) for Stuhley. The main event matches ex-WBA BW Champion and local fan favorite Pablo Dano with ex-Commonwealth Champ Vic Foley. Foley gets off to a strong start in the opening two rounds but cannot sustain this momentum. Dano lands a right in round three that lands flush on Foley’s chin that forces the Canadian to cover up. By the end of round four, there is noticeable swelling under Foley’s right eye. During the second half of the bout, Dano manages to gradually wear down a haggard-looking Foley to take a comfortable UD 10 (96-94, 97-93, 97-93). The win lifts Dano to 23-2-2 (14); Foley is now 33-15-2 (10).

July 16, 1932: Next card is at Seattle’s Sicks Stadium. Good support bouts on the undercard, as two top WWs do battle with Joe Dundee facing Jackie Fields, with both men on the comeback trail, Dundee being the former NABF titleholder, while Fields just suffered his first career setback in losing his USBA crown. The two are evenly matched, and it is a close bout heading into the later rounds, where Fields steps up the attack and is rewarded with a final round knockdown. Dundee regains his footing, but the MD 10 goes to Fields (96-93, 95-95, 96-93). Post-fight career marks: Fields, 26-1-2 (12); Dundee, 35-14-6 (12). The next intriguing matchup has unbeaten HW prospect Max Baer gunning for his first top 20 scalp, in the form of veteran Jim Maloney. Baer struggles through the early rounds, and blows landed by Maloney have been sufficient to cause puffiness under Baer’s right eye after just three rounds. Then, in round four, Maloney catches Baer with a nice combination that puts Max down for a four-count. Baer tries to cover up, but Maloney takes advantage, connecting with an overhand right that puts Max down for good later in the round. The surprising KO 4 result lifts Maloney’s record to 25-9-1 (22), while Baer’s first career loss, leaving him at 16-1 (15), is bound to cause a reassessment. The feature bout is for the NABF MW crown, held by Freddie Steele, who defends against veteran Ace Hudkins. Hudkins, however, is past his prime and no match for an in-shape Steele, who nails Hudkins with a huge uppercut near the end of round two. Steele goes on to dominate the action in round three, pummeling Hudkins until the ref calls a halt. TKO 3 goes to Steele. Post-fight, Steele moves to 26-1 (21) while Hudkins slips to 33-12-2 (17).

July 22, 1932: Friday night card in Pittsburgh is next, with a WBA title clash on the agenda. The main support has two ranked LHs, with Paul Berlenbach facing Fred Lenhart. Berlenbach comes out swinging, dropping Lenhart with a short, clean uppercut in the opening round. In round five, Lenhart absorbs a hook to the head as Berlenbach registers a second KD. A big hook scores for KD #3, but Lenhart manages to struggle to his feet and last the distance. UD 10 win for Berlenbach (98-90 on all cards) by a wide margin. Post-fight, Berlenbach is 27-10 (20) while Lenhart is 22-6 (16). Then, in the main event, Louis Kaplan defends the WBA FW belt against Battling Battalino, the current USBA Champion. The bout devolves into a boxing exhibition, which favors the slicker Kaplan. A mouse forms under the left eye of Battalino near the end of round five, and the swelling gradually worsens as the bout wears on. Kaplan gradually builds an insurmountable points lead, and Battalino lacks the firepower to stage a rally. The bout goes to decision, and it’s a fairly comfortable UD 15 (146-141, 145-140, 146-139) that allows Kaplan to retain the title. Post-fight career totals are 41-11-1 (10) for Kaplan, and 23-5 (12) for Battalino.

July 23, 1932: Back to the UK for a card featuring a pair of MW bouts at the Olympia in London. Ex-NABF and USBA Champ Harry Ebbetts has traveled from the States to face Len Johnson, former EBU and GBU titleholder. Not much action until round five, when Johnson catches Ebbetts with a nice uppercut, and the American cannot beat the count. The KO 5 win runs Johnson’s career totals to 29-13-2 (17). Ebbetts dropped to 20-8-4 (11) with the loss. Then, in the main event, Jock McAvoy, the “Rochdale Thunderbolt,” faces the challenge of Jack “Cast Iron” Casey, for McAvoy’s GBU MW title belt. McAvoy holds the edge with a win and a draw in two prior meetings. This time, Casey puts in a good effort through the first four rounds, even causing some slight swelling under McAvoy’s left eye. In the fifth, there is a key exchange where Casey shoots a jab that is picked off by the Champ, who then counters with a strong cross that puts Casey down and out. McAvoy retains the belt with a KO 5. Post-fight, McAvoy moves to 22-2-4 (16); Casey drops to 18-4-3 (11).

July 29, 1932: The scene shifts to Atlantic City for the next Friday night card. Four top FWs are matched in two separate bouts. Two former WBA Champs – Babe Herman and Jose Lombardo – are matched on the undercard. After a close first half of the bout, Herman steps up the pace with a strong performance in round six, landing repeatedly and causing noticeable swelling under the left eye of Lombardo. Lombardo is quick to bounce back, delivering a devastating cross to the jaw of Herman in the seventh round, forcing Herman to cover up. In the end, the bout lasts the full ten rounds, and the verdict is a unanimous draw (96-94 Lombardo, 95-95, 95-95). Post-bout marks: Herman, 33-17-5 (14); Lombardo, 32-13-4 (20). The second pairing, constituting the main event, is for the NABF FW title held by Baby Arizmendi. His opponent is another former WBA Champ, Chick Suggs. Arizmendi gradually gains the upper hand, and midway through the bout, Suggs’ left eye begins to show signs of swelling. One bright spot for Suggs occurs in round nine, when he delivers a left hook to the body of the Mexican titleholder, forcing Arizmendi to cover up. Arizmendi recovers, though, and manages to retains the belt via a UD 12 (115-112, 117-110, 114-111). Arizmendi moves to 20-2-1 (9) with the win; Suggs is now 42-13-5 (13).

July 30, 1932: The month wraps up with a huge 15-bout extravaganza at Havana’s Gran Stadium, topped by a WBA title bout. The juicer matchups on the undercard include: (1) top ranked Flyweights, Newsboy Brown and former NABF Champion, hometown fan favorite, Black Bill. Both men are forced to deal with early cuts, but the cut over Black Bill’s right eye proves too severe and so it becomes a TKO 6 win for Brown based on the cuts stoppage. Post-fight marks: 36-9-2 (11) for Brown and 26-15-6 (9) for Black Bill, who is now at End career stage. (2) USBA LW Champ Jack Portney faces Chilean Stanislaus “El Gato” Loayza, with both men trying to position themselves for a possible WBA title shot. Portney builds an early points lead and withstands a late surge from an aggressive Loayza to take a MD 10 (97-93. 95-95, 98-92). Post-fight: Portney, 23-3-2 (14); Loayza, 25-14-3 (11). (3) Veteran FW Andy Martin faces up-and-comer Kid Chocolate, aka “the Cuban Bon Bon.” Buoyed by the hometown crowd, Kid Chocolate goes on the attack right away, nailing Martin with a big left, and there is a gash appearing over Martin’s right eye. The cut is ruled due to an accidental butt, and after the cut is reopened several times, the bout comes to an early conclusion, with the result being a UTD 7 win for Chocolate (58-56, 58-56, 59-56) as the cards are tallied after six rounds. Post-fight records: 17-2-4 (14) for Chocolate; 29-9-2 (9) for Martin. (4) The main support matches recent WBA Champ, Billy Petrolle, the “Fargo Express,” against Cuba’s Emory Cabana. Petrolle, in his return to the ring after losing his title earlier in 1932, faces Cabana, whom he defeated in a UD in 1927, with Cabana having won his last three to earn a rematch. Petrolle gets on top early, and Cabana’s right eye shows signs of swelling as early as round four. Meeting little resistance in a bout with no knockdowns or cuts, Petrolle rolls to a lopsided UD 10 (98-91 on all three cards) to run his career totals to 39-4-3 (21); Cabana is now 28-12-4 (12).
After all this activity, the main event features WBA WW Champ Jimmy “Baby Face” McLarnin defending the title against another top Cuban fighter, Manuel Quintero. In round one, McLarnin staggers Quintero with a quick left hook to the body, and the Champ goes on to build a solid early points lead. Quintero tries to press matters in the middle rounds, by moving to the inside but McLarnin is able to use his superior defensive skills to move out of range. No knockdowns, although in round 11 McLarnin rocks Quintero again with a big uppercut. The bout goes to decision, and McLarnin takes a UD 15 (146-139, 147-138, 145-140) to retain the title. His career totals improve to 36-4 (21) with the win, while Quintero is 24-8-4 (11) with the loss.

[JCWeb]

Here’s a summary of the ring action around the world from the first half of August 1932, covering a total of 65 bouts.

Aug. 5, 1932: Friday night fight card in Buffalo. Main event sees Joe “Bingo” Banovic defending the NABF HW belt against challenger Elmer “Kid Violet” Ray. It’s Banovic’s first title defense, and the first meeting between the two. It’s a close bout into the middle and late rounds, as Ray provides some very stiff opposition. In round nine, Ray staggers Banovic with a sharp combination. The bout goes to decision, and Ray lifts the title belt via a UD 12 (115-113, 116-113, 117-113). This marks the fifth time in five title bouts that the NABF HW belt has changed hands. The win lifts Ray to 24-3 (15); Banovic is now 24-5 (8).

Aug. 6, 1932: Next card is at Sports Palace in Rome. Co-feature has young HW prospect Primo Carnera facing a former NABF HW Champ, Lanky Ralph Smith. Carnera is the early aggressor, and he is aided by the fact that Smith is near the end of his career. The bout comes to a sudden end in round five, when Carnera breaks down Smith’s defenses, leading to an early stoppage. The TKO 5 for Carnera moves the Ambling Alp’s career totals to 17-2-1 (14), wrapping up the Pre-Prime stage of his career. For Smith, it’s the end of the road, as he ends his career with a 23-15-2 (8) mark. The feature bout is for the EBU BW crown, held by Kid Francis, who defends against Benny Sharkey. Francis starts well, stunning Sharkey in round three with a hook to the head. In the sixth round, Francis is warned for holding and hitting. Sharkey is able to keep the bout close and stages a late surge to walk away with a SD 12 (117-112, 114-115, 117-113), adding the EBU belt to his Commonwealth crown, to the chagrin of the pro-Francis Italian crowd. Post-fight marks: Sharkey, 19-1-1 (15); Francis, 24-11-3 (16).

Aug. 6, 1932: Next card is at Chicago’s Comiskey Park, with a WBA title bout on tap as the main event. Flyweight Champ Midget Wolgast, winner of his last 10, faces #1 contender and NABF Champion Corporal Izzy Schwartz, who has won four in a row. Wolgast suffers a cut over his left eye in the third round, but a couple of rounds later he returns the favor, opening a cut over the challenger’s left eye in round five. Wolgast builds an early points lead, and Schwartz struggles to mount a comeback. Eventually the cut becomes too difficult to control, and Wolgast retains the title via a TKO 8 due to an early cuts stoppage. Post-fight career totals are 29-4 (14) for Wolgast, and 29-13-2 (7) for Schwartz.

Aug. 12, 1932: Next Friday night card is in Jersey City’s Roosevelt Stadium. Fan favorite Jimmy Braddock is on the undercard, facing a stern test in King Levinsky. Braddock puts on a strong boxing display but leaves himself open to a late surge by Levinsky. In round eight, Braddock is staggered by a right, and then in the final stanza he tumbles to the deck from a hook that lands flush. While Braddock arises at the count of nine and is able to finish on his feet, the damage is done … Levinsky goes on to take a SD 10 (96-94, 93-96, 96-94) to run his record to 18-2-1 (10) compared to 22-6-2 (6) for Braddock, who once again must reassess his career goals. The main event showcases two top WW prospects, with Barney Ross facing Steve Halaiko. Ross, seeking to bounce back from his first career setback, struggles in the early going but breaks open a close bout by dominating the action in the later rounds. Ross takes a comfortable UD 10 verdict (98-92, 99-91, 97-93) to run his career totals to 17-1 (7); Halaiko drops to 13-3-1 (4) with the loss. With the win, Ross is well positioned to move into the top 20 in the WW rankings by year's end.

Aug. 13, 1932: The scene shifts to the UK at the Stadium in Liverpool for the next card. The main event matches two familiar foes, Commonwealth and GBU FW Champ Johnny Cuthbert and ex-Champ Al Foreman, for Cuthbert’s GBU title (the Commonwealth belt is not on the line). In five prior meetings, Cuthbert has been victorious four times, including the last three. The bout turns into a real free-for-all, with Foreman striking first in the opening round; he rains a combination of blows to force Cuthbert to the canvas. The Champ covers up, and quickly recovers despite a rapidly swelling left eye. By the end of the second round, Foreman’s left eye is also shown signs of swelling. In round five, Foreman connects with a big cross that puts Cuthbert on the deck for a second time. This time, Cuthbert takes a nine-count before covering up to last the round. In round seven, Cuthbert bounces back and rocks Foreman with a hook to the head. The see-saw battle continues into the later rounds, with Foreman scoring with a crushing right hand before the bell in the ninth. The bout goes to decision, with Cuthbert having landed more total punches while Foreman, the power hitter, had the two knockdowns to his credit – but would it be enough to lift the crown? The cards are read, and it turns out to be a UD 12 win for Foreman (115-111, 117-109, 115-110) who regains the GBU title that he previously held. Post-fight career marks: Foreman, 30-17-1 (21); Cuthbert, 29-19-1 (10). Best action bout in some time!

Aug. 13, 1932: The next fight card takes place at the Forum in Montreal. No title bouts, but the main event features two top LHs, ex-WBA Champ and current Commonwealth titleholder, Jack “Bright Eyes” Delaney; his opponent is the unbeaten reigning USBA Champ, Tiger Jack Fox. Fox is on target early, snapping Delaney’s head back with a strong uppercut in round two, forcing the Canadian to cover up. Some noticeable swelling appears under the left eye of Delaney, who is definitely on the defensive in the early rounds. In round four, Delaney opens up, causing some swelling under Fox’s left eye, but Tiger Jack is on target with a huge shot that drops Delaney for a nine count. More of the same as the bout enters the later rounds, as round eye sees a second KD as a cross from Fox also finds its target. The swelling under Delaney’s eye is getting worse, and in the final round he is tagged by a wild overhand right for KD #3 by Fox. Fox’s killer instinct kicks in, and Delaney is literally out on his feet when the ref steps in and saves him from further punishment. The TKO 10 win keeps Fox unbeaten with an impressive 25-0 (19) career start. Delaney, now at Post-Prime, slips to 40-10-3 (26).

Aug. 13, 1932: That same day, a lighter card takes place out West at Denver’s Mammoth Gardens. Featured bout is between two WWs – Johnny Indrisano and ex-Champ Young Jack Thompson – with Indrisano’s USBA title at stake. Indrisano is making his first defense after stepping up to take (and subsequently lose) the NABF title. Thompson holds an earlier UD win over Indrisano, but that bout took place back in 1929 but the veteran has since hit Post-Prime career stage. The bout is close in the early rounds, but gradually Indrisano asserts himself, gaining the upper hand in a very workmanlike performance. No cuts or knockdowns, and Indrisano takes a UD 12 (118-111 on all three cards) to retain the title. Indrisano’s career totals improve to 25-5-4 (10) with the win, while Thompson is 32-9-5 (18) with the loss.