My Universe

[JCWeb]

And here are the ever-popular Pound-For-Pound Rankings heading into 1933:

1932 YEAR-END POUND-FOR-POUND RANKINGS
(Perf Points with Changes from Prior Year in Parens)

1. Tommy Loughran, LH (WBA Champ), 1978 (+1)
2. Young Stribling, HW (NABF Champ), 1569 (+5)
3. Jimmy McLarnin, WW (WBA Champ), 1560 (+5)
4. Mickey Walker, MW (WBA Champ), 1538 (-3)
5. Tony Canzoneri, LW (WBA Champ), 1530 (new)
6. Billy Petrolle, LW, 1469 (-3)
7. Jack Sharkey, HW (USBA Champ), 1465 (-3)
8. Max Schmeling, HW (WBA Champ), 1457 (new)
9. Irineo Flores, WW (OPBF Champ), 1430 (new)
10. Tuffy Griffith, HW, 1409 (-4)

Dropped Out from Last Year's List:

George Godfrey, HW (was #5)
Joe Dundee, WW (was #9)
Benny Leonard, WW (was #10)

Comments: Walker, who dropped from record highs after two losses at LH, is on the list for the 10th consecutive year. It is Loughran's seventh year on the list, and his first time at #1. WBA Champs Canzoneri and Schmeling make the list for the first time. Flores is the first Asian fighter on the list. Benny Leonard, who dropped off the list, had made a record 15 appearances on the PFP list.

[JCWeb]

And, heading into January 1933, here's a list of the current titleholders (with number of defenses in parentheses):

HW

WBA: Max Schmeling (Jul. 1932) (1)
NABF: Young Stribling (Oct. 1932) (1)
USBA: Jack Sharkey (Aug. 1930) (3)
CBU: Larry Gains (Ju1. 1932) (0)
GBU: Tommy Farr (Jan. 1931) (1)
EBU: Tommy Farr (Dec. 1932) (0)
OPBF: Tom Heeney (Jun. 1932) (0)

LH

WBA: Tommy Loughran (Aug. 1926) (21)
NABF: Tiger Jack Fox (Dec. 1932) (0)
USBA: Vacant
CBU: Jack Delaney (Apr. 1931) (1)
GBU: Gypsy Daniels (Dec. 1927) (3)
EBU: Gustave Roth (Nov. 1932) (0)

MW

WBA: Mickey Walker (Apr. 1925) (23)
NABF: Freddie Steele (Jan. 1932) (3)
USBA: Tony Tozzo (Feb. 1932) (1)
CBU: Jock McAvoy (Sep. 1931) (0)
GBU: Jock McAvoy (Oct. 1930) (4)
EBU: Enzo Fiermonte (Sep. 1932) (0)
OPBF: Ron Richards (Apr. 1932) (0)

WW

WBA: Jimmy McLarnin (Sep. 1931) (4)
NABF: Tommy Freeman (Dec. 1932) (0)
USBA: Johnny Indrisano (Dec. 1931) (1)
CBU: Jack Hood (Sep. 1932) (0)
GBU: Jack Hood (Jun. 1930) (0)
EBU: Cleto Locatelli (Jun. 1930) (3)
OPBF: Irineo Flores (Sep. 1932) (0)

JWW

WBA: Jack Kid Berg (Jan. 1928) (8)
USBA: Mickey Cohen (Aug. 1930) (3)

LW

WBA: Tony Canzoneri (Mar. 1932) (3)
NABF: Cecil Payne (Apr. 1932) (1)
USBA: Roger Bernard (Oct. 1932) (0)
CBU: Billy Grime (Nov. 1929) (2)
GBU: Harry Mason (Apr. 1929) (3)
EBU: Harry Mason (Apr. 1932) (0)

JLW

WBA: Tod Morgan (Jul. 1931) (2)
USBA: Inactive

FW

WBA: Baby Arizmendi (Sep. 1932) (1)
NABF: Babe Herman (Oct. 1932) (0)
USBA: Battling Battalino (Feb. 1932) (1)
CBU: Pete DeGrasse (Sep. 1932) (0)
GBU: Al Foreman (Aug. 1932) (0)
EBU: Dom Volante (Nov. 1932) (0)
OPBF: Elino Flores (Jul. 1932) (1)

BW

WBA: Pablo Dano (Dec. 1932) (0)
NABF: Bobby Leitham (Jun. 1931) (3)
USBA: Pete Sanstol (Sep. 1932) (0)
CBU: Bobby Leitham (May 1932) (1)
GBU: Benny Sharkey (Apr. 1932) (0)*
EBU: Benny Sharkey (Aug. 1932) (0)
OPBF: Speedy Dado (May 1932) (1)

* - Sharkey awarded GBU BW title without need for a title bout.

FLY

WBA: Midget Wolgast (May 1931) (5)
NABF: Izzy Schwartz (May 1932) (0)
USBA: Fidel LaBarba (Sep. 1932) (0)
CBU: Kid Socks (Oct. 1931) (1)
GBU: Jackie Brown (Jun. 1932) (0)
EBU: Harry Stein (Oct. 1932) (0)
OPBF: Inactive

Comments: It's no surprise that Walker and Loughran, the two longest-serving WBA titleholders, also have appeared the most times on the PFP rankings list. The trend toward lots of turnover, particularly with respect to the lesser titles, continues in force. 35 of 56 (or 63%) of the titles had new Champions in 1932, and it was even more pronounced, at 80% (16 of 20) in the three lighter weight classes.

[gascoyne]

Great uni keep it up, love following this one

[JCWeb]

1933 action is underway!

Here’s a summary of the ring action around the world from the first half of January 1933, covering a total of 52 bouts.

Jan. 6, 1933: The now traditional kickoff “Friday night fight card” at Buffalo’s Memorial Auditorium raises the curtain on 1933 fistic action. The undercard includes hot young FW prospect “Homicide Hank” Henry Armstrong, who faces a Canadian TC going for his eight career win. Armstrong punctuates the action by landing a big hook in the opening round. He goes on to dominate the action in rounds two and three, and late in the third he catches his opponent with a big uppercut that puts his opponent on the deck. “Homicide Hank” follows up by landing blow after blow, forcing the ref to call a halt before the bell can save his hapless opponent. The TKO 3 win lifts Armstrong to 8-1 (8) overall. After some more preliminary bouts, it is time for the main event as top 10 FW Chalky Wright faces newly crowned Commonwealth FW Champion Pete De Grasse in a non-title contest. It is a rematch of a 1931 encounter, which ended in a controversial DQ win for the Canadian, De Grasse. This time the bout appears to be close through the first five rounds. Then, in round six, DeGrasse connects with a cross to put Wright on the deck. Chalky also suffers a cut under his left eye. This ie enough to secure a UD 10 for DeGrasse (96-94, 97-93, 97-94). Post-fight records: DeGrasse, 23-7-1 (5); Wright, 19-4-2 (11).

Jan. 7, 1933: Next card is at the Amor Bahn in Munich, Germany. It’s a light card headlined by popular young German WW Gustav Eder, who takes on WBA JWW Jack Kid Berg in a 10-round, non-title bout. Eder, unbeaten (with just one draw) in his career thus far proves to be a tough opponent for Berg, the “Whitechapel Whirlwind” who has dominated the lightly regarded JWW division in recent years. Eder does take some punishment, however, and his left eye shows signs of swelling from the very early rounds of the bout. In round seven, Eder’s chances receive a boost when the German referee calls Berg for a low blow, subtracting a point from the Englishman at a key moment in the bout. Despite a strong finish by Berg, Eder goes on to take a close but UD 10 (95-93 on all three cards) to keep his unbeaten record intact. The win lifts the German to 22-0-1 (8); Berg is now 29-5-3 (13).

Jan. 7, 1933: The next card is at Havana’ Gran Stadium. The co-feature matches an unbeatend young WW prospect, Cocoa Kid, against the higher rated and more experienced Sergeant Sammy Baker. Kid appears to be piling up an early points lead until Baker suddenly springs to life in round five, putting the Kid on the deck twice to take a 10-7 round. Baker cannot finish his man, but in round seven he does manage to rock his opponent with a strong combination. Thus, it is no surprise to see Baker go on to take a solid UD 10 (97-90, 94-93, 97-90). Post-fight records are 28-10-1 (17) for Baker and 18-1-1 (10) for Cocoa Kid, who has wrapped up the pre-Prime stage of his career. The second co-feature has veteran Dick Finnegan facing Cuban fan favorite Kid Chocolate in a non-title FW bout. In round one, Finnegan already shows signs of swelling under his right eye as Chocolate is able to land at will. The bout evolves into a defensive, tactical struggle, and most observers feel that the Cuban has the upper hand. However, when the judges’ cards are read, to everyone’s surprise, it turns out to be a majority draw (95-95, 95-95, 97-94 for Kid Chocolate). Post-fight marks: 32-15-1 (10) for the veteran Finnegan, compared to 17-3-5 (14) for the “Cuban Bon Bon,” Kid Chocolate.

Jan. 13, 1933: Next up is a Friday night card at the Stadium in Liverpool. Two co-main events headline the agenda. The first co-feature matches former WBA BW Champ Johnny King with an up-and-coming American fighter, K. O. Morgan. Morgan builds an early points lead but King bounces back with a strong rally to take rounds six through eight. The bout goes the distance, and the end result – a draw (95-95, 96-94 King, 95-95) seems justified. Then, in the second co-feature, LH Mike Mandell faces long-time GBU LH Champ Gypsy Daniels, who is now at Post-Prime career stage. Mandell takes charge early, flooring Daniels with a strong shot in round two. Daniels also begins to feel the effect of repeated blows and shows signs of swelling under his right eye. Mandell continues to dominate and metes out enough punishment to cause an early end to the bout. TKO 5 for Mandell, who moves to 27-5-2 (21) with the win. The loss leaves Daniels at 30-20-2 (18).

Jan. 14, 1933: The scene shifts to New Orleans for an action-packed fight card. The action builds to a crescendo for the main event, which matches two LHs for the USBA belt recently vacated by Tiger Jack Fox who moved up to claim the NABF title: Lou Scozza and Battling Bozo. Bozo gets off to a solid start, outboxing the veteran Scozza to build a points lead through the first half of the bout. This forces Scozza to try to step up the pace in order to mount a rally. He manages to inflict some damage as Bozo begins to suffer the effects of swelling around his right eye. However, Bozo is able to hold on to capture his first title, taking a UD 12 (117-112, 116-113, 116-113) and move to 22-2-1 (10) overall. Scozza slips to 31-6-1 (23) with the loss – his second in a row, as he previously was defeated by Fox trying for this very same title belt.

Jan. 14, 1933: The first half of the month wraps up with a very slim fight card in Vancouver, Canada (just four bouts on the menu), but it is headlined by a WBA WW title affair as Jimmy McLarnin faces the current USBA Champ, Johnny Indrisano, for the belt he has held since 1931. Indrisano puts forth a good effort, and he manages to keep the bout close through the first five rounds. McLarnin’s corner has to deal with a cut under the left eye that reopens a couple of times but, in the end, is not a major factor in the bout. McLarnin works on the outside, mostly, and gains a significant points edge, gradually wearing down his less experienced opponent. In the later rounds, there is noticeable swelling around both eyes of the challenger, who winds up taking a beating for all his troubles. The bout goes the distance and, despite a game effort from the challenger, in the end it’s a fairly routine UD 15 win for McLarnin (148-139, 147-140, 148-140). Post-fight, McLarnin is now 38-4 (21) overall, while Indrisano is 25-6-4 (10) and still has the USBA title to fall back on.

[SAL]

JC, reading your uni over the years has me wanting to start an all-time universe myself. Would you mind sharing how you go about scheduling the fightcards and do you also auto-schedule some fights off the side.

[JCWeb]

SAL,

I really don't use the computer to do the scheduling, as I prefer a hands-on approach. I use a system that was set forth a long time ago on this board by I believe Cubedrum that would use a RN of 1-100 to determine how many months each fighter would sit out between bouts. (I just have two ten-sided dice sitting by the computer screen that I roll for each named fighter after each bout is finished and logged in.) Then, that gives me a set of fighters which I organize by division that are available each month. Then, I manually make logical pairings of the "name" fighters, starting with title bouts and feature bouts until I have (these days) around 12-13 cards per month. Usually there are around 6 - 10 bouts per card, sometimes more. (I run individual fights until I get to the last 4 or 6, then use the "fight card" function.) I do not use Autoscheduler but will fast-forward through those bouts I don't care about (usually guys not rated in the top 20). I generally will follow prospects and all top 20 and title bouts, many of which will be chronicled in these reports.

While I try to track the guys on computer, I find sometimes I lose bouts occasionally due to computer freezes when the history file is compacted. So, I still maintain a paper record (I get 60 bouts per page) for each fighter, put in folders for whatever month the fighter is set to appear next. That way, the guys that need to be paired together are in the same folder. Still, it takes me around an hour and half or so just to make the pairings for each month.

In making the pairings, I try to use some logic and put myself in position of what the fans might like to see, but if two fighters don't hit the die roll for the same month, that bout will not take place. (Kind of like what you see in real-life when the top two guys are constantly ducking one another.) I also try to group fighters by geography, Europeans fighting mostly in Europe, etc., and then maintain a stable of TCs to help build the records of the up-and-coming new fighters and prospects for the first 10 - 15 bouts or so.

Hope this helps.

[SAL]

Originally Posted by JCWeb

SAL,

I really don't use the computer to do the scheduling, as I prefer a hands-on approach. I use a system that was set forth a long time ago on this board by I believe Cubedrum that would use a RN of 1-100 to determine how many months each fighter would sit out between bouts. (I just have two ten-sided dice sitting by the computer screen that I roll for each named fighter after each bout is finished and logged in.) Then, that gives me a set of fighters which I organize by division that are available each month. Then, I manually make logical pairings of the "name" fighters, starting with title bouts and feature bouts until I have (these days) around 12-13 cards per month. Usually there are around 6 - 10 bouts per card, sometimes more. (I run individual fights until I get to the last 4 or 6, then use the "fight card" function.) I do not use Autoscheduler but will fast-forward through those bouts I don't care about (usually guys not rated in the top 20). I generally will follow prospects and all top 20 and title bouts, many of which will be chronicled in these reports.

While I try to track the guys on computer, I find sometimes I lose bouts occasionally due to computer freezes when the history file is compacted. So, I still maintain a paper record (I get 60 bouts per page) for each fighter, put in folders for whatever month the fighter is set to appear next. That way, the guys that need to be paired together are in the same folder. Still, it takes me around an hour and half or so just to make the pairings for each month.

In making the pairings, I try to use some logic and put myself in position of what the fans might like to see, but if two fighters don't hit the die roll for the same month, that bout will not take place. (Kind of like what you see in real-life when the top two guys are constantly ducking one another.) I also try to group fighters by geography, Europeans fighting mostly in Europe, etc., and then maintain a stable of TCs to help build the records of the up-and-coming new fighters and prospects for the first 10 - 15 bouts or so.

Hope this helps.

This helps a ton. Thanks for taking the time to give a detailed answer. Much appreciated! I've always enjoyed the depth of your uni.

Now I need to find some file folders.

[Jeff1787]

JC

Could you please explain again about how who use the dice to ramdonly select how often a fighter sits out. If, for example, you roll an 60, then that guy would not fight for 60 months?? I must be missing something...

I am going to start scheduling my top fighters manually in the near future, as many are reaching prime.

Thanks, Jeff

[SAL]

Not sure exactly what JC is using (he has referred to a post a long time ago for scheduling by cubedrum) and here is the post by cubedrum explaining how he decides when a fighter is ready to schedule. JC may have modified this method though.

Originally Posted by cubedrum

Here are the original EBC rules

Fighters have a
base 25% chance of fighting on a given month. This is adjusted upward
10% for each month of inactivity.

Then I use a format where the
highest rated fighter who's fighting in a division, fights the lowest
rated fighter in the division. Second highest fights the second
lowest, and so on. Modified by this rule. 60% of the time a fighter fights the nearest ranked fighter also fighting that month, that also rolled within the 60% ranking scheme. Champions fight top 10 fighters 75% of the
time, or top 5 fighters 25% of the time. Champions must defend every
6 months or be stripped. Fighters also can be injured as follows.
Each 1 or 2 knockdowns is a month resting automatically. A KO is a
month resting. A TKO is 2 months. Each 1 or 2 cuts is a month. Also
if a fighters Performance points drops below 0, he is moved to an
entirely different class I call Clubfighters. When on the clubfighter
circuit a fighter fights only other clubfighters until his
Performance points raises above 0.

Cube

Also, here is cubedrums manual aging process.

[Hanson Bros]

I still use a version of Cube's scheduling ... although I am using the autoscheduler a bit more now

[JCWeb]

SAL is on the mark, the cubedrum system he cites is exactly what I use.

To assist, here's an example. A fighter (at Prime career stage) lost a bout via a decision, and the fighter was cut once and also suffered a knockdown. Thus, the fighter must sit out two months (one for the KD, one for the cut). So, I roll for the first month he can appear -- three months hence. Say, it's January, so I am rolling to see if he comes back in April. To do so, a D100 roll of 1 - 45 is required (it would be 1-25 for the first month, plus 10 for each additional month, so 1 - 45 for the third month).

Let's say the D 100 roll is a 60. So, the fighter won't be returning in April. Then, I roll again for the next month (May) but a 1 - 55 would indicate success. Let's say another 60 is rolled. So, move on to the next month (June). A roll of 10 higher (1 - 65) is required. This, time a roll of 60 would mean the fighter comes back for his next outing in June, so I will put him in the June folder. (I rotate a set of six folders for upcoming fights up to six months out, but also have one for each division for the current set of fights.)

[Jeff1787]

thanks...now I've got it!!

[JCWeb]

Here’s a summary of the ring action around the world from the second half of January 1933, covering a total of 64 bouts.

Jan. 20, 1933: Friday night fights “Down Under” are next, in Melbourne, Australia. It’s a fairly packed card, with two co-feature bouts headlining the action. In one, #3 LW Stanislaus Loayza faces current EBU and GBU Champion Harry Mason. Loayza takes charge early, decking Mason in round three. Midway through the bout, Mason’s right eye begins to swell. Loayza goes on to take a UD 10 (99-90 on all three cards) and improves to 28-14-3 (11) with the win, while Mason drops to 31-14-3 (5) with the loss; both men are still at Prime career stage. The main event is a Commonwealth title bout, with MW Jock McAvoy defending the belt for the first time in almost 18 months, facing young Aussie Ambrose Palmer. Many feel that Palmer may be in over his head, as this title shot is his first bout at Prime career stage. However, Palmer surprises McAvoy with a combination to put the Champ on the canvas in the fifth round. McAvoy also battles a rapidly swelling right eye from the midpoint of the point. McAvoy, forced to battle from behind, suffers another setback when the ref calls him for a flagrant foul, taking away a point in round 11. Buoyed by the hometown crowd, Palmer completes the upset win and takes a solid UD 12 (116-109, 116-109, 115-110) to lift the title. Post-fight records: Palmer, 18-3 (10); McAvoy, 22-3-4 (16). McAvoy still retains the GBU MW title, which was not up for grabs in the bout, while Palmer is now the seventh new CBU MW titleholder in as many title bouts.

Jan. 21, 1933: Next card is at the Sports Palace in Rome, Italy. It is neutral ground for two top European MWs, with German Hein Domgorgen taking on French veteran Marcel Thil. In round three, a gash opens over Domgorgen’s right eye. Thil decks the German near the end of the round, as Domgorgen takes an eight count before arising. Good cornerwork prevents the cut from becoming a major problem, and Domgorgen rebounds with a strong round four. Thil’s right eye begins to puff up from the accumulated blows. Then, in round five, Domgorgen decks the Frenchman with a cross, and Thil cannot beat the count. KO 5 for Domgorgen, who moves to 34-11-1 (18) and retains his #3 MW contender status. Thil is 31-17-5 (11) and must go back to the drawing board.

Jan. 21, 1933: The next card is at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. A strong card is headlined by a clash of two BW titleholders, in a non-title bout, as OPBF BW Champ Speedy Dado travels from the Philippines to face Pete Sanstol, his USBA counterpart. This is their fourth meeting, with Dado holding a 2-1 edge in prior encounters. Sanstol puts in a strong boxing exhibition to build a points edge in the early rounds. By the end of round six, Dado is bothered by a rapidly swelling left eye. Then, in round seven, Dado bounces back and rocks Sanstol, who covers up to last the round. The bout goes the distance without further incident, and Dado is fortunate to escape with a majority draw (96-96, 97-96 Dado, 96-96). Post-fight records are 22-8-2 (12) for Dado and 25-3-1 (8) for Sanstol.

Jan. 27, 1933: Next up is a Friday night card at Washington, D. C.’s Uline Arena. the Stadium in Liverpool. In one of the main support bouts, two unbeaten LH prospects collide, as John Henry Lewis faces his counterpart, Leroy Brown. Brown surprises Lewis with a short, clean uppercut in the opening stanza, putting Lewis on the deck briefly. Undeterred, Lewis battles back, and by the end of round three, he’s in control, and Brown is battling a rapidly swelling left eye. The end comes in round seven, when Lewis connects with a devastating hook that puts Brown down and out. KO 7 win for Lewis is his 13^th win inside the distance in 13 outings. Brown is now 11-1 (6). In the main event, the WBA JLW title is at stake as Tod Morgan faces challenger Leslie Wildcat Carter. Morgan is on target in the early rounds, and by the end of the fourth round, Carter begins to show signs of swelling under his his left eye. Morgan is largely unchallenged through the middle rounds and builds an unassailable points lead. Carter offers little resistance, and the solid Morgan goes on to his third successful title defense, taking a UD 15 (147-138 on all three cards) to improve to 40-9-1 (12) with the win. The loss leaves Carter at 22-8-1 (9).

Jan. 28, 1933: The scene shifts to London’s Harringay Arena. Heavyweights are featured in the main support bout, which is a non-title contest matching ex-USBA Champ Jim Maloney against Irishman Jack Doyle, a former EBU and Commonwealth HW Champ. These two slugger have registered over 40 knockouts between them in their careers, so a good action fight is anticipated. In round three, Doyle sustains a cut over his left eye. Doyle appears to be ahead on points at the halfway point, but Maloney seems to have more in reserve as the bout wears on. In round six, he inflicts some punishment that leads to swelling under Doyle’s right eye. Then, in round eight, there’s a cut over the other eye to add to Doyle’s troubles. The bout goes the distance, with Maloney picking up the win via a MD 10 (97-94, 96-96, 97-96). Post-fight career marks: 27-10-1 (23) for Maloney; 26-13-3 (19) for Doyle. The main event is a Commonwealth Flyweight title bout, as Kid Socks defends the belt against GBU Champ Jackie Brown. It’s the third meeting of these two, each having won one bout previously (Brown took a UD in 1929, Socks a SD in 1931). The action opens in round two with Brown suffering a split lip. The bout remains close into the middle and late rounds. The decider doesn’t come until the final round, the 12^th,when Socks puts Brown on the canvas for the bout’s only knockdown. This is enough to secure Socks a MD 12 (115-113, 114-114, 115-113) to retain the title and move to 29-16-2 (8) overall. Brown dips to 21-7-2 (9) with the loss, but he keeps his GBU title belt, which was not at stake. Both men are still at Prime career stage.

Jan. 28, 1933: The month wraps up with a big card at New York’s Madison Square Garden and all eyes are focused on the main event, as Tommy Loughran makes another defense of his WBA LH title, and the opponent is a familiar foe – “Slapsie Maxie” Rosenbloom. These two talented boxers are meeting for the fifth occasion, with Loughran – who has not lost in over eight years, since 1925 -- holding a decisive edge (three wins, one draw) in their earlier encounters. Loughran settles into the outside and comfortably builds a points lead through the bout’s opening rounds. A short, clean uppercut from the Champ puts Rosenbloom down briefly for a three-count in round five. Rosenbloom tries to rally by trying to force the action on the inside, but Loughran’s superior defense smothers any and all efforts by Maxie to mount a comeback. Late in the bout, Rosenbloom’s left eye shows the effects of the accumulated blows by puffing up. The bout goes the distance and Loughran goes on to take a UD 15 (146-140, 143-142, 144-141) but Rosenbloom did well to keep the scores that close despite the knockdown. It is Loughran’s 22d successful title defense of the WBA belt he was worn since 1926, running his career totals to a gaudy 49-4-4 (18). Rosenbloom is now 29-9-6 (13). This win now makes Loughran, now the top PFP guy in the Universive, only the second boxer in the history of this Uni to cross the elusive 2000 Perf Poin threshold (the first being Mickey Walker).

[JCWeb]

Here’s a summary of the ring action around the world from the first half of February 1933, covering a total of 46 bouts.

Feb. 3, 1933: Friday night fight card at the Forum in Montreal. Nothing of note on the undercard, but the main event pits Commonwealth LH Champ Jack “Bright Eyes” Delaney against a former titleholder, Len Harvey. It’s the third meeting of the two, each having won one – with Delaney winning the most recent encounter, for this very title, back in 1931. There is little to choose between the two protagonists through the first four rounds of action. In the middle rounds, Delaney tries to pressure Harvey on the inside, but Harvey’s defense remains solid. Delaney suffers a cut over his left eye in round nine, later on the eye begins to swell. Despite these difficulties, Delaney perseveres and manages to hang on to take a narrow UD 12 verdict (115-113, 116-113, 116-112) despite suffering from the effects of having reached Post-Prime career stage. Post-fight records: Delaney, 41-10-3 (26); Harvey, 30-10-2 (15).

Feb. 4, 1933: Next card is before a huge throng at the Olympia Stadium in Berlin, as Max Schmeling is set to defend his WBA HW crown before a hometown crowd of delirious supporters. His opponent is the EBU and GBU titleholder, Britain’s Tommy Farr, who looks to step up and claim the World title as well. The main support bout preceding the title affair is a good one, pitting LHs George Manley against newly-crowned EBU LH Champion Gustave Roth from Belgium. Manley is the aggressor in the early rounds, thus enabling him to build a solid early points lead. The defensive-minded Roth proves to be a difficult opponent to break down. In the end, neither man is marked as the bout goes to decision, with Manley taking a MD 10 (98-92, 95-95, 97-93) to improve his overall record to 31-14 (16). Roth’s fourth career setback leaves him at 26-4-2 (12). Then, in the main event, popular HW Champion Schmeling makes his second career title defense, his first at home. A confident Schmeling gets off to a strong start, building a solid lead over Farr. By the end of the sixth round, Farr’s right eye is beginning to swell. Farr gets in a few shots as well, and Schmeling’s right eye also shows signs of swelling by the end of round ten. Farr does well to keep the bout close, and the issue remains in doubt until a short, clean hook drops the Brit in round 13, and Max follows up just before the end of the round with a combination that connects for a second KD. Farr survives and manages to last the distance, a creditable effort for the challenger. But, to the crowd’s delight, the UD 15 goes to Schmeling (143-142, 146-139, 146-139) who retains the title and moves to 31-3 (23) overall with his 10^th successive win. Farr, now 28-6-1 (12), will continue his reign as EBU Champion while awaiting another title shot.

Feb. 4, 1933: The next card is at Syracuse’s War Memorial Auditorium. A pair of FW encounters top the card. First up is hot young prospect Henry “Homicide Hank” Armstrong, who steps up to the world of the 10-rounders by taking on aging veteran Pete Zivic. It takes a few rounds for Armstrong to break down Zivic, who is making his final ring appearance. Then, in round five, Armstrong nails Zivic with a perfect combination for the bout’s first KD. He follows up with a strong shot that puts Zivic down and out. KO 5 for Armstrong leaves Hank at 9-1 (9), still saddled with the one loss due to a cuts stoppage. Zivic wraps up his career with a .500 record of 24-24-5 (10). Then, in the main event, Battling Battalino defends his USBA FW title against former WBA titleholder Louis Kaplan. It’s a rematch of a recent WBA title clash, won by Kaplan. This time, Battalino is sharp early, gaining the upper hand. By the midway point in the bout, Kaplan is beginning to show the effects, showing signs of swelling under his right eye. Then, in round seven, a cut is opened just above Battalino’s left eye. There is noticeable swelling under that same eye that is visible by the end of the round. Kaplan is forced to battle from behind; however, Battalino remains firmly in control and manages to take UD 12 (118-112, 116-113, 117-112) to retain the USBA title. Post-fight records are 24-6 (12) for Battalino and 41-13-1 (10) for Kaplan.

Feb. 10, 1933: Next up is a Friday night card at New Orleans’ Coliseum Arena. No title bouts on the agenda, but two interesting co-features headline the card. In the first of these, MW Young Terry takes on veteran Jock Malone. Tough break for Terry who sustains a serious cut over his left eye in round one. Terry then manages to put Malone on the deck in round two. In round three, it is the right eye of Terry that begins to show signs of swelling. The cut is reopened in round five, keeping Terry’s corner on their toes for the rest of the bout. With all these issues, it is no surprise to see Terry fall behind on points, allowing Malone to take a MD 10 (96-93, 94-94, 96-92). Good effort by Malone, now 39-20-4 (14), who is at Post-Prime career stage, to take the win from an in-Prime MW challenger such as Terry, who slips to 25-9-3 (10) overall. or Lewis is his 13^th win inside the distance in 13 outings. Brown is now 11-1 (6). In the second co-main event, two top WW contenders collide as Joe Dundee faces Jackie Fields. It’s a rematch of a prior encounter that ended in a MD win for Fields. This time Fields, the more aggressive of the two, piles up an early lead. In round five, he staggers his opponent with a strong uppercut. It is smooth sailing the rest of the way as Fields goes on to take a lopsided UD 10 (97-92, 98-91, 100-91). Post-fight career marks: Fields, 27-1-2 (12); Dundee, 36-15-6 (12).

Feb. 11, 1933: The scene shifts to the Far East and Manila’s Rizal Arena. A WBA title is at stake, preceded by a main support featuring the newly crowned OPBF MW titleholder, Ron Richards, in a non-title contest, with Richards taking on American MW Chick Devlin. The bout is close through the first four or five rounds, before Richards steps up the pace in the middle rounds. By the end of round seven, Devlin has been on the receiving end and his left eye is swelling up; the same is true for the right eye a round later. A strong finish enables Richards to emerge the winner, taking a MD 10 (98-94, 96-96, 96-95). Post-fight career marks: Richards, 21-2-2 (17); Devlin, 20-6-1 (9). The main event has the popular WBA BW Champ, Pablo Dano, defending the belt before a home crowd against veteran Bushy Graham, who finally earns his first WBA title shot after six years in the top 10. It is the first meeting of the two. Graham makes it interesting in the early going, and by the end of round three, Dano is battling a rapidly swelling left eye. However, in the middle rounds, Dano seizes control, stifling efforts by Graham to penetrate his defenses. From round six on, it is Graham who is forced to battle a rapidly swelling right eye. Graham then tires badly in the later rounds, enabling Dano to retain the belt via a MD 15 (146-140, 143-143, 148-138). Dano improves to 26-2-2 (14) overall with the win, while Graham dips to 31-15-1 (10) with the loss.

Feb. 11, 1933: Next card is at Havana’s Gran Stadium. No titles at stake, and the feature has two top 10 LW contenders, Luis Vicentini and recently deposed USBA Champion, Jack Portney, on display. Vicentini is now at Post-Prime and it shows as he appears a step slower for much of the bout. Portney outlands Vicentini to take an early lead, then coasts to a fairly comfortable UD 10 win (99-92, 99-92, 98-93) to improve his career totals to 24-4-2 (14). Vicentini, who tired badly in the later rounds, is now 35-11-1 (13).

[JCWeb]

Back after a bit of a hiatus, continuing with 1933 ring action -- here’s a summary of the ring action around the world from the second half of February 1933, covering a total of 62 bouts.

Feb. 17, 1933: Friday night fight card at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. The co-feature marks the first appearance in the Big Apple of Max Baer, the highly touted young HW prospect who takes on previously unbeaten HW Steve Hamas in a highly anticipated encounter. After a close opening round, Baer takes charge and dominates the action in round two, punishing Hamas with a fusillade of blows. The tide begins to turn in round three, with Hamas taking advantage as Baer gets careless with his defense, by carrying his hands too low. Then, in round four, Baer suffers a cut over his left eye. Unfortunately for Baer, the cut is in a bad spot and, when it is reopened a round later, the ref decides to call an immediate halt. TKO 5 runs Hamas’ perfect record to 16-0 (12); Baer, who has now been stopped twice in his career, is now 17-2 (16). The main event follows, with Newsboy Brown challenging Corporal Izzy Schwartz’s for the latter’s NBAF Flyweight belt. Both are at Post career stage, and Schwartz is highly motivated after three career losses to Brown. Will the fourth time be a charm? Newsboy is on target early, and his accumulated punches are sufficient to cause noticeable swelling under the right eye of Schwartz. Izzy manages to keep the bout close, stepping up the pace through the middle rounds. Schwartz lacks the firepower to trouble Brown, who pulls back in front with superior defense and counterpunching. A late cut (opened in round nine) over Brown’s eye has no effect on the ultimate outcome. Brown goes on to take a MD 12 verdict (116-112, 114-114, 116-112) to take the title, registering career win four over Schwartz. Post-fight records: Brown, 37-11-2 (11); Schwartz, 29-14-2 (7).

Feb. 18, 1933: Next card is back in Europe at the Sports Palazzo in Rome, Italy, and there are some very competitive matchups on the agenda. Main support bout matches up two top five WWs, with reigning EBU titleholder Cleto Locatelli facing ex-WBA Champ Young Corbett III. It’s the first meeting of these two boxers. After a brief feeling out period, Corbett begins connecting and building a solid lead. Locatelli steps up the pace in the later rounds, and manages to keep the bout close. However, the decision goes to Corbett with one dissenting judge going for the Swiss, making it a SD 10 (95-96, 96-94, 97-93). Corbett improves his overall record to 37-9-3 (12). Locatelli drops to 25-8-1 (9) with the loss. Then, in the main event, EBU BW Champ Benny Sharkey defends against the man he dethroned for that title, Italian Kid Francis. It’s the third meeting of the two who have split their prior two bouts. The action picks up in the fourth round, when a sharp combination from Sharkey sends Francis to the deck. However, a round later, it is Francis who connects, with Sharkey toppling to the canvas in a delayed reaction to the hook from Francis. Sharkey, seeing his title slipping away, gets more aggressive in the later rounds but, to the delight of the pro-Francis crowd, the Italian boxer takes a SD 12 (114-112, 113-114, 114-113) to regain the EBU title. Post-bout records are 26-11-3 (16) for Francis, 19-3-1 (15) for Sharkey, who has a long career ahead of him.

Feb. 18, 1933: The scene shifts to the Cow Palace in San Francisco. The card is headlined by a WBA Flyweight title clash, with Midget Wolgast facing Frankie Genaro. It is the first meeting of the two, and Wolgast has a 12-bout winning streak dating back to 1930. Genaro manages to outland Wolgast for the first four rounds of the bout. Wolgast, sensing he is falling behind, becomes more aggressive as the bout enters the middle rounds. Genaro’s defense remains solid, however, and he gradually begins to wear down the Champ as the bout enters the later rounds. No cuts or knockdowns, and it takes a late surge by Wolgast to enable him to escape with a draw (143-143, 141-145 Genaro, 144-143 Wolgast) which is just enough to retain the title. Post-fight records: Wolgast, 30-4-1 (15); Genaro, 40-13-2 (18). Talks are underway for a rematch in three months’ time.

Feb. 24, 1933: Next up is a Friday night card at London’s Harringay Arena. Feature bout has Brit Dom Volante defending the EBU FW title belt he won last year against a familiar foe, ex-Champ Knud Larsen from Denmark. Larsen holds a 2-1 edge in three prior meetings. Volante is on the top of his game, putting Larsen on the deck in the second round with a big cross. Larsen tries to battle back from behind, and he has an opportunity in round eight when he staggers Volante with a big hook. Volante covers up to last the round, and -- after a second KD in the 10^th en route -- he is rewarded by the judges with a lopsided UD 12 win (118-108, 118-108, 119-108). Post-fight career marks: Volante, 28-10-2 (17); Larsen, 31-13-3 (14).

Feb. 25, 1933: Next card is at Chicago, with a WBA title bout on tap at Comiskey Park. First, in the co-feature, young WW prospect Barney Ross takes on veteran contender Willie Harmon in an effort to rise in the rankings. For Ross, it is his first bout at Prime career stage. The youthful Ross gets off to a great start, and Harmon (now at Post-Prime) is on the defensive right away. By the end of the opening round, there is noticeable swelling under Harmon’s right eye. In round three, more blows landed by Ross cause a split lip to open up, further damaging Harmon’s chances. Ross eases off in the later rounds, but Harmon is unable to rally enabling Ross to capture a one-sided UD 10 (98-92, 99-91, 99-91) to run his career total to 19-1-1 (7), while Harmon ends the fight at 32-16-6 (13). Next up is the main event, with Tony Canzoneri making his fourth defense of the WBA LW title in a rematch against the man he won the title from, Billy “Fargo Express” Petrolle. It’s the third meeting of the duo, with Canzoneri holding a win and a draw in their prior encounters. In round two, Petrolle puts the “Roman Warrior” down with a solid uppercut for the bout’s first knockdown. Canzoneri, unperturbed, survives the round and gradually battles his way back in the bout. In round five, Petrolle is cut over the right eye. Then, suddenly, a round later – Canzoneri drops Petrolle with a strong shot, and the challenger is unable to beat the count. KO 6 for Canzoneri enables him to keep the belt and improve his career stats to 29-4-2 (15). Petrolle drops to 50-5-3 (21) with the loss.

Feb. 25, 1933: The month wraps up with an abbreviated card at the Olympia Stadium in Panama City, Panama. In the main event, NABF FW titleholder Babe Herman faces the challenge of ex-Champion and hometown crowd favorite Jose Lombardo. It’s a rematch of a 1932 bout that ended in a draw; the rivalry dates back to 1924, when Lombardo recorded a win while at Pre-Prime. A relatively close bout is broken open in round five when Lombardo unloads a series of blows, causing Herman’s left eye to begin to swell. Lombardo does not rest on his laurels, and he remains aggressive into the later rounds. In the final round, his persistence pays off, as he drops Herman with a solid shot. With just seconds remaining, Herman is counted out. KO 12 for Lombardo, who regains the NABF FW crown and moves to 34-13-4 (21). Herman is now 34-18-5 (15).

[JCWeb]

Here’s a summary of the ring action around the world from the first half of March 1933, covering a total of 66 bouts.

Mar. 3, 1933: Friday night fight card set for Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. Main event sees newly-crowned NABF WW Champion Tommy Freeman making his first title defense against Ruby Goldstein. First meeting of the two, and it is Goldstein’s first title shot of any kind. Goldstein, who has won his last four and gone unbeaten in his last eight, starts well, and by the end of round two he has landed sufficient blows to cause swelling under Freeman’s left eye. Then, in round four, Goldstein connects with a strong shot that puts Freeman down. Making the most of his first title opportunity, Goldstein follows up and delivers some additional punishment to cause the ref to step in; Goldstein takes a TKO 4 to capture the NABF WW belt. Post-fight records: Goldstein, 28-7-3 (19); Freeman, 29-14-2 (2).

Mar. 4, 1933: Next card is back in the UK at the Stadium in Liverpool. Featured is a GBU title clash, with Jack Hood (also the Commonwealth WW Champ) putting the GBU belt on the line against challenger Alf Mancini. It is the first GBU WW title bout in over three years, but Hood’s GBU title (won more recently) is not up for grabs. Mancini holds a prior win (MD 10) so it’s a bit of a revenge match for Hood. Hood proves to be the more accurate puncher, and midway through the bout – by round seven – there is noticeable swelling under the left eye of the challenger. Frustrated, Mancini spends the rest of the bout seeking to land a big shot, but he is unsuccessful. Hood retains the title via a UD 12 (117-112, 116-113, 118-111) and moves to 24-8-6 (8) overall. Mancini, who is now 0-4 in title bouts in his career, slips to 28-19-2 (12) and, now at Post-Prime career stage, he may not have many more such opportunities.

Mar. 4, 1933: The scene shifts to Vancouver’s Exhibition Gardens. Headlining the card is a CBU MW title bout, with the new Champ, Aussie Ambrose Palmer, making his first defense against Canada’s Lou Brouillard. Buoyed by a cheering hometown crowd, Brouillard gets off to an excellent start. Confused, Palmer switches back and forth between boxer and slugger, seeking to find the range. By round five, he lands a sufficient number of blows to cause some initial swelling under the left eye of the challenger. Then, in round six, Brouillard returns the favor, and this time there is swelling under the right eye of Palmer. Palmer becomes visibly tired as the bout heads into the later rounds. Then, in the final round, Brouillard seals Palmer’s fate when he puts the Champ down with a sharp combination, following up with a big hook for a second KD late in the round. Palmer is saved by the bell, but the decision goes the way of Brouillard, who racks up a solid UD 12 (117-108, 118-107, 117-108), aided by the two late knockdowns. Brouillard becomes the eighth new CBU titleholder in as many title bouts, upping his career totals to 17-4-1 (11); Palmer is now 18-4 (10).

Mar. 10, 1933: Next up is a Friday night card at the Palazzo del Sport in Rome, Italy. Several HW bouts on the undercard leading to an EBU title clash in the main event. Among those featured is the “Ambling Alp,” the giant Primo Carnera, who is now at Prime career stage and seeking to move up the HW ranks. His opponent this time is veteran campaigner Jack Humbeeck of Belgium, a rugged journeyman-type who might give Primo some problems. However, the hometown crowd seems to lift Carnera as he comes out firing from the opening bell, dropping Humbeeck for a seven-count with a big hook. Carnera can’t finish his man right away, but then in round four he catches Humbeeck with an uppercut to the head for the bout’s second knockdown. There’s plenty of time left in the round, and Carnera does enough additional damage to convince the ref to call a halt. Despite howls of protest from Humbeeck’s corner, this one goes into the books as a TKO 4 for Carnera. Post-fight, Carnera moves to 18-3-1 (15) compared to 25-16-3 (14) for the hapless Humbeeck. The feature bout has another Italian, MW Enzo Fiermonte, making his first defense of his newly-won EBU MW belt against unbeaten German prospect Jupp Besselman. Many observers feel that Besselman, still at Pre-Prime, may be over his head in this one and better off gaining more experience before challenging for the EBU belt, but obviously his handlers felt otherwise. Fiermonte pulls ahead in the early rounds, leaving Besselman to play catch-up. By the middle rounds, the German challenger is suffering the effects of a rapidly swelling right eye from the accumulated blows landed by Fiermonte. Late in round nine, the German has his best moment when he stuns Fiermonte with a big hook right before the bell. The Italian is able to shake it off and go on to claim a solid UD 12 win (117-111, 116-112, 118-110) to retain the EBU title and hand Besselman his first career loss. Post-fight career marks: Fiermonte, 29-6-2 (11); Besselman, 16-1-2 (13).

Mar. 11, 1933: Next card is back in the States at Miami. The headliner is a blockbuster HW bout, pitting NABF Champ Young Stribling against current USBA Champ Jack Sharkey for the former’s NABF belt. Sharkey is seeking to reverse an earlier UD 15 loss to Stribling back in 1931, and his chances are good given that Stribling has hit Post-Prime career stage with this bout. Sharkey gets off to a good start and an early points lead. Midway through the bout, Stribling begins to feel the effects of the accumulated blows as it right eye begins to puff up. In the later rounds, Stribling is forced into an uncomfortable role of becoming the aggressor in the bout. Sharkey holds on to take a UD 12 (116-111, 116-111, 118-109) to capture the NABF title and also move himself into the #1 contender spot for a possible title shot at WBA HW Champ Max Schmeling. The win improves Sharkey’s career stats to 29-7 (17). Stribling drops to 43-7-2 (24) with the loss.

Mar. 11, 1933: Next card is at the Mexico City Arena in Mexico. The first Mexican WBA titleholder, FW Baby Arizmendi, is making his second title defense, but first up is the main support bout, featuring two top BWs: veteran Eddie “Cannonball” Martin faces a hot young unbeaten prospect in Sixto Escobar, who enters the bout with a perfect 15-0 career slate thus far. Escobar, from Puerto Rico, sets up shop on the outside and gradually pulls ahead by combining solid defense and effective counterpunching. He manages to keep the more experienced Martin at bay and, by the end of round four, Martin’s right eye is showing signs of telltale swelling from being on the receiving end of Escobar’s punches. In round five, a solid hook from the Puerto Rican drops Martin for a seven-count. With plenty of time remaining in the round, Escobar wastes little time as his killer instinct kicks in, and the ref is forced to step in to save Martin from further punishment. The TKO 5 win lifts Escobar to a perfect 16-0 (9); Martin ends the bout at 35-17-3 (15). Then, in the main event, Arizmendi defends his WBA FW title against newly-crowed Commonwealth Champ, Canadian Pete DeGrasse; DeGrasse holds a UD 10 win over Arizmendi in a bout in Canada back in 1929 when both were at Pre-Prime career stage. This time, Arizmendi is in front of his hometown fans and has the advantage of holding the title belt as well. The Mexican builds a slight lead over the early rounds. By round five, DeGrasse begins to feel the effects from a rapidly swelling right eye. As the bout wears on, DeGrasse is unable to penetrate Arizmendi’s very solid defense, so it winds up as a fairly uneventful bout the rest of the way resulting in a relatively comfortable UD 15 for Arizmendi (147-140, 145-141, 144-142). With the win, Arizmendi improves to 23-2-1 (10); DeGrasse is now 23-8-1 (5).

[JCWeb]

Here’s a summary of the ring action around the world from the second half of March 1933, covering a total of 61 bouts.

Mar. 17, 1933: Friday night fights “Down Under” at Sydney Stadium in Australia. No titles at stake, but there are two notable bouts that serve as co-features on this card. In one, unbeaten Aussie MW prospect Fred Henneberry faces a former Champion, Panama Joe Gans, who is now in the twilight of his career. Not much in the way of action under round five, when Henneberry nails Gans with a big uppercut that stuns his veteran opponent. The young Aussie seems to have the bout well in hand but gets complacent in the later rounds, allowing Gans to mount a rally and claim a close but UD 10 (96-94 on all three cards). Gans wraps up his 20-year career on a high note to finish at 56-10-3 (20); Henneberry’s first career setback leaves him at 16-1 (10). Then, the final bout on the card matches another former WBA Champ, HW Tuffy Griffith, on the comeback trail, facing OPBF titleholder Tom Heeney. It is a battle of two sluggers, both of whom have just hit Post-Prime career stage. Heeney gets off to a strong start, and Griffith suffers the effects with a cut over the right eye and a rapidly swollen left eye. Heeney goes on to take a UD 10 (97-93, 98-92, 97-94). Post-fight records: Heeney, 34-17-1 (11); Griffith, 26-6-1 (16).

Mar. 18, 1933: Next card is back in the States at the Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City, New Jersey. No titles at stake, but several bouts of note, including appearances by two of the hottest young prospects in the fight game right now: Jersey Joe Walcott and “Homicide Hank” Armstrong. First up is Walcott, who puts his unbeaten record on the line against another hot young HW prospect, Leroy Haynes. Walcott wastes little time, putting Haynes on the deck with a big hook in round one. Later in the round, he lands a nice combination for a second KD. Haynes survives the round but Walcott catches up to him in round five, and this time Haynes is out on his feet, with the ref stepping in to save him from further punishment. TKO 5 for Walcott means Jersey Joe is now a perfect 14-0 (13); Haynes is now 11-2-1 (9). Armstrong then faces a tough test in the form of fellow FW prospect Georgie Hansford. Not much in the way of action into the middle rounds, with Hansford doing well to keep the bout reasonably close. In round seven, Armstrong suffers a cut lip. He responds but putting Hansford on the deck with a strong cross a round later. Then, in round nine, Armstrong staggers his opponent and goes on to take a fairly comfortable UD 10 (97-92, 96-93, 97-92) to end the bout at 10-1 (9). Hansford’s second career loss leaves him at 13-2 (8). Then, in the main event, two top LW contenders, Ray Miller and Al Gordon, square off. Miller works off his jab to put Gordon down in the opening round. He continues to outland Gordon, building a solid points edge through the first half of the bout. Gordon tries to get more aggressive, but in round seven Miller lands another huge shot to put Gordon down for a second time. In the end, the two KDs are sufficient as Miller goes on to take a lopsided UD 10 (98-90, 99-90, 100-88). Post-fight career totals are 34-9 (14) for Miller, 29-13-7 (9) for Gordon.

Mar. 18, 1933: Another good card in the States, this one at Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis. After a long series of preliminary bouts, the main event commences, with USBA BW Champ Pete Sanstol making the first defense of the belt he won in 1932, facing challenger K. O. Morgan. It is the first meeting of the two. Both men are just settling in when Morgan catches Sanstol with a huge shot in round three. Sanstol drops to the deck and cannot beat the count. KO 3 for Morgan. Morgan improves to 18-13 (14) with the win; Sanstol drops to 25-4-1 (8) with the loss.

Mar. 24, 1933: Next up is a Friday night card at Seattle’s Sicks Stadium. Nothing of note on the undercard, but the main event has NABF MW Champ Freddie Steele, the “Tacoma Assassin,” making his fourth defense against Johnny “Bandit” Romero. Romero is seeking to reverse the results of an earlier defeat at the hands of Steele when both men were at Pre-Prime back in 1928. This time, Steele gradually breaks down his opponent’s defenses, surging with a strong round six that puts Romero down and forces an early end. The TKO 6 goes to Steele as the ref steps up to call an early halt. Post-fight, Steele moves to 28-2 (23); Romero ends the bout at 23-6 (16).

Mar. 25, 1933: Next card is back at Havana’s Gran Stadium. No titles at stake, and the main event matches two top ranked LWs – veteran Sammy Fuller and Cuban crowd favorite Emory Cabana. Not much in the way of action until round four, when Fuller breaks through with a strong shot that puts the Cuban on the defensive. Cabana also suffers from a gash over his right eye, plus his left eye begins to puff up. Cabana continues on, battling from behind, but a few rounds later the cut is reopened and becomes too problematic to allow the bout to continue. Over the protests of the pro-Cabana crowd, the ref calls a halt and awards Fuller a TKO 7 win on the cuts stoppage. The win improves Fuller’s career stats to 34-7 (9). Cabana drops to 30-13-4 (12) with the loss.

Mar. 25, 1933: Final card of the month is at Manila’s Rizal Arena. There are a pair of interesting bouts on the card, leading up to an OPBF title clash. In the first of these, two unbeaten BW prospects collide as Filipino Small Montana faces Brit Benny Lynch. Lynch pulls to a slight lead after the first half of what has evolved into a defensive struggle. Montana steps up the pace in the later rounds, but he cannot break through Lynch’s very solid defenses. Montana is forced to battle a rapidly swollen left eye in the latter rounds, and Lynch goes on to take a UD 10 (98-93, 97-94, 96-95) to move to 13-0 (11). Montana’s initial career loss leaves him at 12-1 (6). Next up are two veteran MWs, as former OPBF Champ Ceferino Garcia takes on Billy Bird, a former Commonwealth titleholder. Bird nails Garcia with a short, clean cross, sending the Filipino to the deck briefly in the bout’s opening round. By the end of round one, there is already noticeable swelling under Garcia’s right eye as a result of the blows landed by Bird. Bird follows up with a pair of KDs in round five, but Garcia is able to survive the round. By round seven, Bird shows signs of wear and tear, with noticeable swelling under his left eye. Meanwhile, Bird records a fourth KD to seal a UD 10 win (98-88, 99-87, 98-88). Post-fight, Bird moves to 34-14-4 (15); Garcia ends the bout at 28-10 (20). Then, in the main event, OPBF FW Champ Elino Flores puts the belt on the line against challenger and former Champ Johnny Hill. Flores holds two prior wins, but this time things may be different as he has hit Post-Prime career stage. Hill is on target from early on, and Flores is unable to prevent the challenger from building an unassailable points lead. In the end, it’s a lopsided UD 12 for Hill (117-111 on all three cards) who is able to regain the belt. With the win, Hill improves to 29-12-2 (6); Elino Flores is now 30-17-5 (12).

[JCWeb]

Here’s a summary of the ring action around the world from the first half of April 1933, covering a total of 56 bouts.

Apr. 1, 1933: April fistic action commences with a card at the Amor Bahn in Munich, Germany. No title bouts, but two co-feature bouts headline the card. In the first, former NABF MW Champion Vince Dundee faces the “Little Fox,” Rene DeVos, former long-time EBU MW titleholder. It is a close bout and a defensive struggle, with DeVos turning into the aggressor as the bout wears on. By the end of round eight, there is noticeable swelling under Dundee’s right eye. In the end, there is little to choose between the two so the end result – a draw (95-95, 94-97 DeVos, 97-94 Dundee) seems justified. Post-fight career marks: DeVos, 49-15-3 (18); Dundee, 31-7-3 (14). Then, the second co-feature, unbeaten young German WW Gustav Eder faces highly regarded Young Corbett III, a former WBA WW Champion. Eder gets off to a solid start, and Corbett is forced to take a more aggressive posture in an effort to regain lost ground in the second half of the bout. No cuts, swellings or knockdowns, as the bout goes the distance, with Eder taking a UD 10 (96-95, 98-93, 96-94) to move to 23-0-1 (8). Corbett slips to 37-10-3 (12) with the loss.

Apr. 1, 1933: Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens is the scene of the next fight action. In the main support, unbeaten LH prospect John Henry Lewis travels north of the border to face veteran LH Harry Dillon. Lewis gets off to a good start but has some difficulty in putting the game Dillon away. At the outset of round five, he decks the Canadian with a wicked uppercut. A second KD – also delivered via an uppercut – follows a round later. Finally, in round seven, Lewis delivers the coup-de-grace, finishing off Dillon with a cross for the bout’s final KD. KO 7 for Lewis. Lewis maintains a perfect slate, 14-0 (all KO wins); Dillon is 20-13-1 (10). Then, in the main event, Cecil Payne makes his second defense of the NABF LW title, facing Canadian Billy Townsend. put Gordon down for a second time. After a couple of close early rounds, Payne gradually pulls ahead on points. Townsend is forced to battle from behind, but he lacks the firepower to mount a credible rally. Payne goes on to a UD 12 win (116-114, 118-112, 116-113), doing just enough to retain the title. Post-fight career totals are 28-5-3 (7) for Payne, 20-7 (13) for Townsend.

Apr. 7, 1933: Friday night card at the Stadium in Liverpool. No title bouts, and one interesting bout that serves as the main event, with veteran FW contender Johnny Cuthbert facing up-and-comer Nel Tarleton in a battle of two British fighters. Tarleton appears to be gaining the upper hand in the first half of the bout. Cuthbert battles back after landing a solid shot midway through round five. Tarleton, perhaps a bit over-confident, relaxes in the later rounds while Cuthbert manages to eke out a close but UD 10 win (97-94, 96-94, 97-93). Cuthbert improves to 30-20-1 (10) with the win; a disappointed Tarleton slips to 22-7-4 (11) with the loss.

Apr. 8, 1933: Next up is a solid card at Boston Garden, headlined by a USBA HW title encounter with Joe Banovic and Jim Maloney matched for the belt vacated by Jack Sharkey, who stepped up to successfully challenge for the NABF title belt. Banovic holds a prior UD win back in 1930, but the bout remains close through the first four rounds. Banovic then gradually pulls ahead in the middle rounds, and this forces Maloney to become more aggressive. This pays dividends as Maloney puts Banovic on the deck in round eight with a barrage of blows. Banovic bounces back, and he dishes out some major punishment to Maloney, whose right eye begins swelling and then, in round 11, he sustains a cut under his left eye. The bout ends up in the hands of the judges, who find for Banovic by the narrowest of margins: a SD 12 verdict (115-114, 114-115, 115-114) to capture the USBA title belt. Post-fight, Banovic moves to 27-6 (8); Maloney, who remains a viable HW contender, ends the bout at 27-11-1 (23).

Apr. 8, 1933: Later that same day there’s another fight card out West at the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix. The main support bout sees a battle of two rated HW contenders, as Elmer Ray faces Lee Ramage in a 10-round, non-title affair. Ray wastes little time, going to work in the opening round and nailing Ramage with a huge left. Ramage covers up but can’t avoid further punishment as Ray’s killer instinct kicks in, leading to an early stoppage. It goes in the books as a TKO 1 for Ray. After the fight, Ray is 25-4 (16) and solidly entrenched in the top 10. Meanwhile, Ramage suffers only his second career loss, dropping to 20-2 (8). Then, the main event sees USBA JWW Champion Mickey Cohen putting the belt on the line against challenger Johnny Jadick. It’s a revenge matchup for Cohen, since Jadick won their only prior encounter (via a UD 10) back in 1929. It’s a close bout, without a lot of excitement, with Jadick gradually pulling ahead in the middle rounds. The UD 12, and the title, goes to Jadick (115-113 on all three cards). The win improves Jadick’s career stats to 30-14-2 (7). Cohen drops to 18-15-1 (9) with the loss.

Apr. 14, 1933: Another Friday night “Down Under” card, this time in Sydney. Three bouts of note to report on. On the undercard, former Commonwealth and OPBF HW Champion George Thompson, now at Post-Prime, faces Ad Warren before his hometown fans. Thompson holds an earlier win, via TKO, from 1931; both men need a win to re-establish their credentials as top 20 HW contenders. This time, Warren gets off to the better start when he drills Thompson with a three-punch combo that forces the Aussie to cover up in round two. Near the end of round four, Warren does even more damage to Thompson’s prospects when he decks the crowd favorite with a quick hook to the head. In round five, Thompson battles back, scoring a KD of his own when he uses an overhand right to set up a series of unanswered blows to put Warren down. Thompson tries hard but cannot overcome the effects of aging and wear and tear in the later rounds, when he is forced to battle a cut and swollen left eye. The bout goes to decision and it’s a UD 10 win for Warren (97-92, 95-92, 96-91) who moves to 22-5 (18). Thompson is now 27-12-3 (15). Next up is the co-feature, which matches two current titleholders, both former WBA BW Champs, the OPBF BW Champ Speedy Dado and his EBU counterpart, Kid Francis. It’s the first meeting of the two, and the bout remains close through a long feeling-out process in the early rounds. By round the later rounds, a frustrated Dado becomes more aggressive, seeking to wear down his veteran opponent. In the end, it goes down to the wire with Francis picking up a SD 10 (94-97, 97-94, 97-94). Post-fight, Francis moves to 27-11-3 (16); Dado must rebuild on a 27-9-2 (12) career mark. Then, in the main event, OPBF MW Champ, another Aussie hero, Ron Richards, takes on Tait Littman. The bout remains quiet until round five, when Richards unleashes a series of punishing blows that result in some swelling under Littman’s left eye in addition to a minor cut under his right eye. Then, in round seven, Littman walks into a Richards combination and tumbles to the canvas. He cannot beat the count, and suddenly, the bout is over. KO 7 for Richards. Post-fight career totals: Richards, 22-2-2 (18); Littman, 18-5 (13).

[JCWeb]

Here’s a summary of the ring action around the world from the second half of April 1933, covering a total of 60 bouts.

Apr. 15, 1933: Action moves back to Europe for a solid fight card in Rome, Italy. In the co-feature, popular Italian HW Primo Carnera faces a tough challenge in German Hein Muller. The “Ambling Alp” gets in trouble right away, when a severe cut opens over his right eye in round two. Some good cornerwork patches the cut up, but Muller is on target and reopens the cut in rounds three and four. Carnera tries his best to battle back, but eventually the cut is too severe, and Muller goes on to take a TKO 7 via the cuts stoppage. Post-fight career marks: Muller, 20-6-3 (9); Carnera, 18-4-1 (15). Then, in the main event, EBU Flyweight Champion Harry Stein puts that title on the line against a man who has beaten him twice (with one draw) in three prior outings, Italian Johnny Vacca. Not much in the way of action until round five, when Stein rocks Vacca with a crushing hook. Another strong shot from Stein stuns the Italian challenger in round seven, and by then Vacca is also battling a cut over his right eye. Vacca manages to battle back to make the bout close, but not enough to prevent Stein from taking a MD 12 (115-113, 114-114, 115-113) that enables him to retain the title. Stein moves to 28-9-1 (19) with the win. Vacca, now at Post-Prime, slips to 28-7-2 (11) with the loss.

Apr. 15, 1933: The next card is set at Chicago’s Comiskey Park. The headliner features the highly touted Barney Ross, gunning for his first title as he challenges reigning USBA WW Champ Johnny Indrisano. On the undercard, MW prospect Ken Overlin keeps his slate clean with a SD 10 (96-94, 94-96, 98-92) over fellow MW Allen Matthews, running his record to 15-0 (11) while Matthews emerges from the bout at 15-3 (13). Then, Ross settles in for a long evening, comfortable staying on the outside for most of the bout with Indrisano, who is coming off a failed WBA title challenge. Indrisano, seeing the title slipping away, gradually becomes more and more aggressive in the later rounds. By round 11, Ross shows signs of swelling under his right eye. oronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens is the scene of the next fight action. The bout goes to decision, and Ross does just enough to wrest the title via a MD 12 (115-114, 114-114, 115-113). Post-fight career totals are 20-1-1 (7) for Ross, 25-7-4 (10) for Indrisano.

Apr. 21, 1933: Friday night card at Yankee Stadium in New York City is next. No titles at stake, two interesting matchups that serve as co-features. In one, fan favorite Jimmy Braddock faces a tough challenge in opponent Joe Sekyra in a HW encounter where both men are looking to move up in the HW ranks. Braddock starts in his usual grind-it-out style and has the early points edge. However, Sekyra drops the “Cinderella man” on the deck near the end of round five. Braddock tries to bounce back and become more aggressive, but the knockdown enables Sekyra to turn the bout in his favor, and he goes on to take a UD 10 win (97-94, 98-93, 97-93). Sekyra moves to 25-8 (18) with the win, while it is back to the drawing board for Braddock who slips to 22-8-2 (6) with the loss. Then, in the second co-main event, LH Paul Berlenbach takes on the reigning EBU Champion, Gustave Roth, from Belgium in what is Roth’s first appearance in a U. S. ring. It’s a classic slugger versus boxer confrontation, and this time it is the boxer, Roth, who proves dominant as Berlenbach has slipped a notch after hitting Post-Prime career stage. By the end of round two, there is noticeable swelling under Berlenbach’s right eye; in round three, his other eye begins to puff up as well. The bout goes the distance, and Roth rolls up an impressive UD 10 (98-92, 98-92, 99-91) over a big name, albeit now aging, LH contender. Post-bout career marks: 27-4-2 (12) for Roth; 29-11 (21) for Berlenbach.

Apr. 22, 1933: It’s back to the UK for a solid card at the Earls Court in London, with a WBA and a EBU title bout topping the agenda. First up, though, are two British BWs as ex-WBA Champ Johnny King faces Alf Pattenden. King holds two prior wins over Pattenden back in 1927 and 1929 when both were at Pre-Prime, and Pattenden seeks to reverse those earlier results. King is on target in the early rounds, and then in round five he rocks Pattenden, putting him down on the deck near the end of the round with a barrage of blows. A second KD in round nine, when Pattenden takes an eight-count, seals the result as King goes on to take a one-sided UD 10 (99-89, 97-92, 100-89) to improve his overall career totals to 27-3-1 (14). Pattenden drops to 23-7-3 (14) with his third loss to King. Then, Harry Mason defends his EBU LW title in the co-feature, facing the man he defeated for that title, “French Flash” Benny Valgar. Mason gets off to a decent start while Valgar, now at Post-Prime career stage, seems a bit sluggish. Valgar battles back by becoming more aggressive in the second half the bout, but in the end, Mason is able to convince all three judges, taking a solid UD 12 win (117-112 on all three cards). Post-fight marks: 32-19-3 (5) for Mason; 46-19-3 (13) for the well-traveled Valgar. Then, in the main event, two WBA titleholders collide as Jimmy McLarnin puts his WBA WW title belt on the line against his JWW counterpart, Jack Kid Berg, the “Whitechapel Whirlwind.” In the opening round, Berg is warned for holding and hitting and then a point is subtracted for a second infraction. In round seven, Berg is cut over the left eyebrow; the cut is ruled the result of an accidental butt. The bout continues, however, and goes the distance despite the cut being reopened several times. McLarnin loses a point for a low blow in round 13, but generally he does just enough to pile up enough points to retain the belt via a UD 15 (146-139, 145-140, 147-138). Post-fight, McLarnin moves to 39-4 (21). Jack Kid Berg, now at 29-6-3 (13), will either return to the dwindling JWW ranks or perhaps drop down to LW.

Apr. 28, 1933: Next up is a Friday night card at Panama City, Panama. In the main event, hometown favorite Jose Lombardo defends his NABF FW title against Petey Sarron. It is Lombardo’s first defense of the title he won in February 1933. Lombardo repeatedly outhits and outboxes Sarron to gain a huge points lead through the early rounds. Then, in round five, the bout takes a turn as Lombardo suffers a cut on his forehead and is dropped by a hook from the challenger. In round six, more trouble for the Champ as Lombardo’s left eye begins to exhibit signs of swelling. In a desperate attempt to retain the title, Lombardo becomes more aggressive in the later rounds, but to no avail, as the UD 12, and the title, goes to Sarron (115-112, 117-111. 117*-111) in what has to be considered a major upset, to the consternation of the pro-Lombardo crowd. The win improves Sarron’s career stats to 23-9-4 (8). Lombardo drops to 34-14-4 (21) with the loss.

Apr. 29, 1933: Final card of the month takes place at Philadelphia. There are a pair of interesting HW matchups on the card, headlined by a WBA LH title bout. First up is unbeaten HW prospect Jersey Joe Walcott, going for his 15^th win in a row against once-beaten fellow HW prospect Clarence “Red” Burman. Walcott gradually builds an early points edge in the first half of the bout, and Burman’s left eye begins to swell as a result of the accumulated punishment from Walcott’s blows. To no surprise, the UD 10 goes to Walcott (99-91, 97-93, 97-91) who is now a perfect 15-0 (13). Burman’s second career setback leaves him at 12-2-1 (11). Then, in the co-feature, two unbeaten HW prospects faceoff as Steve Hamas takes on hard-hitting Art Lasky. Hamas starts well, flooring Lasky for an eight-count with a nice combination in round two. Then, at the outset of the third round, a determined Lasky turns the tables, decking Hamas with a big shot. Hamas arises at the count of nine, tries to cover up, but soon Lasky is all over him, scoring with a big hook to put Hamas down a second time. Hamas takes another nine-count but looks wobbly enough for the ref to call a halt. TKO 3 for Lasky, who is now 15-0-1, all 15 wins inside the distance. Lasky immediately moves to the top of the list of hot young HW prospects. Hamas, who still has a bright future, is 16-1 (12). Finally, it is time for the main event, as hometown favorite Tommy Loughran, the #1 PFP active in the WBA, makes his 23^rd defense of the WBA LH belt, gunning for his 50^th career win, against the newly crowned USBA LH Champion, Battling Bozo. Loughran sets up shop on the outside and, with his usual workman-like performance, he piles up an early lead through the opening rounds of the bout. Bozo moves to the inside in the middle rounds but is unable to make much of an impression on Loughran’s impenetrable defenses. By the later rounds, Loughran retreats to a more defensive posture, while Bozo begins to show signs of swelling under his right eye. The bout goes to decision and, as expected, Loughran takes a UD 15 (144-139, 146-138, 147-137) for his 50^th career win. Post-fight, Loughran (now at a record high PP level) moves to 50-4-4 (18); Bozo, at 22-3-1 (10), still has the USBA title.

[JCWeb]

Here’s a summary of the ring action around the world from the first half of May 1933, covering a total of 62 bouts. Note: As of yet, I haven’t been awarding fights of the year, but the EBU FW bout from the first May 13 entry (in Rome, Italy) has to be a strong candidate for such an award.

May 5, 1933: It’s a Friday night card in Atlantic City to open the month’s activity. Headlined is a NABF title clash that has unbeaten LH Tiger Jack Fox, now the #1 ranked contender, defending the belt he won the prior November against “Slapsie Maxie” Rosenbloom, a veteran top five LH contender in recent years. It’s a good opening stanza for Rosenbloom, who lands repeatedly and causes some swelling around the right eye of Tiger Jack Fox. Then, in round two, Fox rebounds quickly, catching Rosenbloom with a massive uppercut early in the round, forcing Maxie to cover up. Rosenbloom takes some more punishment, and his left eye is beginning to swell by the end of the round. After an even round three, Fox takes charge in round four, staggering Rosenbloom again. Fox remains the aggressor through the middle rounds, piling up a huge points advantage. Rosenbloom manages to battle back, lasting the distance, but in the end, Fox retains his NABF title with a UD 12 (116-115, 116-112, 115-113). Fox remains unbeaten, now at 28-0 (21) and is actively seeking a WBA title shot. Rosenbloom drops to 29-10-6 (13) with the loss.

May 6, 1933: The next card is at the UK, at the Stadium in Liverpool. The card is topped by a Commonwealth BW title clash, with Bobby Leitham (who also holds the NABF belt) defending against Dick Corbett for the home country. Corbett proves to be a formidable challenger, putting up stiff resistance through the opening rounds of the bout. By the end of the third round, there is swelling under Leitham’s right eye as a result of some accurate punching by the British challenger. The Canadian champion battles back in the middle rounds and takes a narrow lead into the later rounds. Both men are weary as the bout enters its final phases. Then, in round 11, Corbett lands a strong shot to put Leitham on the canvas. Leitham rallies by winning the crucial last round. The bout goes to decision, and Leitham escapes with a narrow UD 12 (115-113 on all cards). Post-fight career totals are 28-4-1 (10) for Leitham, 25-7 (10) for Corbett.

May 6, 1933: A good card at St. Louis’ Kiel Auditorium is next. Co-main event (leading up to a USBA title bout) has two top five WW contenders, all-time great Benny Leonard (now 37 years old) and the much younger (but also at Post-Prime) Jackie Fields, in a non-title affair, in the first meeting of these two top fighters from different generations. After the first three rounds, Fields is doing well, with Leonard showing telltale signs of swelling under his left eye. Halfway through, Leonard holds a slight points edge, but Fields is holding his own. Fields steps up the pace some in the later rounds and, by round nine, Leonard is battling swelling under the right eye as well. The bout goes to decision, and Fields’ efforts are rewarded as he takes a SD 10 (93-97 Leonard, but 96-94 Fields for the other two judges). The once-beaten Fields moves to 29-1-2 (14) with the win, while Leonard’s 92nd bout ends in a loss to leave him at 82-8-2 (42). Then, in the final bout on the card, USBA LW Champion Roger Bernard makes his first defense against Al Singer, who is in his first title try. Bernard holds an earlier UD win, back in 1929, when both men were at Pre-Prime career stage. Bernard is on target early, and in the opening round he staggers Singer with a big uppercut, forcing the challenger to cover up. However, Singer battles back and, by the end of the fourth round, Bernard is showing the effects, with a rapidly swollen right eye from the impact of Singer’s blows. More problems emerge for the Champ when Bernard suffers a cut over his right eye. By this time Singer, the challenger, has taken command, and the cut also becomes a major problem, leading to a stoppage in the middle of round nine. TKO 9 for Singer on the cuts stoppage gives him the USBA title belt and lifts his career totals to 22-6-1 (13); Bernard is now 26-6 (12).

May 12, 1933: Friday night card North of the border in Vancouver. No title bouts on the agenda, and the headliner matches veteran LH Jack “Bright Eyes” Delaney against a much lower ranked LH, Tony Shucco. First meeting of the two, but Delaney is at Post-Prime, so there is some hope for Shucco. Delaney takes on the role of aggressor from the early stages, but he seems a bit sluggish and off-form. Shucco takes advantage, setting up shop on the outside and gradually building a points lead with solid defense and counterpunching. Delaney tires early and is out of energy by round seven. No cuts or knockdowns, and Shucco goes on to take a surprisingly one-sided UD 10 (99-91, 99-93, 98-92) to cement a rise in the rankings with a win over a much higher ranked opponent. Post-fight career marks: 20-4 (8) for Shucco; 41-11-3 (26) for Delaney, who has definitely seen better days.

May 13, 1933: Back to Europe for another fight card at the Palazzo del Sport in Rome. One bout of note on the undercard matches top 10 BW Bushy Graham with an up-and-comer from Europe, Spain’s Baltazar Sangchili. Graham proves he is up to the task, pounding out a UD 10 (97-93 on all three cards) and giving Sangchili a swollen left eye in the process. Post-fight career totals: Graham, 32-15-1 (10); Sangchili, 19-3 (15). This enables Graham to retain his top five BW ranking and hopefully it will set up him for a title shot some time soon. Then, after a series of 10-rounders featuring Italian fighters, the main event pits two Brits for the FW EBU title, currently held by Dom Volante. Volante’s challenger is his heavy-hitting countryman, Al Foreman. The bout turns out to be a “Fight of the Year” candidate, with lots of back-and-forth action. The action commences early, at the end of round one when Foreman surprises Volante with a strong uppercut that puts the Champ on the deck. Then, in round two, Foreman is cut over the left eye – momentum swing to Volante. Round five, Volante tags Foreman with a big left; the challenger covers up and manages to stay on his feet and last the round. Then, in round six, another big momentum swing to Volante when he puts Foreman on the canvas for a six-count, landing a big hook. However, Foreman battles back, and by the end of round seven, Volante is beginning to suck wind and his face shows signs of swelling under his right eye. A round later in the eighth, it’s another momentum swing, this time to Foreman, who puts Volante down a second time, but Volante covers up to last the round. Foreman is now ahead on points as the bout enters the later rounds, and this forces Volante to open up and become more aggressive. In round 10, a glimmer of hope for the Champ as the cut over Foreman’s eye is reopened and begins oozing blood. Some good cornerwork limits the damage and, in round 11, Volante leaves himself open for a Foreman cross and goes down for the third time – big momentum swing to Foreman. A Foreman hook in the final round results in the fourth KD of Volante, who struggles to his feet at the count of eight. A game Volante manages to last the distance, but Foreman’s accurate power punching has done the damage, and the four knockdowns are too much for the judges to ignore. To the cheers of the Italian fight fans, Foreman takes a UD 12 (115-108 on all cards) to become the new EBU FW Champion (adding it to his GBU title which was not at stake). Foreman moves to 31-18-1 (21) with the win, while Volante slips to 28-11-2 (17) with the loss. This was a very exciting bout that had the fans on their feet from beginning to end and, as mentioned above, certainly a strong candidate for a "Fight of the Year" award.

May 13, 1933: The next card at Miami features several HW matchups, topped by a NABF title contest. Here, Jack Sharkey, the “Boston Gob,” defends the title while still angling for a WBA title shot against Champ Max Schmeling. His opponent, Paul Cavalier, was gone undefeated in his last seven outings (six wins, one draw) going back to 1931, rising in the HW ranks to earn his first ever title shot of any kind. Nonetheless, Sharkey is a heavy favorite in this, the first meeting of the two. Cavalier has difficulty handling Sharkey, whose superior defensive ability enables him to compile a solid points advantage. Midway through the bout, it is all Sharkey as Cavalier is fored to battle a rapidly swelling left eye. A workmanlike effort by Sharkey is capped in the final round, when Cavalier runs into a Sharkey uppercut and tumble to the deck, where he is counted out. KO 12 for Sharkey. Post-fight marks: Sharkey, 30-7 (18); Cavalier, 30-10-2 (15). Sharkey now continues on his quest for a WBA title shot.