The Boxing Bulletin History Corner: March 19-25, 1930, 1940 & 1950

By Andrew Fruman

Picking up from where we left off on Wednesday (March 19 to 25, 1910 & 1920), we're moving on to the years 1930, 1940 and 1950 for the week of March 19 to 25.

In this edition...

• Chicago vs New York - Golden Gloves Tournament, Chicago, March 19, 1930
• Midget Wolgast vs Black Bill - New York, March 20, 1930
• Kid Gavilan vs Robert Villemain - Montreal, March 20, 1950
• Bob Satterfield vs Tommy Gomez - Chicago, March 22, 1950
• Rocky Marciano vs Roland LaStarza - New York, March 24, 1950
• Plus plenty more fight reports and pugilistic news of the times...

1930

March 19…

At a packed to the rafters Chicago Stadium (pictured below), Chicago’s top amateur fighters gained the measure of their New York amateur rivals by a four bout margin. The gathering estimated between 22 and 23 thousand was the largest ever for an indoor boxing show, with gate receipts in excess of $49,000 all going to charity.

Interest in the event was so high that a line-up stretched for four city blocks waiting to get the 1,200 general admission seats that had been held over for sale on fight night. The reserved seats had all been sold a full week in advance of the show.

The two cities were represented by sixteen fighters, the two Golden Gloves finalists from each of the weight classes. The Chicago winners faced off against the New York winners, while the runner-ups did the same.

According to The Chicago Tribune's Don Maxwell, the best fight of the night featured local bantamweight *Paul Leberto against New Yorker Johnny Mauro...

What a fight! Paul Leberto, Chicago bantam champion, and Johnny Mauro, New York wearer of the golden gloves, traded more punches than it is possible to describe. They exchanged them, one a second, for three rounds. The crowd went wild. No two professionals ever set a crowd to yelling like these two boys from amateur ranks excited the 23,000. Leberto had won forty consecutive bouts. You know how good that wiry Italian lad Mauro had to be win – and win he did.

– Don Maxwell

Controversy marred the final contest of the evening, although Chicago had an insurmountable lead of 9 to 6 by that stage. The bout featured local heavyweight Grant Fortney, who earned his living as a taxi driver against his New York counterpart Max Glickman, who also happened to work as a cabbie.

Looking to put an exclamation mark on the highly charged evening, the two big men came out trading bombs and it was Glickman that did the damage…

Glickman and Fortney had been slugging with the speed of lightweights, exchanging punches of pile driver force. Glickman was forcing the lighter Chicagoan around the ring and in a neutral corner caught him with a right flush on the chin. Fortney sank to his knees.

Glickman, sensing victory, forgot himself. Twice he hit while Grant was down. Referee Collins dragged Fortney to his feet and raised his right hand. The decision stuck, although Fortney protested that he wanted to continue.

– Don Maxwell

• Paul Loberto turned pro under the name Paul Dazo.

March 20…

Veteran Bud Taylor (127 ½) of Terre Haute, won a narrow decision over featherweight champion Bat Battalino (127) in a 10 round non-title fight at the Olympia in Detroit. Referee Elmer McClelland, the sole arbiter of the contest, scored the bout 48-46 for Taylor.

A crowd of 10,000 spectators was in attendance for the closely contested battle and "raised a chorus of boos" when the decision was announced.

Battalino (pictured, Antiquities of the Prize Ring) piled up "points steadily" but the two hardest blows were landed by Taylor. He dropped the title holder in the second round with a left to the jaw, and another left in the seventh round had Battalino groggy for the remainder of the session. The final two rounds were the best of the bout with Battalino forcing the action and Taylor meeting his younger rival head on in "a great slugging match."

*   *   *   *

Midget Wolgast (110) of Philadelphia claimed the vacant *NYSAC version of world flyweight title with a fifteen round unanimous decision over Cuban Black Bill (109 ½) at Madison Square Garden in New York. The Pennsylvania commission also recognized Wolgast (pictured, Harry E. Winkler) as the new titleholder.

The New York version of the title had been vacant since champion Izzy Schwartz had been defeated by Willy LaMorte in August of the previous year. The commission refused to recognize LaMorte when it was discovered he had the same manager as Schwartz and organized an 8 man tournament to settle the question of who should be the new champion.

Wolgast may not be cast from the same mold as the flyweight greats of the past, but his exhibition stamped him as a fighter worthy of the title. He thwarted the fiery little Cuban negro at every turn and showed the heart of a real fighting man by refusing to accept victory on a foul when hit a terrific blow below the belt in the sixth.

– Dixon Stewart, United Press

Wolgast started with the opening bell to outbox and outfight Bill, and he never relented. He beat Bill at every style of milling, anticipating every move of his foe and frustrating it.

– James P. Dawson, New York Times

It was a very fast bout with Wolgast, who battled through a nasty cut from a clash of heads in the opening round, using a very busy left jab to consistently beat the busy swarming Cuban to the punch. Wolgast also mixed in some hard left hooks to the body, which had his opponent in distress on a few occasions.

Bill (pictured, The Cyber Boxing Zone) staged a spirited rally between the sixth through ninth rounds, but even during those sessions he was a step behind his Philadelphia adversary.

Unfortunately, however, Wolgast’s title recognition will not go undisputed. The National Boxing Association, with which New York is not affiliated, recognizes Frankie Genaro, west side flyweight, as the titleholder, and not until a contest between Wolgast and Genaro produces and undisputed titleholder will the class leader be lifted from the plane of confusion.

– James P. Dawson

While it was the best fight on the card, the flyweight contest was not the feature attraction on the show. That honour belonged to the scheduled 10 rounder between the sensational Cuban featherweight Kid Chocolate (126 ¾) and Al Ridgeway (128) of New Jersey.

Chocolate was in devastating form, dropping Ridgeway once in the opening session and three more times in the second round before the bout was stopped by referee Jack Dorman.

The ebony master stepped right back into his favourite place in the hearts of New York’s fight faithful with a convincing display of all-round skill and punching power. He wasted not a motion with the clever, stiff-punching New Jersey lad.

– Associated Press

March 24…

In a battle of big heavyweights at the Arena in Philadelphia, George Godfrey (247 ½) of nearby Leiperville, Pennsylvania, knocked out Roy "Ace" Clark (237) in the seventh round of a scheduled ten.  The big punching Godfrey (pictured, Antiquities of the Prize Ring) was in control from start to finish...

Clark, who outboxed Carnera for 5 rounds, was no match for Godfrey. He went to the canvas for counts of eight in the fifth and sixth, and was finished by a hard right to the jaw early in the seventh.

– United Press

*   *   *   *

Walter Eckersall, Chicago Tribune boxing writer and one time collegiate football star and all-round athlete, passed away at the age of 46 after suffering a heart attack at his room at the Chicago Athletic Association. Eckersall (pictured, College Football Hall of Fame) had not fully recovered from a bout of the flu the previous fall, and had not been feeling well for several days. His most recent assignment was the big inter-city amateur boxing show at the Chicago Stadium on March 19, for which he contributed round by round coverage of all 16 bouts. 

Regret passing of Walter Eckersall more than I can say. Our cordial associations with him in connection with intercity Golden Gloves bouts always will be remembered as pleasant contacts with a great athlete and great sportsman.

– Paul Gallico, New York News

Eckie was the first fellow to arrive at ringside for a fight; the first official to report for duty at a football game; the first bellow back in the office after the game or the bout was over.

Other writers might take their time, loaf a bit, fumble around before starting their pieces. Eckie tackled the job at hand and got it done while the rest us for were getting ready to start.

No assignment was too difficult, none too inconsequential for Eckie. It was impossible to get him to slow down. He was just as eager to cover an unimportant wrestling match or a boresome track meet as he was to cover the Tunney-Dempsey fight in Soldiers’ field.

…He was a sentimentalist over those things we respect in life; good heartedness, honesty, and loyalty. He looked for those things in a man and when he found them, he overlooked anything else. "If I can’t say something good about a fellow I don’t say anything.

That was Eckie.

– Don Maxwell, The Chicago Tribune

1940

March 20…

Lou Ambers (pictured, Antiquities of the Prize Ring) made it official, by signing to defend his lightweight title against Lew Jenkins on May 10 at Madison Square Garden. It was reported that Ambers’ manager Al Weill had been holding his fighter back from signing, until promoter Mike Jacobs would verbally agree to give heavyweight Arturo Godoy – also managed by Weill – a return match with champion Joe Louis.

The agreement between Ambers and Jenkins however did not meet with the approval of the National Boxing Association. The NBA had Davey Day ranked as the #1 lightweight contender, and stripped Ambers on March 25 for agreeing to fight Jenkins instead.

Day will now fight Sammy Angott for the vacant NBA title on May 3 in Louisville, while Ambers and Jenkins will battle it out for NYSAC recognition.

March 21…

Jimmy Garrison (139) of Kansas City, now fighting out of Los Angeles, handed local fighter Toby Vigil (136 ½) his first professional defeat at the Hollywood Legion Stadium.

Vigil came on strong in the last round, after Garrison had used his experience and overall skills to control much of the bout. Referee Jack Kennedy had the lone say, scoring the bout 6-3-1.

March 25…

In Baltimore, the Cocoa Kid (148), ranked as the #2 welterweight contender, knocked out local fighter Billy White (146) in the ninth round of a scheduled twelve.

Both fighters came out slugging in the ninth, when White was caught with a right hand flush on the chin. The Baltimore fighter was up at the count of 9, but put down again and finally once more for the full count.

It was a close battle until the knock-out with the Associate Press giving each fighter 3 rounds, with 2 even.

* * * *

Entering as a 2 ½ to 1 underdog, Cal Cagni (151 ½) of New York pulled off a surprise at the Arena in Philadelphia, with a decisive ten round victory over top rated welterweight contender, Milt Aron (150).

Cagni sent Aron to the canvas in the second and third rounds, before the Chicago fighter came back hard over the middle rounds to seemingly take control of the bout. But in the eighth, Cagni again sent Aron crashing to the canvas and held his advantage through to the final bell.

1950

March 20…

British Empire middleweight champion Dave Sands (164 ½) won a slow paced 12 round decision from Carl "Bobo" Olson (163 ½) before 12,000 spectators at Sydney Stadium in Australia.

Sands (pictured, Antiquities of the Prize Ring) scored a flash knockdown in the opening round, and had the better of the first half of the bout. Olson came on strong in the second half, and hurt the Australian with a left hook, right hand combination in the eighth round.

Along with the British Empire title, Sands holds Australian titles in the 160lb, 175lb and heavyweight classes.

* * * *

At the Forum in Montreal, French middleweight Robert Villemain (158) recovered from a slow start to win a tight split decision from welterweight contender Kid Gavilan (147 ½). It was a closely contested fight, and a mixed reaction of "catcalls, boos and cheers" from the crowd of 11,745 spectators greeted the decision.

The stocky Villemain (pictured, Antiquities of the Prize Ring) landed the heavier punches, but the flashy welterweight, especially in the early going, was the busier of the two fighters and often drove the Frenchman back with his speedy flurries. Gavilan appeared to be tiring as the bout wore on, and struggled in the sixth and seventh rounds, but came on strong again towards the end.

The judges scored it 6-2-2 and 5-4-1 for Villemain, with the dissenting opinion favoring Gavilan by a 5-3-2 tally. The Canadian Press had the bout a draw, 4-4-2, while the write-up in the New York Times by Frank Elkins favored Gavilan by a 5-3-2 margin.

* * * *

At the Coliseum in Baltimore, Sonny Boy West (141) easily defeated former lightweight champion Sammy Angott (144). The two judges and the referee all scored the bout 8-1-1 for the up and coming youngster, who had been held to a draw by the veteran a couple months earlier.

Angott fought West on level terms in the first and had the edge in the second, but after that, the quick handed Washington fighter prevailed…

West’s superior speed and youth were decisive. He had the veteran reeling and groggy in the seventh and eighth rounds.

– Associated Press

March 22…

At the Chicago Stadium, Bob Satterfield (178) entered as a slight underdog, but left the ring a decisive winner. The big hitting local fighter dropped a resilient Tommy Gomez (182) four times en route to a unanimous decision victory in an exciting 10 rounder.

It was a valiant effort from Gomez, who never quit despite suffering a rib injury in the opening round and a broken finger in the fifth session. The Tampa fighter was dropped by a left hook in the first round, but came back to stagger Satterfield in the third, and score frequently in the sixth round.

Gomez showed his courage again a couple rounds later; after being dropped twice and saved by the bell in the seventh, he came back to trade bombs in the ninth, only to once more run into one of Satterfield’s crunching rights late in the round. He struggled to his feet at nine, just as the bell rang.

With the win, Satterfield reportedly earned a shot at heavyweight champion Ezzard Charles with the title challenge to take place on May 19 in Chicago. The champion’s representative Jake Mintz said that Charles is agreeable to facing Satterfield, but is unwilling to proceed further with talks until after his fighter’s March 29 date with Freddie Beshore in Buffalo.

Lightweight contender Freddie Dawson (141) also featured on the card, recording a one-sided but dull ten round unanimous decision over Charley Salas (147 ½) of Phoenix. Dawson (pictured, Antiquities of the Prize Ring) has been hoping to land a rematch with lightweight champion Ike Williams, and The International Boxing Club was said to be considering promoting the bout.

* * * *

Before almost 12,000 spectators at Convention Hall in Philadelphia, Sugar Ray Robinson (154) knocked out George Costner (150) in the opening round of a scheduled ten.

Costner was hoping to earn a shot at Robinson’s title with a solid showing, but was caught with a hard right hand just 30 seconds into the bout. After hurting the Camden based welterweight, Robinson (pictured, Antiquities of the Prize Ring) switched his attack up to the body before ending matters with a left hook at the 2:49 mark.

Robinson gave the crowd a demonstration of his pleasure over the result. As Costner topped to the canvas, Robinson did a little dance of victory and shouted with joy as he went to a neutral corner.

– Associated Press

After the bout, International Boxing Club matchmaker Al Weill announced that Robinson would be meeting Robert Villemain on May 12 in New York, with the winner to receive a shot at Jake LaMotta’s middleweight crown.

 March 24…

In a hard fought 10 rounder, Rocky Marciano (183 ¼) narrowly edged out Roland LaStarza (187) by a split decision at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

The bout between the rising heavyweight contenders featured a nice mesh of styles with Marciano's heavy hands and relentless pressure matched up against the better overall skills of the counter-punching LaStarza. Marciano had opened as a slight underdog, but by the day of the fight, odds were about even, with more money reportedly wagered on the battle than any New York fight since Max Baer met Joe Louis in 1935.

LaStarza got off to a good start, catching the wild swinging Marciano (pictured, Antiquities of the Prize Ring) on the way in to shade the opening three rounds. The fourth however belonged to the Brockton fighter; after landing a number of looping right hands and opening up cuts over both LaStarza’s eyes, Marciano connected with a right to the chin that dropped the New Yorker to one knee for a count of seven.

The determined New Englander kept landing his overhand right in the fifth session, but LaStarza came back strong in the next two rounds, staggering Marciano at one stage with a right to the chin. Marciano again took control of the seesaw bout in the eighth, stinging LaStarza several times, but lost the round when one of his big shots strayed low.

The final two rounds were closely fought, with Marciano having a slight edge thanks to his left hook – a punch he’d neglected for much of the fight.

The scores were razor close, with the two judges splitting, 5-4-1 for Marciano and 5-4-1 for LaStarza, leaving it up to the referee…

The crowd of 13,658 waited breathlessly as announcer Johnny Addie prepared to read Referee Jack Watson’s ballot. It went, "Referee Watson scores five round for Marciano, five rounds for LaStarza. Points: 6 for LaStarza and 9 for Marciano. The winner: Marciano!"

– Joseph C.Nichols, New York Times

Nichols scored the bout 6 rounds to 4 for LaStarza and according to the United Press, most of the writers felt the New Yorker had an edge in the bout.

* * * *

World flyweight champion Rinty Monaghan (pictured, Antiquities of the Prize Ring) of Belfast announced he was giving up his title and retiring due to bronchial trouble.

The 29 year old Irish Crooner – he had a habit of singing to the crowd after wins - had won the vacant NBA version of the crown in a battle with Dado Marino in October of 1947. Monaghan claimed full honors by defeating Scotsman Jackie Paterson the following March.

Monaghan had recently been ordered by the EBU to defend his European title against French champion Honore Pratasi.

March 25…

Joe Louis announced that he had signed with the Daily Brothers Circus for a 94 day tour of Canada. Louis said he’ll first be embarking on a 10 bout exhibition tour of South America that would begin shortly.

The 35-year-old brown Bomber said he would fight no more exhibition bouts after this year – that he was quitting for good. He said he would referee boxing and wrestling matches.

The tour with the circus will run from May 24 until August 10. Louis will appear in a matinée act, working six days a week. He said he would show the tactics of boxing, etc.

– Associated Press

The news came as a surprise as Louis had been expected to announce he was coming back to challenge Ezzard Charles. Louis explained that he would need more money to fight Charles than he believed would be offered. The circus is reportedly going to pay the former heavyweight champion $1,000 a day.

For more great boxing photos of the past, make sure to visit Antiquities of the Prize Ring.

Check back later in the week for more of The Boxing Bulletin's History Corner as we move on to the week of March 26 to April 1.

e-mail Andrew Fruman