Barry Hugman's World Championship Boxing

6 September 1920. Jack Dempsey nd-w co 3 (10) Billy Miske

Venue: The Arena, Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Jack Dougherty.

Fight Summary: Although Miske (187) was badly hurt by a ramrod left to the body in the first round he held on until the bell and seemed to have recovered before being floored by a crashing right to the body in the second. It was the first time in his career the ‘The St Paul’s Thunderbolt’ had been dropped. The third had barely started when Dempsey (185) was sent staggering with a left hook, but when the champion came back with one of his own Miske was dropped for ‘nine’. How he managed to get up was a mystery, but with the still groggy Miske all at sea a tremendous right hand to the jaw sent him down to be counted out on the 1.13 mark.

 

14 December 1920. Jack Dempsey w co 12 (15) Bill Brennan

Venue: Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Johnny Haukaup.

Fight Summary: In an extremely hard defence Dempsey (188¼) eventually came through to knock the tough challenger out, but he had taken far more punches than he cared for. Both men were hard at it in the early rounds with Dempsey just about getting the better of things. Having hurt Brennan (197) to the body in the fifth, Dempsey, working downstairs well, hammered his challenger from pillar to post in the eighth. Brennan hit back with a big left in the ninth, but Dempsey, not to be denied, went all out for victory in the tenth. With both men taking a fair amount of punishment, Dempsey, bleeding badly from both eyes and mouth, scored with a terrific left the body that doubled Brennan up in the 12th. Following that, after Dempsey smashed in a big right to the head to floor Brennan, the latter was counted out in the act of rising at 1.57 of the session. This was the first heavyweight title fight held under Walker Law (which, once again, legalised professional boxing in New York State).

 

2 July 1921. Jack Dempsey nd-w co 4 (12) Georges Carpentier

Venue: Rickard’s Oval, Jersey City, New Jersey, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Harry Ertle.

Fight Summary: Even though a decision could not be rendered in New Jersey at that time, as a billed title fight it has achieved lasting fame as being the first million-dollar gate after 80,183 fans passed through the turnstiles. However, by defending his title under no-decision conditions Dempsey (188) forced the Frenchman to look for a kayo victory, and thus negated his shrewd boxing skills. Carpentier (172) was hugely popular for both his looks and the fact that he was a war hero, while many saw Dempsey, who avoided the war, as a slacker. The contest started with Carpentier diving in to swap blows before feeling the weight of Dempsey’s punches and dropping to his knees. In the second round the fight almost certainly slipped away from Carpentier when he broke his right thumb on Dempsey’s head, and although he walked into the champion during the third he was being noticeably outpunched. When Dempsey went all out in the fourth, smashing in lefts and rights to Carpentier’s body, after a right to the jaw dropped the Frenchman it appeared to be over. Despite Carpentier springing to his feet at ‘nine’ he was immediately targeted by Dempsey, it coming as no surprise when a right-hand smash saw the challenger counted out with just 1.16 of the session on the clock.

 

4 July 1923. Jack Dempsey w pts 15 Tommy Gibbons

Venue: The Arena, Shelby, Montana, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Jack Dougherty.

Fight Summary: The fight provided few thrills, with Gibbons (175½) proving to be very elusive for round after round, never staying in one place longer than he needed. By the fourth Dempsey (188) was cut over both eyes, and although he was landing some heavy blows, especially to the body, Gibbons was still light on his feet and able to box his way out of trouble. It was at close quarters where the fight was won, as Dempsey mauled and pounded Gibbons unmercifully to pile up points. The last five sessions saw Gibbons tiring rapidly, but his superb defensive skills and ability to make Dempsey miss enabled him to get to the final bell where the referee’s decision went to the latter. There were no knockdowns. This fight was famous for the fact that two banks in the town went bankrupt, having guaranteed the champion $300,000.

 

14 September 1923. Jack Dempsey w co 2 (15) Luis Angel Firpo

Venue: Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Johnny Gallagher.

Fight Summary:  Just three minutes and 57 seconds of fighting saw Firpo (216½) floored seven times in the first and twice in the second, before a left to the body and a short right uppercut ended his challenge. However, Dempsey (192½) himself was decked twice in the first round, including being knocked out of the ring by a tremendous right swing to the jaw. And if the champion had not been illegally helped back in again Firpo would surely have won. The contest was generally seen as the most thrilling of modern times as both men fought tooth and nail, giving everything they could muster. Following the fight, the referee was suspended for five weeks for failing to enforce his pre-fight instruction to both men that they go to a neutral corner in the event of a knockdown. Also weighing heavily against him was the fact that he had allowed Dempsey to fight on after he had been helped back into the ring. As far as the Argentine press were concerned, it had taken Dempsey 17 seconds to make it. Even Nat Fleischer, of The Ring magazine, reported that Firpo should have won the title by disqualification after Dempsey struck him while he was still technically on the floor. Despite the three-year inactivity, Dempsey continued to have the support of the NBA and NYSAC.

 

Towards the end of 1925, with Dempsey set on returning to the ring he was again pressed by the NYSAC to accept Wills as his first opponent in a heavyweight title defence. However, after much debate, Rickard stated that he wanted his man to first meet Gene Tunney, not Wills, but with NYC, New York and Chicago, Illinois made unavailable, Dempsey’s first defence for over three years would take place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tunney, a master boxer who mixed science with power, had earned the opportunity to face Dempsey, having beaten both Georges Carpentier (w rsc 15 at the Polo Grounds, Manhattan on 24 July 1924) and Tommy Gibbons (w co 12 at the same venue on 5 June 1925). The Gibbons’ bout had been a final eliminator. He had earlier made his mark in the light heavyweight class as the American champion before deciding to move up a division in order to obtain a match with Dempsey. Only one man, Harry Greb, the former middleweight champion, had ever beaten him, but having twice avenged that defeat as well as beating Chuck Wiggins, Charley Weinert and Erminio Spalla, he looked to pit his wits against Dempsey’s all-out aggression. Coming into the fight, Tunney had participated in 82 contests, winning 62, drawing one and losing one. He had also been involved in 17 no-decision affairs and one no contest.

 

23 September 1926. Gene Tunney w pts 10 Jack Dempsey

Venue: Sesquicentennial Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Pop Riley.

Fight Summary: Fought in a rainstorm, Tunney (189½) adapted to the prevailing conditions far better than Dempsey (190), who was sorely ring-rusty. The fight was a promotional success with 120,757 fans turning out in anticipation of Tunney being put to sleep. Fighting on the back foot and stepping in when needed Tunney fought a brainy, technical battle over the whole ten rounds that left Dempsey shorn of his title. Moving well, while in the main evading Dempsey’s wild swings, Tunney, who boxed on the counter, was only once in real trouble when he was caught in the sixth round by a solid left hook to the jaw that almost felled him. But sticking to his boxing the challenger continued to ram the left into Dempsey’s face, with the occasional right thrown in for good measure, and at the end of the ninth it was the champion who was the one suffering most. By now Dempsey’s left eye was almost closed, and into the tenth it was Tunney who was looking to finish matters as he smashed heavy rights in to the champion’s head. At the final bell it was clear as to who had won in the eyes of the referee. Tunney’s victory had not only turned the heavyweight division on its head, but had also proved that skill could overcome power.

 

22 September 1927. Gene Tunney w pts 10 Jack Dempsey

Venue: Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Dave Barry.

Fight Summary: This fight was made famous for ‘the long count’ after it was estimated that Tunney (189½) was on the canvas for at least 14 seconds during the seventh round, having taken four vicious blows to the head. However, with the referee refusing to take up the count until Dempsey (192½) went to a neutral corner the champion managed to struggle to his feet in time to continue. Having got himself in better condition for this one Dempsey went after Tunney from the opening bell, slamming in rights and lefts to head and body and occasionally going low in his attempts to win inside the distance. In the fourth Tunney had Dempsey groggy at the end of the round, but was unable to follow it up in the next couple of sessions. After the well documented seventh, during which he managed to keep Dempsey at bay for the remainder of the round, Tunney came back strongly in the eighth. Dropped by a left to the jaw, Dempsey was up quickly, but now Tunney was beginning to force the fight, getting home with some good deliveries in the ninth. The final session saw Dempsey going all out for a kayo as Tunney countered and stayed out of trouble, but ended with the former champion being staggered by a succession of solid rights to the jaw. Although it had been a great effort by Dempsey, the majority of the press gave the fight to Tunney by six or seven rounds, with all three judges voting for him. As in their first contest, the fight took in a large gate with 104,943 in attendance.

 

26 July 1928. Gene Tunney w rsc 11 (15) Tom Heeney

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Ed Forbes.

Fight Summary: Heeney (203½) made a fast start, catching the champion with good punches, and in the second round both men were rocked back on their heels. With Tunney (192) clearly the better boxer, once he had got the jab working he was able to gain the upper hand, countering with blows to head and body. The tough New Zealander was always dangerous, especially with the left hook, but by closing on the inside Tunney was able to negate its effect. By the eighth, with Heeney’s left eye swollen, it was then that Tunney began to come off the back foot to spear home lefts that worsened the damage. At this stage all Heeney had left was his courage, and in the tenth he was dropped by a solid right to the head. Although saved by the bell the challenger had to be revived during the interval. Despite the brave Heeney coming out for the 11th he was ready to be taken as Tunney battered away at him, and with eight seconds of the session remaining the referee came to his rescue.

 

Further to Gene Tunney retiring on 31 July, a series of eliminators saw Max Schmeling and Jack Sharkey fight their way towards a contest that would be recognised throughout boxing as deciding the world championship. Leading up to the meeting with Sharkey, Schmeling’s record read 42 wins, three draws and four defeats, while Sharkey had lost seven times in 43 contests. With both men being skilful and good punchers, it looked to be an even contest on paper. Schmeling had arrived in America in November 1928, having been the undefeated EBU light heavyweight champion, and quickly punched his way up the heavyweight ranks when beating Joe Monte, Joe Sekyra, Pietro Corri, Johnny Risko and Paulino Uzcudun, while Sharkey had defeated George Cook, Jim Maloney (4), Risko, Bud Gorman, George Godfrey, Harry Wills, Mike McTigue, Jack Delaney, KO Christner, Young Stribling, Tommy Loughran and Phil Scott. Although he lost inside seven rounds, Sharkey will probably be best remembered for his battle with Jack Dempsey that swayed one way and then the other.

 

12 June 1930. Max Schmeling w disq 4 (15) Jack Sharkey

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Jim Crowley.

Fight Summary: With the vacant title on the line, Schmeling (188) became the first man to win the heavyweight crown while sitting on the floor. The opening two rounds saw both men sorting themselves out until Sharkey (197) picked the pace up in the third and stepped in with heavy blows to head and body to have Schmeling wobbling at the bell. Although the German had landed heavily on occasion with short rights, Sharkey had come to no harm. In the fourth Sharkey looked like a man who meant business, ripping in punches from both hands before stunning Schmeling with a heavy right to the head, immediately prior to dropping him with a left to the body with just seconds of the session left. Unable to get up and fight on Schmeling had to be carried to his corner before the referee belatedly disqualified Sharkey for going low.  Regardless of what was said about the punch being a fair one, Nat Fleischer of The Ring magazine, who was well placed to judge, stated that it was a wild swinging left hook that landed well below the belt. He went on to say that when the blow sank into Schmeling’s groin with the full force of Sharkey’s shoulder and body behind it an affair that was beginning to become one-sided ended. Following the contest, which left a bad taste in the mouth, the NYSAC only confirmed Schmeling’s position as champion six days later on the proviso that he would have to give Sharkey a return, while the NBA went along with the verdict.

 

3 July 1931. Max Schmeling w rsc 15 (15) Young Stribling

Venue: Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. Recognition: NBA/Lineal. Referee: George Blake.

Fight Summary: Despite being on the receiving end in four of the first five rounds, the champion eventually began to warm to the task as he weaved in beneath Stribling’s left to fire in jabs of his own. He also mixed his punches up when going from head to body and Stribling (186½) was showing signs of wear and tear at the end of the sixth. By the tenth Schmeling (189) was sending in right hooks and uppercuts that would have finished off many an opponent, but somehow Stribling remained upright. In the final session Stribling was eventually dropped, a short right to the jaw sending him down for ‘nine’. After rising on quivering legs and trying to fight on, just as Schmeling was lining him up for the ‘coup de grace’ the referee brought the contest to an end with just 22 seconds remaining. There were no complaints.

 

Since the Schmeling defeat, Jack Sharkey, who would be the German’s next challenger, had drawn with Mickey Walker and beaten Primo Carnera for what was billed as an American title fight. Sharkey would come to the ring for their return battle with 34 wins, two draws, eight defeats and two no-decision affairs on his record.

 

21 June 1932. Jack Sharkey w pts 15 Max Schmeling

Venue: MSG Bowl, Queens, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Gunboat Smith.

Scorecards: 7-3-5, 8-7, 5-10.

Fight Summary: Keenly contested from start to finish, but with no exciting action to speak of, Sharkey (205) got revenge over the champion following their previous bout that had ended unsatisfactorily. Regardless of Sharkey’s victory, with the majority of experts feeling that Schmeling (188) had retained the title they were upset that the championship should change hands in such a close affair. It was certainly a difficult fight to score. Starting every round on the back foot Sharkey used the left to good effect, countering consistently and keeping the hard-punching Schmeling off balance. It was a good tactic, especially when Sharkey was forced to fight on from the 11th with his left eye almost closed. The general feeling was that had Schmeling landed his powerful right, known as ‘Big Bertha’, with accuracy he would have retained his title.

 

As it had now become clear that the winner of a fight between Primo Carnera and Ernie Schaaf would provide the opposition for Sharkey, the much derided Carnera beat Schaaf (w co 13 at Madison Square Garden on 10 February 1933) in what was a final eliminator scheduled for 15 rounds. Unfortunately, the contest had tragic consequences when Schaaf passed away in the aftermath. The Medical Examiner’s report following the autopsy stated that Schaaf had entered the ring with a brain ailment that could not possibly have been detected prior to the contest, and with the amount of clubbing blows delivered to his head by Carnera the damage was exacerbated. It was also mentioned that Schaaf had suffered a bad bout of flu a month earlier before spending six days in hospital from its effects. Known as ‘The Ambling Alp’ due to his size and style, the 6’5½” Carnera was a veritable strongman who could punch hard and was light on his feet for such a big man. Bringing a record of 74 wins, six defeats and one no-decision affair into the Sharkey fight, Carnera had won and lost to Young Stribling by disqualification, and beaten Big Boy Peterson (2), Roy Ace Clark, Chuck Wiggins, Neal Clisby, KO Christner (2), George Godfrey, Bearcat Wright, Paolino Uzcudun, Jim Maloney, Knute Hansen, Roberto Roberti, King Levinsky (2), Victorio Campolo, Pierre Charles, George Cook, Art Lasky and Schaaf.

​

29 June 1933. Primo Carnera w co 6 (15) Jack Sharkey

Venue: MSG Bowl, Queens, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Arthur Donovan.

Fight Summary: In a fight made famous because of the ‘Phantom Punch’, a right uppercut that very few people witnessed clearly, Sharkey (201) became the first heavyweight champion to lose his title in his first defence. Having outscored Carnera (260½) in 1931, Sharkey made a solid start, his better boxing being too much for the clumsy Italian giant. It was in the sixth that the fight changed course, Carnera being told by his corner to get his big punches off. Driving in with both hands, Carnera was thumping Sharkey around the ring when the latter was caught off balance and slipped over. Up immediately, Sharkey charged into Carnera, slamming in a terrific blow to the temple that spun his man around but failed to halt him. According to Nat Fleischer, of The Ring magazine, Sharkey went to pieces when unable to halt Carnera’s attack. It would have been better for Sharkey had he reverted to his earlier tactics, but in foolhardy fashion when he persisted in rushing Carnera he was made to pay a heavy price. Holding Sharkey off with his left, Carnera ripped in four heavy rights to the body before a right uppercut to the jaw put the champion down for the full count, timed at 2.27 of the session. Regardless of rumours spreading to the effect that the fight had been rigged, Fleischer reported that the punch in question had crashed against Sharkey’s chin with powerful force, while the referee remarked afterwards that it was one of the hardest delivered punches he had ever seen.

 

22 October 1933. Primo Carnera w pts 15 Paulino Uzcudun

Venue: Sports Palace, Rome, Italy. Recognition: World. Referee: Roger Nicod.

Fight Summary: Amidst boos and jeering Carnera (259½) was given the unanimous decision over the rugged challenger, who had been battered all over the ring without ever being decked. Uzcudun (229¼) had barely landed six or seven solid blows all night as Carnera used him as a human punch-bag, and at the finish he sported cuts over both eyes and damage to cheeks, nose and mouth. It was reported afterwards that, because Carnera had fractured his right hand in the ninth, it had severely hampered his performance, but the fact remained that he had kept it long all night. It had been similar to their previous fight in November 1930, which also went the distance, and in a career of 70 contests that started in 1923 and ended in 1935 Uzcudun was only ever floored once, against Joe Louis in his last fight.

 

1 March 1934. Primo Carnera w pts 15 Tommy Loughran

Venue: MSG Stadium, Miami, Florida, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Leo Shea.

Scorecards: 10-1-4, 10-1-4, 12-3.

Fight Summary: Outweighed by a massive 86 pounds, Loughran (184), who was unable to keep the champion off him, spent most of the time being crowded into corners where he took plenty of punishment. Using rough-house tactics Carnera (270) ploughed his way forward continuously, being also guilty of stepping on Loughran’s feet at times, whether intentional or otherwise. Although Loughran won the odd round by a close margin, from the tenth onwards he failed to do so, finishing worn out after fighting the last few sessions in a fog. The unanimous decision in the 6’6” Carnera’s favour was well deserved.

 

Max Baer, ‘The Livermore Larruper’, who had terrific punching power, would be Carnera’s next challenger. With 39 wins and seven defeats on his record, as well as Max Schmeling, Baer had beaten KO Christner, Tom Heeney (2), Johnny Risko, Les Kennedy, King Levinsky (2), Ernie Schaaf and Tuffy Griffiths.

 

14 June 1934. Max Baer w rsc 11 (15) Primo Carnera

Venue: MSG Bowl, Queens, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Arthur Donovan.

Fight Summary: Floored three times from overarm punches to the jaw in the opening round the champion never recovered, and apart from his courage he had nothing to sustain him. Down again three more times in the second and again in the third the fight looked to be over, but because of Baer’s antics and his lack of condition the contest lasted far longer than it should have done. Carnera (263¼) even won the fourth and seventh sessions before hurting Baer (209½) with a big right uppercut in the eighth. He then came under real pressure again as the latter picked it up. Somehow Carnera got through to the tenth, but after being floored three more times the referee decided to determine whether he was fit enough to carry on. In doing so he enabled Carnera to make it to the bell. The 11th started with a rush before a terrific right to the head had Carnera down for ‘three’. Then, after Baer had him down again, this time with blows to head and body, the referee rescued the giant on the 2.16 mark. A record for the number of knockdowns suffered by a fighter in a heavyweight title fight, several times Baer was dragged down at the same time. Clumsy and awkward with little skill, Carnera ultimately proved to be a poor champion. However, for sheer bravery he was on a par with anyone. On 6 May 1935, the IBU declared the world title to be vacant due to Baer not being interested in defending against Pierre Charles.

 

Baer’s first defence would be against the second-ranked Jim Braddock, a former light heavyweight challenger, who had been in virtual retirement and on the breadline due to the Great Depression prior to coming back to shock the up-and-coming Corn Griffin and the future light heavyweight champion, John Henry Lewis. He next eliminated Lasky (w pts 15 at Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, NYC, New York on 22 March 1935). A wholehearted fighter who gave everything he had and a bit more, prior to meeting the champion Braddock had participated in 85 contests, winning 45, drawing six, and losing 23, with eight no-decision affairs and three no contests thrown in for good measure.

 

13 June 1935. Jim Braddock w pts 15 Max Baer

Venue: MSG Bowl, Queens, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: GB/NBA/NY/Lineal. Referee: Jack McAvoy.

Scorecards: 9-5-1, 11-4, 7-7-1.

Fight Summary: Nicknamed the ‘Cinderella Man’, Braddock (193¾), in winning the world title (recognised by all bar the IBU) provided one of the greatest upsets in the history of the division. Given no chance as an 8-to-1 shot, he shocked everybody in boxing when taking the points decision. Building up a solid lead in the opening four rounds as Baer (209½) clowned around, Braddock was then shaken up by a crashing right to the jaw in the seventh and was on the verge of going down before being let off the hook as the champion stood back to admire his work. Throughout, Braddock carried the fight to Baer, shooting out the left both up and down, while ripping his right into the ribcage to cause maximum discomfort. The fact that Braddock was so aggressive surprised Baer, but it did not account for the latter’s lack of ambition. Baer also lost three rounds when penalised twice for the use of a backhand punch and once for going low. Immediately following the contest Baer claimed that he had broken both hands in the fifth, an argument that failed to stand up on inspection. Having tried to take Braddock out from the fifth through to the seventh, landing well with lefts and rights, Baer continued to act the clown when a sustained attack could well have ended with a win.

 

Two weeks after Braddock’s victory, Joe Louis, who had only been a pro since July 1934, hit the headlines when he stopped the former champion, Primo Carnera, inside six rounds, having earlier recorded wins over Stanley Poreda, Charley Massera, Lee Ramage (2), Patsy Perroni, Natie Brown and Roy Lazer, all good fighters in their own right. He then went on to record further successes against King Levinsky, Baer, Paulino Uzcudun and Charley Retzlaff to take his record to 23 straight before being knocked out inside 12 rounds by the former champion, Max Schmeling. It was a huge shock, but putting that behind him Louis came back to beat Jack Sharkey, Al Ettore, Jorge Brescia, Eddie Simms, Bob Pastor and Natie Brown. With a shuffling style and fast fists that spelt dynamite, and already known as ‘The Brown Bomber’, his record now stood at 31 (26 inside the distance) wins and one defeat. It was clear that Schmeling should have first crack at Braddock, having beaten Louis and being rated at number one, and Braddock v Schmeling was pencilled in for the summer of 1937, to be held in an outdoor stadium, in New York. However, Braddock made the decision to break his contract with the Madison Square Garden promoters in order to fight Louis for promoter, Mike Jacobs, in Chicago. On hearing the news those running the Garden immediately filed a suit with the courts that Braddock’s contract was binding, but were refused when the court ruled that the contract placed an unreasonable restraint upon the champion’s liberty. The Garden promoters then appealed against the ruling, even having tickets printed and put on sale for Braddock v Schmeling to take place on 3 June 1937. Still, despite Schmeling weighing in successfully on the day it came as no surprise when Braddock failed to make the weigh-in that morning as everyone involved knew he was in training to defend against Louis in Chicago. Bearing in mind the earlier legal judgement, the NYSAC felt that the only remaining action left open to them was to suspend both Braddock and Louis from fighting in New York for an indefinite period rather than strip the former. With many secretly relieved that there was now no chance of the title passing into Nazi Germany’s hands in the immediate future, a furious Schmeling, who was claiming the title by default, was left to ponder his next move.

 

22 June 1937. Joe Louis w co 8 (15) Jim Braddock

Venue: Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Recognition: NBA/NY/Lineal. Referee: Tommy Thomas.

Fight Summary: Out of the ring for almost two years was not the ideal way to prepare for a defence, but Braddock (197) confounded many when taking the fight to the red-hot Louis (197¼) and even dropping him in the opening session. Up without a count, even though Louis came back strongly to cut Braddock over the left eye in the second, he still lost the round. Picking it up in the third Louis rammed home heavy blows as he looked to find openings, although Braddock would not be denied either. Boxing well, going forward with both hands, Braddock took the fourth and fifth before coming under fire in the sixth and being cut over the right eye. With Braddock now beginning to take a battering from the educated fists of the challenger, despite being badly wobbled he refused to give ground. Immediately under pressure in the eighth Braddock weakened badly, and following an exchange of lefts he walked into a crushing right to the jaw that sent him down to be counted out on the 1.10 mark. In victory, Louis became the first black champion since Jack Johnson, while Braddock gained much acclaim for his gritty performance.

 

30 August 1937. Joe Louis w pts 15 Tommy Farr

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: NY/NBA/GB/Lineal. Referee: Arthur Donovan.

Scorecards: 13-1-1, 9-6, 8-5-2.

Fight Summary: Going into the ring to end the fight as quickly as possible the champion met a man who would not succumb like some of his previous opponents. Fighting savagely throughout the contest, with Farr (204½) there for the sole purpose of winning, he took all Louis (197) could muster and dished out plenty of his own despite suffering a badly swollen thumb. Farr’s long reach and bobbing-and-weaving style made him a difficult opponent for Louis, and although he was cut up badly he continued to go with the jab. Taking Louis’ best shots unflinchingly, especially in the seventh, he walked into the champion in the eighth as though nothing had happened bringing cheers from the crowd. By the end of the 11th, Nat Fleischer of The Ring magazine’s card had the two men dead level, but the remainder of the bout saw Louis piling up points with the left as Farr, by now badly cut and bruised facially, tried hard to force matters but to no avail. Even though Louis claimed that he had damaged both hands prior to the fight it did not wear with the fans in the light of the pre-fight predictions that Farr would only last a few rounds at most.

 

23 February 1938. Joe Louis w co 3 (15) Nathan Mann

Venue: Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: NY/NBA/GB/Lineal. Referee: Arthur Donovan.

Fight Summary: Having won the opening round, staggering the champion with left hooks and rights to the jaw, Mann (193½) should have continued to attack the body and bide his time. Instead, he tore into Louis (200) in the second, feeling he was ready to be taken, and found himself on the floor from a left hook. Up at ‘nine’ Mann was now at the mercy of Louis, being dropped twice more in the third by solid lefts before a power-laden right smashed him down to be counted out on one knee at 1.56 of the session. Although it was now clear that Louis could be caught by right hands over the top, his all-round ability and destructive finishing power made him the stand-out heavyweight fighter of the day.

 

1 April 1938. Joe Louis w co 5 (15) Harry Thomas

Venue: The Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Recognition: NY/NBA/GB/Lineal. Referee: Dave Miller.

Fight Summary: After taking the first session with the left jab the champion was forced to endure an uncomfortable second round as Thomas (196) smashed in big rights and lefts to both head and body while looking anything but the mug he was supposed to be. Leaping out of his corner for the third Louis (202½) rammed in several solid blows on Thomas, but was forced to take a fair few himself before a left hook had the latter out on his feet grasping the ropes for support. At that point the referee had obviously made up his mind to stop the fight. Chaos ensued after Thomas’ trainer assisted his man to his stool from outside the ring and by the time the referee had worked out what was going on the bell to end the round clanged. Following a discussion with the officials it was decided to let the bout continue rather than disqualify Thomas for his corner’s misdemeanours. Thereafter, Thomas had no chance, being knocked down four times in the fourth before surprising the crowd when staggering Louis a few seconds prior to the bell. Coming out for the fifth, with the intention of finishing the contest, Louis dropped Thomas for ‘eight’ with a short left. Although Thomas bravely tried to fight his way back, another cracking left hook sent him down and out with ten seconds of the round remaining. At an International Boxing Convention held in Rome, Italy, which concluded on 20 April, Louis was recognised as champion.

 

22 June 1938. Joe Louis w rsc 1 (15) Max Schmeling

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Arthur Donovan.

Fight Summary: Avenging the only defeat on his record, Louis (198¾) destroyed the ‘Black Uhlan of the Rhine’ in just over two minutes (2.04) of a contest made famous by the fact that whether he liked it or not Schmeling (193) was being used for Nazi propaganda purposes by Adolph Hitler. After a quiet start the champion began to let the punches go, soon staggering Schmeling with a left to the jaw before dropping him for ‘three’ with a right to the same spot. Up again, Schmeling was immediately floored after taking two lefts and a right to the chin. Somehow regaining his feet Schmeling was a sitting duck for Louis, and following a volley of rights and lefts to the head a terrific left hook-right cross put the challenger down for the third time. With Schmeling helpless and the referee starting the count it was all too much for the German corner, who threw the towel in so that they could tend to their man as quickly as possible. However, it was not until the timekeeper had reached the count of ‘eight’ that the referee called the fight off. Stretchered out of the ring with fractures to the vertebrae and with Schmeling spending several months back in Germany recovering from the beating it was almost a year before a return to the ring was possible.

 

25 January 1939. Joe Louis w rsc 1 (15) John Henry Lewis

Venue: Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Arthur Donovan.

Fight Summary: Forgetting Jack Johnson v Battling Jim Johnson in 1913, which was not recognised by some as a title fight, this meeting was the first occasion that the official championship was contested between two black opponents. Lewis (180¾), the light heavyweight champion, was already being scrutinised for failing eyesight and should never have been allowed in the ring with Louis (200¼), but with the latter quickly running out of opposition the fight went ahead. Even at the weigh-in Lewis looked a shot fighter, and after just 2.29 of the opening round he was rescued by the referee at the count of 'five' after being hit by several heavy rights and tumbling to the canvas a thoroughly beaten man. Prior to that, when Lewis had been dropped for ‘three’ by a right hand to the jaw, on getting up he had been put down again, this time for 'two', by another tremendous right to the head. Although the two men were pals outside the ring Louis treated Lewis just as he would any other challenger, being ferocious in the extreme and getting the job done as soon as he could manage it.

 

17 April 1939. Joe Louis w co 1 (10) Jack Roper

Venue: Wrigley Field, Los Angeles, California, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: George Blake.

Fight Summary: Up against the veteran challenger, Louis (201¼) was expected to do the job quickly, something he achieved inside 140 seconds, but that alone did not tell the complete picture. Roper (204¾) had said prior to the fight that he would come out punching, and that is exactly what he did when the first punch of the fight, a cracking left hook, nearly lifted Louis off his feet. Angry that he had almost been dropped, Louis came roaring back as both men let their punches go. Despite being cut over the left eye, with Roper still dangerous, Louis was nearly caught again with a terrific left that just missed the target. Following that the champion quickly got on top with a barrage of blows before a right to the head, followed by a left to the body, sent Roper down for the full count.

 

28 June 1939. Joe Louis w rsc 4 (15) Tony Galento

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Arthur Donovan.

Fight Summary: Galento (233¾), made famous by his "I’ll moider der bum" comments, and called ‘Two Ton Tony’ because of his roly-poly appearance, got this shot against the champion following 11 straight wins inside the distance. In one of the most talked about contests for ages, Galento powered into Louis (200¾) from the opening bell, nearly taking him off his feet early on before being forced to taste the champion’s punches. Cut over the left eye in the second, when Galento continued to charge in despite being visibly hurt, a terrific left hook to the jaw eventually dropped him for the first time in his career. Up at ‘two’, he made it to the end of the round but was still groggy. In the third Galento was under real pressure before smashing Louis down with a left hook to the jaw and a right to the body. The place was in uproar. Although Louis, up at ‘two’, came back strongly when hitting Galento with heavy blows to head and body the latter had won the round. Louis was now going to work, and at 2.29 of the fourth the referee rescued Galento when he was gradually sliding to the floor after being cornered and spun round by all manner of punches. It took more than five minutes to revive the battered and bruised Galento, but having inflicted the fourth knockdown on Louis he had done far better than hoped for.

 

20 September 1939. Joe Louis w co 11 (20) Bob Pastor

Venue: Briggs Stadium, Detroit, Michigan, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Sam Hennessey.

Fight Summary: Down four times in the first and again in the second, few felt after two sessions that Pastor (183) would turn out to be a test for the champion despite him going ten rounds with Louis (200) early in 1937. Somehow getting through the next two rounds, Pastor started the fight back in the fifth when landing some heavy blows to Louis’ jaw before he was again under pressure in the sixth. Cut badly over the left eye, Pastor stood his ground when staggered by powerful rights in the seventh before coming out firing in the eighth when taking Louis before him. If Pastor had carried a heavy blow, Louis would have been done for claimed Nat Fleischer of The Ring magazine. Again, in the ninth and tenth, Pastor took the fight to Louis, giving him all manner of problems, including a mouse under the left eye. Unfortunately, not listening to his corner, when Pastor came out for the 11th intent on fighting rather than boxing Louis, he was counted out inside 38 seconds, having been measured by a solid right to the head followed by two lefts and another right that took his legs away. It had been a tremendous effort that left many wondering what might have happened had Pastor carried dynamite in his gloves.

 

9 February 1940. Joe Louis w pts 15 Arturo Godoy

Venue: Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Arthur Donovan.

Scorecards: 10-4-1, 10-5, 5-10.

Fight Summary: Bobbing and weaving in front of the champion, Godoy (202) breathed fresh life into the weight class when losing on a split decision. Louis (203), who had been unable to land effectively throughout the contest, was too often bundled into the ropes, and even when he cornered Godoy the Chilean fought back strongly. Breaking up Louis’ rhythm with bulldozing tactics and the use of the head at times, Godoy also went down twice without being hit and crawled along the canvas to mock the champion. He even planted a kiss on Louis in the 14th. Afterwards, it was claimed that Louis had not been able to punch his hardest due to being afraid of damaging his hands on the Chilean’s head.

 

29 March 1940. Joe Louis w rsc 2 (15) Johnny Paychek

Venue: Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Arthur Donovan.

Fight Summary: At the mercy of the champion, and on the run from the opening bell, it was clear from the start that Paychek (187½) was not going to last. Thus it came as no surprise when he was dropped three times in the first round before being finished off after 0.44 of the second. It was a solid right to Paychek’s jaw that began the rot, dropping the latter for ‘nine’. Down again almost immediately from a left hook to the same spot, upon getting to his feet Paychek ran into another right to the jaw that enforced a further ‘nine’ count. Starting the second as if he needed to get home in a hurry, after Louis (201½) had rocked Paychek several times a tremendous right to the chin dumped the balding challenger on the deck out to the world. Having reached ‘seven’ the referee called the count off when he realised that Paychek was choking on his gumshield, care being administered to the beaten fighter before he could leave the ring.

 

20 June 1940. Joe Louis w rsc 8 (15) Arturo Godoy

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Billy Cavanagh.

Fight Summary: A return battle saw Godoy (201¼) doing very much as he did last time for the opening six rounds, while the champion appeared more focused in trying to keep the Chilean at bay with right uppercuts and solid lefts to the body. In the sixth Godoy was at his best when catching Louis (199) with some heavy blows, but in the seventh the tide began to turn as the challenger tired. After chopping away at Godoy, Louis finally dropped his opponent for the first time in his career, having battered him with a barrage of rights and lefts. Coming out for the eighth Louis now had the bit between the teeth, and after rocking Godoy with a volley of blows to the head a right to the jaw decked the latter for ‘eight’ face down. Getting up in a dazed state, Godoy was eventually smashed down again and the referee halted proceedings at 1.24 of the session. It was not over as far as Godoy was concerned though as he leaped to his feet and tried to continue before being made aware that he had already lost.

 

16 December 1940. Joe Louis w rtd 5 (15) Al McCoy

Venue: The Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Johnny Martin.

Fight Summary: This fight heralded the beginning of Louis’ ‘Bum of the Month’ campaign in which he took on a series of defences in double-quick time. Making his 12th defence, Louis (202¼) started in a rush and soon had McCoy (180¾) down on one knee from a smashing right to the kidneys. Up almost immediately, McCoy bobbed, weaved and sidestepped to keep out of further trouble during the next four rounds before being run down in the fifth. With McCoy jabbing his way out of danger once too often, Louis finally caught up with him and a crashing right to the head badly damaged his left eye. Back in the corner, when McCoy’s handlers decided that the damage was too severe for their charge to continue he was pulled out of the contest during the interval. Yet again, Louis had failed to add to his prestige.

 

31 January 1941. Joe Louis w co 5 (15) Red Burman

Venue: Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Frank Fullam.

Fight Summary: Surprising many in attendance the challenger took the fight to Louis from the opening bell, and when the latter was cut under the right eye there were strong feelings that an upset might be on the cards. But Louis (202½) remained alert, despite slipping badly in the third as Burman (188) charged into him. In the fourth Burman continued to go forward, taking all that Louis could muster while landing well himself at times, before coming unstuck in the fifth. Nailed by a heavy right to the head early in the session that damaged his left eye, Burman tried to take the fight to Louis prior to being badly weakened by a tremendous right to the stomach. Hurt again by another pile-driver to the body, Burman was dropped for the full count on the 2.49 mark after a further right had ripped into his solar plexus.

 

17 February 1941. Joe Louis w co 2 (15) Gus Dorazio

Venue: Convention Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Irvin Kutcher.

Fight Summary: Coming out in a crouch the challenger treated Louis (203½) to as much as he took himself in the opening session, especially body shots, while also proving to be difficult to hit. The game plan for Dorazio (193½) was to keep things much the same, but in the second round he began looking to land the left hook, believing that Louis was susceptible to the punch. That was his downfall. After being straightened up by solid lefts and rights to the head, Dorazio was counted out on the 1.30 mark having been smashed down face first by a tremendous right to the jaw. The punch that finished the fight, one of the hardest ever delivered by Louis, was said to have travelled less than six inches.

 

21 March 1941. Joe Louis w rsc 13 (20) Abe Simon

Venue: Olympia Stadium, Detroit, Michigan, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Sam Hennessey.

Fight Summary: Articled for 20 rounds, this would be the last world title bout contested over that distance. Running out of live opponents the champion probably figured that Simon (254½) would only last a round or so, especially after he knocked the latter down in the first with a solid right to the jaw. However, Simon was up at ‘two’ smiling, having suffered the first knockdown of his career, and was still walking into Louis (202) when he was put down for ‘nine’ in the third from a similar punch. Getting up, when the ponderous Simon began pumping out lefts regardless he started to outpoint and outpunch Louis in several sessions despite being staggered by one punch after another throughout. After the tenth Simon had shot his bolt, although still game to the core. The 12th saw Louis desperately trying to finish Simon off, but he had to wait until the 13th when a terrific right to the side of the head dropped the latter for ‘nine’. Back on his feet Simon was ambushed as Louis landed punch after punch, and before long he was down again for ‘nine’ when felled by a right hand that landed spot on the jaw. Following a left hook to the jaw, with Simon looking totally dazed and holding on to the ropes for support, the referee halted the action on the 1.20 mark. At the end of the contest Louis was carrying a swollen left eye while Simon's face was a mask of blood from damage to both eyes. It was reported afterwards that Simon had actually broken his right hand in the days leading up to the fight.

 

8 April 1941. Joe Louis w rsc 9 (15) Tony Musto

Venue: The Arena, St Louis, Missouri, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Arthur Donovan.

Fight Summary: Fighting out of a crouch the compact 5’8” Musto (199½) made life difficult for the champion, who quickly decided that the best way to deal with his opponent was to concentrate on the left and not to risk the right, having come to the ring with bruising to the knuckle. After opening up a cut over Musto’s right eye in the opener Louis (203½) had his man over in the third when he cut loose with rights and lefts, but the challenger was quickly back in the fray when rushing to close quarters. Tossing in overarm rights, Musto had Louis more than worried in the fifth and sixth rounds when hitting the target on a regular basis. Into the seventh, Louis, using jabs, hooks and uppercuts, had Musto on the run, and in the eighth a series of left jabs further damaged the latter’s right eye. With the injury worsening the referee had no alternative other than to stop the fight at 1.36 of the ninth when it was clear that Musto was having difficulty in focusing.

 

23 May 1941. Joe Louis w disq 7 (15) Buddy Baer

Venue: Griffith Stadium, Washington DC, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Arthur Donovan.

Fight Summary: Baer (237½), who became the first man to fight for the title that was once held by his brother, almost won it when tagging the champion with a tremendous left hook to the jaw in the first round. Although going over the ropes and landing on the ring apron, Louis (201½), got back into the ring at the count of ‘four’ but with the noise so great both men thought the round had ended, and with the referee holding Baer away from the dazed champion Louis had gained valuable recovery time. Gaining in confidence Baer charged into Louis in the second, doing well until taking more punches than were necessary in his anxiety to finish the latter off. By the third Louis was beginning to pick it up, and in the fourth he was hurting Baer with jolting lefts and rights to the head. Although Baer began the fifth well, by the end of the session he was being tagged by solid blows to head and body. The sixth saw Louis at his determined best, landing tremendous blows on the game Baer before rights to the chin sent the latter down for counts of ‘six’ and 'nine'. At that point, amidst the din of the crowd, Louis, who had not heard the bell, dropped Baer heavily before being made aware that the round was over. Advised by his handlers to stay on his stool when the bell rang to start the seventh, Baer was disqualified when his manager refused two calls from the referee to leave the ring. Adding to the heated discussions after the fight had ended it came to notice that the timer had already counted Baer out, but he had been allowed to fight on because he was on his feet when the referee had reached ‘nine’.

 

18 June 1941. Joe Louis w co 13 (15) Billy Conn

Venue: Polo Grounds, Manhattan, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Eddie Joseph.

Fight Summary: Having recently vacated the light heavyweight title, Conn (174) came closer to taking the champion’s crown than any previous challenger in a contest that will go down in history as a near miss. Hurt in the second by body punches, after dropping the opening two rounds Conn picked it up in the third when belting Louis (199½) around the ring, with the latter looking a sucker for the left hook. Ripping in many telling blows, Conn was proving to be a difficult opponent, his speed making it hard for Louis to catch him. However, Louis came back strongly in the fourth through to the sixth to hurt Conn several times, the youngster being forced to take more blows to the stomach. By the eighth Conn was warming to the task, making great progress, and he continued the good work in the ninth before Louis shaded the tenth due to his infighting. Back came Conn in the 11th and 12th sessions as he smothered Louis and almost dropped him in a tremendous rally, but it was here that he lost the fight, his spirit getting the better of him. Coming out for the 13th, just about ahead on the cards of most scribes, Conn decided to go for broke, belting the champion to head and body before a terrific right to the jaw took all the fight out of him. Despite Conn making an effort to keep going, attempting to clinch after being forced to take a series of lefts and rights to head and body, Louis dropped him for the full count with a right to the jaw. There were just two seconds of the session remaining.

 

29 September 1941. Joe Louis w rsc 6 (15) Lou Nova

Venue: Polo Grounds, Manhattan, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Arthur Donovan.

Fight Summary: A victim of ballyhoo, and nicknamed the ‘Yoga Man’ due to him being a student of that subject, although Nova (202½) had been backed to do well against the champion he failed to deliver. Despite having two wins over Max Baer on his record, right from the onset he spent most of his time on the back foot. For almost five rounds, with both men feeling each other out, even when Louis (202¼) occasionally landed a solid blow Nova merely backtracked. Finally, when Louis decided to go to work in the sixth a terrific right to the jaw dropped Nova in a heap. Nobody really expected Nova to get to his feet, but he did. Up at ‘nine’, Nova was battered from head to body by punch after punch as Louis laid into him, and when the referee eventually stopped the fight to rescue the challenger there was just one second of the round remaining. With his right eye bleeding profusely, and helpless on the ropes, when the stoppage came Nova had to be helped back to his corner while still complaining that he should have been allowed to carry on.

 

9 January 1942. Joe Louis w co 1 (15) Buddy Baer

Venue: Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Fred Fullam.

Fight Summary: Following his previous crack at Louis (206¾) that ended in controversial circumstances Baer (250) was given a further opportunity at the title. This time round Louis was quickly into action, and although Baer got in the first blow, a right to the jaw, from there onwards it was only his gameness that caught the eye. Stepping up the pace, Louis floored Baer for ‘nine’ with crashing rights and lefts to the head doing the damage before sending in another heavy right to put the latter down for a second count of ‘nine’. Back on his feet and trying to fight his way out of his dilemma, Baer was under enormous pressure as Louis went for the kill. With Louis hammering in lefts and rights, a terrific right uppercut to the jaw sent the challenger down to be counted out on the 2.56 mark.

 

27 March 1942. Joe Louis w co 6 (15) Abe Simon

Venue: Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Eddie Joseph.

Fight Summary: After making a reasonable start Louis (207½) began stalking Simon (255½), and as the second round drew to a close two cracking rights to the jaw dropped the challenger who was saved by the bell at the count of ‘two’. Surprisingly, Simon came out with rush in the third, charging Louis all over the ring and looking to attack the body but had the round deducted from him after going low with a blow to the thigh. It was much the same in the fourth before Louis went to work in the fifth, nailing Simon with at least two dozen blows from both hands until the latter was dropped by two cracking rights. Again the bell saved Simon, coming to his rescue when the count had reached ‘six’. After Simon charged out for the sixth it was only a matter of moments before he was smashed to the floor by a left hook that was followed by a straight right to the jaw. The contest then came to an end controversially when Simon was deemed to have lost on rising at the count of ‘ten’, only for the timekeeper to claim that the count had reached ‘nine’ when the challenger was on his feet. Regardless of that the decision stood, the time of the kayo being announced as 16 seconds of the sixth. With Louis joining the Army in June 1942, the world title was frozen until the end of hostilities.

​

19 June 1946. Joe Louis w co 8 (15) Billy Conn

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Eddie Joseph.

Fight Summary: In a contest that most fans were looking forward to it failed to reach the heights of their previous battle when the challenger failed to take the fight to Louis (207) as he had previously done. With Conn (187) continually on the back foot and not engaging Louis he was outscored in five of the seven completed rounds according to the referee’s card. Conn only really showed in the second round when hurting Louis with a right to the jaw before going back on the retreat. Having decided to pick up the pace in the eighth Louis went after Conn with a purpose, crashing in a left-right to the jaw that had its desired effect. Quick as a flash Louis pounced again, and another left-right to the jaw sent Conn down in a heap. Although the challenger desperately tried to get to his feet he just failed to make it, being counted out at 2.19 of the session.

 

18 September 1946. Joe Louis w co 1 (15) Tami Mauriello

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Arthur Donovan.

Fight Summary: Making his 23rd defence, Louis (211) continued as world champion after knocking out Mauriello (198½) inside 129 seconds of what was an exciting fight while it lasted. Having almost dropped Louis with a cracking left hook that sent the champion clear across the ring, Mauriello continued to fire in punches. However, it was Louis who had the accuracy, and a left-right to Mauriello’s jaw that was followed by a heavy right to the same spot sent the latter to his knees for ‘nine’. Even after Mauriello had regained his feet he was hurting Louis, but following a bout of solid blows he found himself caught up in the corner with nowhere to go before two terrific rights, one that further damaged his left eye and the other to the jaw, sent him down to be counted out.

 

5 December 1947. Joe Louis w pts 15 Jersey Joe Walcott

Venue: Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Ruby Goldstein.

Scorecards: 9-6, 8-6-1, 6-7-2.

Fight Summary: This was the first time Louis (211½) had successfully defended his title courtesy of a points decision since his meeting with Tommy Farr back in 1937, and it proved that at the age of 33 he was no longer the fighter he once was, especially bearing in mind that Walcott (194½) was a few months older. While it was true that Louis had done most of the leading, Walcott had scored two knockdowns following cracking rights to the jaw, the champion being put down for a count of ‘two’ in the first round and for ‘seven’ in the fourth. However, because Walcott decided that the best way to fight Louis was to circle around, jab with the left and sprint backwards whenever the latter got near him, only the first, fourth and ninth sessions were exciting. After the ninth, when both men mixed it for a time and Walcott came close to being put down, the latter continued to stay on his bike. In the 11th Walcott was hurt by a powerful left to the jaw, but came back well to outbox Louis in the next two rounds. Nat Fleischer, of The Ring magazine, stated that had Walcott continued to box in that fashion instead of backing off he would have undoubtedly won the title. After a contest which many thought Walcott had won, the two men were signed up for a rematch.

 

25 June 1948. Joe Louis w co 11 (15) Jersey Joe Walcott

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Frank Fullam.

Fight Summary: In what had been a boring contest, at the end of the tenth the two judges had Walcott (194¾) in front by 5-4-1 and 6-3-1 respectively, while the referee had it as 5-2-3 for Louis (213½). The opening two rounds saw little action before Louis was dropped in the third from a right to the face. More embarrassed than hurt, Louis got to his feet immediately. Again, in the fifth, Louis was hurt by a right hand to the jaw, but for the next few sessions the champion generally found a defence for such punches by ducking under them. However, by the end of the ninth Walcott was getting bolder, coming on to shake Louis up with heavy rights to the head, and in the tenth he served up more of the same. Louis, who was looking flustered and bothered in the tenth, suddenly turned loose in the 11th having been told that Walcott was tiring, and within half a minute he undid all that had gone before. Unleashing a tremendous attack, after Walcott had gone for him, Louis became the clinical fighter of previous years when finding the punches to win the fight by a kayo with just four seconds of the session remaining. It had been a massive turnaround, and before collapsing to the floor to be counted out Walcott had been hit with every conceivable blow Louis could muster.

 

Louis had been champion for 11 years and four days, a record, and after giving it much thought he signified that he was retiring as the undefeated champion on 28 February 1949. Following a series of eliminating bouts, it was Ezzard Charles and Walcott who were matched by the NBA to contest the vacant title despite not having the backing of the NYSAC. With Charles, a skilful box-fighter with a great left hand, being ranked as the second best man in the weight division by The Ring magazine and Walcott at number one this should be seen as involving the lineal title. A top-class light heavyweight who surely would have won the world title in that division had he not moved on, although Charles could still make 175lbs he was ready to step up having beaten Teddy Yarosz, Anton Christoforidis, Charley Burley (2), Steve Mamakos, Booker Beckwith, Jose Basora, Mose Brown, Joey Maxim (3), Archie Moore (3), Lloyd Marshall (2), Oakland Billy Smith (2), Jimmy Bivins (2), Fitzie Fitzpatrick (2), Elmer Ray and Joe Baksi. Coming into the fight, Charles’ record showed 62 wins, one draw and five defeats. His opponent, the top-rated Walcott, with 43 wins, one draw and 15 defeats on his tab, who had already shown his quality in two losing fights against Louis, had beaten Baksi, Lee Q. Murray, Curtis Sheppard, Bivins, Lee Oma, Tommy Gomez, Maxim (2), reversing two defeats at the latter’s hands, and Ray.  

 

22 June 1949. Ezzard Charles w pts 15 Jersey Joe Walcott

Venue: Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Recognition: NBA/Lineal. Referee: Dave Miller.

Scorecards: 78-72, 78-72, 77-73.

Fight Summary: Billed for the vacant title, despite Walcott (195½) making the early running and occasionally forcing Charles (181¾) on to the ropes he was unable to make it pay due to the latter’s clever defence and his own poor timing. While Charles did well, especially with the left hand, both men missed with rights when a target presented itself. At least Charles pulled himself together in the seventh, shaking the older man with solid lefts and rights, but he was unable to follow up his advantage until having Walcott in further trouble in the tenth. Again Charles failed to grasp the opportunity, and while scoring more effectively with the left jab to claim the win he failed to light up the crowd as the clock ran down.

 

10 August 1949. Ezzard Charles w rtd 7 (15) Gus Lesnevich

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: NBA/Lineal. Referee: Ruby Goldstein.

Fight Summary: Promoted by the IBC, and with Joe Louis acting as the matchmaker, the fight took place in New York, a State where Charles (180) was not even recognised as world champion. However, regardless of the venue, the contest was supported by 47 States of America under the banner of the NBA. Charles, making his first defence of that title, was always going too well for the former light heavyweight champion, hitting his ageing opponent almost at will during the opening five sessions. As early as the first round Lesnevich (182) was wobbling under a barrage of lefts and rights to the jaw as Charles cast off the shackles of his title-winning fight. Lesnevich’s best chances of victory came with the hope of him getting solid rights off, but every time he went with the punch he was effectively countered and as a consequence was soon carrying damage to his right eye. Giving it everything he had in the sixth Lesnevich went for broke, and although getting in solid rights that Charles seemed unable to avoid he had shot his bolt. In the seventh, with his left eye almost closed, Lesnevich was on the receiving end of almost everything that Charles threw at him. Having become patently obvious that Lesnevich could not continue for much longer, his corner sensibly retired him at the end of the session.

 

14 October 1949. Ezzard Charles w co 8 (15) Pat Valentino

Venue: Cow Palace, Daly City, California, USA. Recognition: NBA/Lineal. Referee: Jack Downey.

Fight Summary: The sixth-rated Valentino (188½) was the next one up for Charles (182) in front of almost 20,000 fans, and although he had not been in the ring for close on ten months he was the Californian champion, having drawn with Joey Maxim and beaten Freddie Beshore, Tony Bosnich and Turkey Thompson in his previous four contests. What he lacked in class Valentino more than made up with aggression, especially when fighting on the inside to work the body over, which he did to real effect in the second and third rounds. However, by the fifth, Charles was bouncing lefts and rights off every available target that Valentino had on offer. Even though Valentino came back strongly in the sixth it proved to be his last big effort. Mixing up jabs, hooks, uppercuts and crunching rights in the seventh, Charles almost finished Valentino off, but in the eighth a cracking right to the jaw sent the Californian crashing to the floor to be counted out with just 35 seconds on the clock.

 

15 August 1950. Ezzard Charles w rsc 14 (15) Freddie Beshore

Venue: Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, USA. Recognition: NBA/Lineal. Referee: Barney Felix.

Fight Summary: Not even rated in the top ten, and beaten in his last two contests by Lee Oma, Beshore (184½) was given a shot at Charles (183¼) in a contest that failed to gain the support of the NYSAC despite it being held on their territory. Although Beshore, who was badly outclassed at times, was stopped at 2.53 of the 14th round, due to sustaining a seriously swollen ear in the tenth that worsened, Charles had been unable to floor him. Rushing in head down whenever he could to attack the body, Beshore was still in the fight up to the seventh but thereafter he never stood a chance as Charles began to open up more. In that session Charles punished Beshore at close range with hooks to the body and straight rights to the head before opening up again in the tenth and doing even more damage. Even though he had suffered cuts under the eyes in the 11th Beshore continued to come forward without let up, but with it becoming clear that he had no chance of winning when Charles opened up again in the 14th the referee had seen enough. In the aftermath of the fight, Charles, who suffered a cut left eye in the 14th, said that his poor showing was down to the fear that he might not be able to go the full distance following his recent injury problems. When Charles was booked to meet the former champion, Joe Louis, the contest would be recognised by the NYSAC.

 

27 September 1950. Ezzard Charles w pts 15 Joe Louis

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: NBA/NY/Lineal. Referee: Mark Conn.

Scorecards: 10-5, 13-2, 12-3. 

Fight Summary: Coming back after being out of the ring for more than two years, Louis (218) was just a shell of the once great fighter that everyone recognised. By the fourth round Charles (184½) was outspeeding Louis, who was beginning to look ponderous, while continually proving to be too elusive for the older man to batter down with his bigger punches. At this stage of the fight both men were carrying damage to their left eyes and by the ninth Charles was having difficulty in focusing with Louis being too slow to take advantage. The tenth saw Louis at his best as he bored in with solid blows that shook Charles up, but by the end of the session the latter was fighting back strongly. Picking up the pace in the 11th, after Charles came out throwing big punches at Louis’ head he continued to bang away during the remaining sessions in an effort to score a kayo. In the final round Louis was sold-out, being almost helpless on the ropes as Charles fired punches at him before the bell came to his rescue.

 

5 December 1950. Ezzard Charles w co 11 (15) Nick Barone

Venue: The Gardens, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. Recognition: NBA/NY/Lineal. Referee: Tony Warndorf.

Fight Summary: Boxing with purpose the champion had little difficulty in dealing with Barone (178½) who, as the fourth-rated light heavyweight, really did not belong in the division. However, with Charles also considered too light for the weight class the fight was given official approval. Although Barone kept pressing Charles (185), tossing in short punches and aiming to stay at close quarters, he was nearly always fought off with jabs, hooks and uppercuts whenever the latter picked up the pace. By the ninth round, which Charles took by a wide margin, it was clear that Barone would be lucky to last the distance. Coming out fast in the 11th Charles set about Barone with all manner of blows, a jarring right uppercut sending the challenger almost into dreamland, such was the power of the punch. Cutting loose with everything he had Charles had Barone at his mercy, and following a battery of shots from both hands a crashing right sent the former marine down to be counted out on the 2.06 mark.

 

12 January 1951. Ezzard Charles w rsc 10 (15) Lee Oma

Venue: Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: NBA/NY/Lineal. Referee: Ruby Goldstein.

Fight Summary: Charles (185) was a disappointment when taking on the fourth-rated Oma (193), the challenger standing up to whatever was thrown at him in the early rounds while being able to come back with plenty of his own. Charles’ left eye was cut as early as the second, causing his timing to be off at times, especially when he strayed below the belt and had points deducted in the fifth and eighth. While stabbing his left into Charles’ damaged features Oma also made life difficult for the champion, as well as making for an elusive target as he rode and slipped punches. However, despite the fight being mainly listless the finish will live on in the memories of those who were there. Eventually catching up with Oma in the tenth, Charles smashed in more than a dozen left hooks to the jaw and a few to the body for good measure to send his rival staggering around the ring in such a manner that The Ring magazine reported it as a walk on ‘queer street’. The fight was as good as over, and with a now defenceless Oma forced into a neutral corner as Charles was raining in punches the referee halted proceedings at 1.19 of the session.

 

7 March 1951. Ezzard Charles w pts 15 Jersey Joe Walcott

Venue: Olympia Stadium, Detroit, Michigan, USA. Recognition: NBA/NY/Lineal. Referee: Clarence Rosen.

Scorecards: 80-70, 80-66, 83-62.

Fight Summary: Making his fourth attempt to become a champion, Walcott (193) was once again seen off in a contest where he could never quite get to grips with Charles (186). Following an opening round that was marred by too much holding and negative tactics, having hurt Charles in the fourth with an overarm right Walcott played second fiddle thereafter as the latter began to pick up points with the left lead. In the ninth, when Walcott walked on to a heavy right-hand counter he was dropped for ‘nine’, the only knockdown of the fight, before being forced to take plenty of rights and lefts until the bell ended the session. Although Walcott came back strongly in the tenth and 11th with left and right hooks it was Charles who took three of the last four sessions with his more effective punching, especially in the 14th when the challenger walked into smashing right hands that rocked him back on his heels. After sustaining a badly swollen left ear in the fourth Charles’ prospective fight against Joe Louis, tentatively set for 18 April, was put on the backburner. It then failed to take place when negotiations broke down.

 

30 May 1951. Ezzard Charles w pts 15 Joey Maxim

Venue: The Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Recognition: NBA/NY/Lineal. Referee: Frank Gilmer.

Scorecards: 78-72, 85-65, 85-65.

Fight Summary: Defending against the current light heavyweight king, Charles (182) scored a relatively easy win that was made to look less than straightforward by the referee’s card that gave the challenger four rounds with four even. According to Nat Fleischer, of The Ring magazine, the referee’s decision was so wide of the mark it was almost laughable. It was Charles’ body punching that took all the steam out of Maxim (181½), a man he had beaten three times previously and who at times was almost gasping for breath. What irked the fans was the ultra-cautious Charles’ inability to drop Maxim, even when the latter was reeling around the ring exhausted from his exertions and carrying a swollen and cut face. In the fourth, when Charles was warned for a foul that nobody else in the crowd saw he actually stopped fighting in amazement, allowing Maxim a few free shots. It was in the frequent clinches that Charles excelled, getting off right-hand blows to head and body as Maxim, a past master at tying opponents up, tried desperately to contain him without success. From the 13th onwards Maxim was out on his feet, but Charles was unable to take advantage of the situation despite landing some heavy shots on his man.

 

Having been beaten twice by Charles, the 37-year-old Jersey Joe Walcott was hoping it would be third time lucky when the pair were matched again to decide the NBA/NY and lineal titles. A pro since 1930, in 67 contests Walcott’s in-out record read 48 wins, one draw and 18 defeats.

 

18 July 1951. Jersey Joe Walcott w co 7 (15) Ezzard Charles

Venue: Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Recognition: NBA/NY/Lineal. Referee: Buck McTiernan.

Fight Summary: At the age of 37½ Walcott (194) became the oldest man to win a title at any weight for the first time. He also became the oldest heavyweight champion up to that time when knocking out Charles (182) inside 55 seconds of the seventh round. Walcott’s main tactic was to throw right hands over the top of the left lead, followed by a left hook, and in the third he rocked Charles with a couple of cracking rights before having the latter bleeding from cuts around the face after left hooks had got home in the fourth. At this stage of the fight Walcott was getting on top, and in the seventh he exploded a left hook to Charles’ jaw that sent him down flat on his face to be counted out. Although Charles desperately tried to get to his feet at the count of ‘nine’, on failing he tumbled on to his back in a neutral corner. Despite Walcott's victory the British Boxing Board of Control still saw Joe Louis as the champion, but following wins over Cesar Brion and Jimmy Bivins and an eighth-round stoppage defeat at the hands of Rocky Marciano at Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, NYC, New York on 26 October the BBBoC fell into line with the rest of the world. For Louis it was the end of the line, thus bringing the curtain down on a wonderful 17-year career.

 

5 June 1952. Jersey Joe Walcott w pts 15 Ezzard Charles

Venue: Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Zack Clayton.

Scorecards: 9-6, 8-7, 8-7.

Fight Summary: Making his first defence against the man he won the title from Walcott (196) dominated the early stages of his fight against Charles (191½), using solid lefts and rights to keep the challenger at arm's length and hurting him with a right to the jaw in the third. In the early stages Charles concentrated on the body, but it was not until the latter part of the fight that Walcott began to come under heavy pressure when tiring. Cut over both eyes, Charles gave it everything he had over the last four rounds, hurting Walcott several times in the 14th before he ran out of time. There were no knockdowns, and at the age of 38 Walcott became the oldest man to successfully defend the world heavyweight title.

 

The next man up for Walcott would be Rocky Marciano who had knocked out Harry Matthews in the second session of their 15-round eliminator. Although unbeaten, the power-punching 28-year-old Marciano was still seen as a wild, swinging and somewhat clumsy opponent for the skilful veteran. Coming into the Walcott fight, with 42 straight wins (38 inside the distance) since starting out in 1947, Marciano had also beaten Jimmy Walls, Phil Muscato, Roland LaStarza, Rex Layne, Freddie Beshore, Joe Louis and Lee Savold.

 

23 September 1952. Rocky Marciano w co 13 (15) Jersey Joe Walcott

Venue: Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Charley Daggert.

Fight Summary: For the best part of 12 rounds the champion, boxing a cagey fight, kept the younger Marciano (184) chasing shadows after dropping him for ‘four’ with a solid left hook in the opening session. Standing up to Marciano and countering well Walcott (196) continued to pick up points despite being cut badly over the left eye in the sixth. Riding the punches well, by the ninth Walcott was landing the heavier shots, and in the 11th he almost dropped Marciano, now cut over both eyes, with a terrific left hook. Boxing more defensively in the 12th Walcott was still landing the better punches, but 43 seconds into the 13th he was counted out after momentarily dropping his guard and taking a tremendous right to the chin.

 

15 May 1953. Rocky Marciano w co 1 (15) Jersey Joe Walcott

Venue: The Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Frank Sikora.

Fight Summary: Concentrating on his defence, blocking and moving, Walcott (197¾) kept the champion at arm’s length for two thirds of the opening round. Then, as Marciano (184½) continued pressing forward he suddenly found a right to the jaw that sent Walcott crashing. The din was so intense that it was a good couple of seconds before Marciano realised that he had to go to a neutral corner, but it made no difference as Walcott was counted out on the 2.25 mark in the act of rising. It came as no surprise when Walcott, who had complained that the count was too quick, retired in the aftermath of the contest.

 

24 September 1953. Rocky Marciano w rsc 11 (15) Roland LaStarza

Venue: Polo Grounds, Manhattan, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Ruby Goldstein.

Fight Summary: Having gone the distance with Marciano in March 1950, losing controversially by a split decision over ten rounds, LaStarza (184¾) felt that he had a reasonable chance of dethroning the champion. Even though he was cut over the right eye in the second round LaStarza boxed well on the retreat against the wild, clumsy Marciano (185), being still in the fight up to the eighth. He was never going to win though, and once Marciano’s heavy wallops began to take effect LaStarza was fighting a losing battle. Brushing aside his challenger, who was now cut over both eyes, Marciano went for the finish in the 11th, dropping LaStarza with a right to the jaw. Although getting up, LaStarza was an open target. With punches coming in from all angles and with LaStarza looking as though he could suffer serious injury the referee rescued him with 89 seconds of the session remaining. This was the first heavyweight title fight between white men for 18 years.

 

17 June 1954. Rocky Marciano w pts 15 Ezzard Charles

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Ruby Goldstein.

Scorecards: 8-5-2, 9-5-1, 8-6-1.

Fight Summary: Putting on a great display of pure guts, Charles (185½) became to first man to take the champion the distance over 15 rounds. After winning three of the opening four rounds Charles then came under more and more pressure as Marciano (187½), cut over the left eye, began to find the range, and he was badly rocked in the sixth. Boxing calmly, Charles came back well to take the eighth but in the ninth, after Marciano had crashed home several tremendous punches, the challenger’s right eye began to swell badly. By the 12th Charles started to stand his ground more, managing to remain upright following some fierce exchanges right through to the final bell. Both men needed medical attention after the fight, Marciano having ten stitches inserted over his left eye.

 

17 September 1954. Rocky Marciano w co 8 (15) Ezzard Charles

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NYC, New York, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Al Berl.

Fight Summary: Twice postponed due to heavy rain, the contest eventually took place two days later than originally planned. Constantly charging in to put Charles (192½) under pressure Marciano (187) was well on top by the fifth round, having handed out a lot of punishment to head and body. By the sixth though, Charles seemed to have a second wind, and by the end of the session the champion’s nose was split badly and blood was pouring down his face. Sticking with it in the seventh, when Charles cut the champion over the left eye early in the eighth thinking the fight might be halted Marciano tore in with both hands to drop his man with a right to the jaw. Back on his feet at ‘four’ Charles was now in real trouble, and following a barrage of blows to the head he was sent down to be counted out with 24 seconds of the session remaining.

 

16 May 1955. Rocky Marciano w rsc 9 (15) Don Cockell

Venue: Kezar Stadium, San Francisco, California, USA. Recognition: World. Referee: Frankie Brown.

Fight Summary: Not given much of a chance Cockell (205) proved his critics wrong when putting up a wonderful display of courage in the face of heavy odds. The challenger even took the opening two rounds before Marciano (189) came on strong. Even then Cockell was still fighting back hard. In the sixth, Cockell, now badly cut on the forehead, actually halted Marciano momentarily with a vicious right cross, but by the eighth he was gradually beginning to be ground down before being dropped on the bell. Soon after the start of the ninth, with Marciano on the rampage, Cockell was put down from a battery of punches to head and body. Struggling up at 'nine' Cockell was at the mercy of Marciano, and following another count, of 'five', the referee called it off 59 seconds into the session when the Englishman was all over the place. After the contest the British press complained about the foul tactics that would have seen Marciano tossed out of a British ring, but as far as Cockell was concerned the fight was in America and he knew what he was letting himself in for.

​

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

​