The Boxing Bulletin History Corner: February 26 - March 4, 1930, 1940 &1950

By Andrew Fruman

Picking up from where we left off on Tuesday (February 26 - March 4, 1910 & 1920), we're moving on to the years 1930, 1940 and 1950 for the week of February 26 to March 4.

In this edition...

• Jack Sharkey vs Phill Scott, World Heavyweight Title Eliminator - Miami, February 27, 1930
• Jimmy McLarnin vs Sammy Mandell - Chicago, March 1, 1930
• California Joe Gans takes on two opponents - Valparaiso, March 3, 1930
• Ceferino Garcia vs Henry Armstrong, World Middleweight Title - Los Angeles, March 1, 1940
• Georgie Pace vs Lou Salica, World Bantamweight Title - Toronto, March 4, 1940
• Jersey Joe Walcott vs Omelio Agramonte - New York, March 3, 1950
• Plus plenty more news and fight reports...

1930

February 26...

In San Francisco, a coroner’s jury returned a ruling of "accidental death" in the tragic passing of 23 year old welterweight Fred "Dummy" Mahan (pictured standing, Harry E. Winkler).

The Arizona fighter had been killed two days earlier when his parachute had failed to open during a jump of 5,000 feet. Mahan had been deaf since the age of eight months after falling from a high chair, and had tried skydiving in the belief that it might cure his condition.

According to Harry Abbott, the pilot of the plane and the inventor of the parachute Mahan was wearing, the fighter had pulled the ripcord much too soon, causing the cords to become tangled in his legs.

Mahan had taken up jumping against the wishes of his manager Fred Winsor. Winsor was at the air field along with a big crowd that had gathered to watch, and had pleaded with the fighter not to jump right up until the plane took off.

Mahan was a quality fighter, and had very nearly captured the world junior-welterweight title in May of 1929, dropping champion Mushy Callahan twice before losing via third round knockout.  He had been scheduled to meet former lightweight champion Jimmy Goodrich on February 28 in San Francisco.

February 27…

On a disappointing night at Madison Square Garden Stadium in Miami, Jack Sharkey (197) stopped Phil Scott (205) in the third round of a scheduled fifteen.

The bout was halted at the 2:34 mark of the second round by referee Lou Magnolia when Scott (pictured right) had indicated he could not continue after turning to his corner claiming a left hook from Sharkey (pictured below left) had hit him low. Earlier in the round, chaotic scenes had unfolded after another low blow claim, when the Englishman’s seconds had jumped into the ring with Scott writhing on the floor.

Scott had already been down 3 times – twice from left hands to the head - before the low blow controversy started…

The spectacle of this third round, the climax to a carnival of clout that was a financial as well as a fistic flop, probably has no precedent in the history of American heavyweight boxing – with Sharkey first warned for hitting low, Scott then sinking with an agonized look and cry of foul, police and handlers in the ring as the referee helped to carry Scott to his corner for an examination and a minute’s rest.

Sharkey raging around the ring with tears streaming down his face as he feared disqualification. Scott then limping out to continue the bout with pain written all over his face and finally, the abrupt ending with Scott erect but virtually helpless on the ropes, protesting his inability to continue from the effects of body blows or an alleged foul or both.

– Alan Gould, Associated Press Sports Editor

It is likely that Magnolia was keeping a careful eye on the Englishman’s belt-line, as winning by disqualification through the low blow route was nothing new for Scott.

He had won his most recent bout by claiming a low blow foul against Norwegian heavyweight Otto Von Porat in New York. He had also won on a low blow foul against Ted Sandwina in January of the previous year at the Royal Albert Hall in London. On that occasion, Scott’s home fans had booed the result and the British press had called the decision a fiasco.

Also on the card were heavyweights Victorio Campolo (226) of Argentina and Johnny Risko (195) of Cleveland. According to the AP report, Risko appeared to have a "clear cut margin" on points but the bout was called an "unpopular" draw by referee Kid McPartland.

Campolo and Risko had been scheduled to fight in New York the previous month, but the NYSAC refused to sanction the bout, reasoning that the Argentinean was too big. The commission’s ruling had been derided by the New York press, who felt Risko was more than capable of handling himself against Campolo.

March 1…

Jimmy McLarnin (142 ¾) won a decisive 10 round decision from light-weight champion Sammy Mandell (140) before 15,000 spectators at the Chicago Stadium…

It was a fight from bell to bell. There were rallies. There was toe to toe fighting and on several occasions Mandell was on the verge of being knocked out. Three times Jimmy had Sammy against the ropes and peppered him with blows around the head and body. When it appeared as if one solid punch would terminate the fight, the bell rang.

McLarnin, who does not hold a title but who is anxious to meet Jackie Fields for the world’s welterweight title, tossed science to the winds. He took Mandell’s punches without backing away. He never failed to trade punch for punch in the rallies.

– Walter Eckersall, Chicago Tribune

The win was the second straight for McLarnin (pictured right, Harry E. Winkler) over Mandell, and in the opinion of the Chicago Tribune, the lightweight champion was showing signs of slipping. In terms of judging distance, blocking punches and footwork, he was reportedly not the same fighter as he had once been.

March 3…

California Joe Gans came to the rescue of promoter George Londos, saving the show at the Varsity Theatre in Valparaiso, Indiana, by taking on two opponents in the same night.

The trouble for Londos started when middleweight Archie "Kid" Cain refused to go on against Frank McQuillan at the last minute, due to the latter’s weight advantage. Gans had originally been scheduled to fight Tony Rocco (the Valparaiso paper did not mention what happened to Rocco), and volunteered to fight Cain.

Having somewhere in the neighbourhood of 20+ pounds on Gans, Cain was agreeable to the switch, but after being toyed with for 4 rounds, pulled out of the bout citing a leg injury…

The Gans-Cain fiasco was announced as a 10-round bout to replace the scheduled main go, but proved nothing less than an exhibition. Cain looked like a mere novice against the wily Gans and after falling through the ropes was through for the night. Cain told the fans after the bout that it was not worth while for him to go through with the bout against a far superior opponent as he was getting paid nothing to speak of.

– The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso

To give the fans their money’s worth, Gans then agreed to box a 4 rounder with McQuillan. Once more, Gans made his opponent look foolish, as he easily boxed rings around the bigger man. After the bout, Gans made a plea to the fans on behalf of Londos, urging them to support future local shows with the promise that better talent would be coming.

* * * *

Primo Carnera (272) *snatched victory from the jaws of defeat by knocking out local fighter Roy "Ace" Clark (232 ½) at the Arena in Philadelphia. Carnera’s left eye was closed and he had taken a bad beating before the "miracle" comeback…

When the sixth round started Carnera staggered about with blood streaming down his face. The referee appeared ready to heed the cries to stop the fight. Even Carnera's seconds were debating the advisability of throwing in a towel.

Primo sensed the situation and took matters in his own hands, ending the ringside arguments. He shook his massive head, snorted like an angry bull and rushed.

Clark had no chance to sidestep and two might blows almost glued him to the canvas. After the tolling of the 10-count he was dragged to his corner and revived by liberal use of smelling salts and water.

– United Press

*Years later, as the real details behind Carnera’s climb up the heavyweight ranks came out, the bout was looked back on in a different light…

In Philadelphia, a Negro heavyweight named Ace Clark walloped hell out of Carnera through the first five rounds. Just before the bell called him out for the sixth, a small, icy-faced man slid up against the ropes near his corner and said, "Look down here, Ace." The fighter looked, saw something gleaming and metallic beneath a coat, and performed an extremely believable dive in the next 30 seconds.

Jack Sher, Sport Magazine, February 1948

1940

February 27…

Local featherweight contender Pete Scalzo (127 ¼) staged a remarkable rally, climbing off the deck from four early knockdowns to earn an 8 round draw with Puerto Rican Primo Flores (136) at the New York Coliseum.

Flores dropped Scalzo for a count of nine in the first round with a right to the jaw, but Scalzo got up and weathered a storm of blows. Scalzo was down again for a count of nine in the second round from a left hook, rising as the bell rang.

A left hook dropped Scalzo in the third for a third count of nine. Then Flores tried to finish him and dropped Scalzo again with a rain of lefts and rights, but Pete was rising as the bell rang.

– New York Times

The undersized but resilient Scalzo (pictured left, Harry E. Winkler) came back strong in the fourth, landing frequently with right uppercuts and won the fifth and sixth rounds as well. The final two sessions were closely fought, with the Bronx crowd – numbering 8,500 – cheering hard for Scalzo, and the draw was gained when referee Otto Susking penalized Flores for hitting low in the last round.

March 1…

At Gilmore Stadium in Los Angeles, Henry Armstrong (142) fell short in his quest to win a world title in a fourth weight class. Most of the ringside press and the majority of spectators in attendance felt Armstrong deserved the nod over middleweight champion Ceferino Garcia (153 ½), but in the eyes of referee George Blake, the bout was a draw…

Most of the 16,000 persons in the place disagreed. And they voiced their disapproval as the arbiter dashed down the aisle and disappeared out of the gate before he could be asked to explain the decision that had the experts shaking their heads.

– Paul Zimmerman, Los Angeles Times

Henry McLemore of the United Press, who scored the fight 6-2-2 for Armstrong, was particularly bewildered by the decision handed out…

What referee George Blake saw is something he will reveal probably only in his memoirs. How on earth he could see this as an even fight is beyond even my comprehension.

- Henry McLemore

According to the International News Service, 90% of the ringside press had Armstrong winning, although Robert Myers of the Associated Press reported that there were those at ringside that felt, "Garcia had earned it with his clean, shocking uppercuts to the head."

It was a bruising bloody fight, in which Armstrong dictated the terms by crowding and pushing Garcia back from start to finish. Garcia held his own on the inside over the first half of the bout, but never had the space to unload his booming bolo punch and was out-hustled down the stretch.

Garcia’s best moment came early in the bout when he landed a shot just above Armsrong’s left eye that hurt the challenger. He also momentarily backed Armstrong up on a couple occasions with punishing shots on the inside. Armstrong had his best rally in the eighth when he stunned Garcia with a series of crisp mid-range shots, but the champion recovered quickly.

Only two round deductions prevented Armstrong from claiming the title, as Blake took the second and fifth sessions from the challenger for his rough tactics. According to Garcia’s manager George Parnassus, Blake would have been well within his rights to award the bout to his fighter simply based on Armstrong’s infractions. When Armstrong’s manager Eddie Mead was informed of the remark, he called the Garcia team, "a bunch of cry babies."

Unlike his "ranting and raving" manager, Garcia had no such complaints. He had emerged from the bout with two cuts over his left eye, a badly bruised up face and a swollen right hand that he’d injured in the fourth round, and was just happy to leave the stadium with his title.

Armstrong was similarly battered. His left eye started swelling early in the bout and was completely shut by the seventh round. He’d also aggravated an old hand problem, and suffered a painful injury to his left arm which was later revealed to be a hemorrhage of his bicep. According to Cal Whorton of the Los Angeles Times, the fighter looked like he’d just been in accident.

Despite all the damage, Armstrong was still smiling and while he thought he’d won the bout, accepted the decision…

"It was a hard fight, but if Referee Blake saw it as a draw, then that’s the way it should have been, I guess."

- Henry Armstrong

His talkative manager was also accepting of the result…

"I have all the trust in the world in George Blake. He’s a fine official and knows his boxing. Besides, he’s one of the most honest men in the game. I thought Henry was the winner, but Blake has spoken and that’s good enough for me. He’s unbiased and calls ‘em as he sees ‘em."

- Eddie Mead

Mead admitted that Blake had warned Armstrong about using his head and elbows on the inside, but felt the ref could have been harsher on Garcia for intentionally whacking Armstrong in the kidneys. The official had warned Garcia about the kidney blows, but had not penalized him.

Mead said Armstrong would not seek a rematch, but after taking a rest might turn his attention to the other middleweight champion, Al Hostak. Next up for Garcia is an already scheduled match-up with Ken Overlin set for Madison Square Garden in New York, although Parnassus mentioned the hand injury might push that fight back.

March 4…

The title of world bantamweight champion remained in question after Georgie Pace (117 ¼) of Cleveland and Lou Salica (117 ¼) of New York battled to 15 round draw at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. Each man entered the bout with a claim to the championship, with Salica recognized as the holder by the New York and California commissions and Pace recognized as champion by the National Boxing Association.

It was a bout that was exceptionally swiftly paced for the distance and rather cleverly fought from the opening bell. Pace picked up a fair margin in the first nine heats, mostly through a snaking left to the body and fast right crosses. In the later rounds, he tired and in the final he went all to pieces just concentrating on keeping his pants off the floor, while Salica worked two hands unceasingly to head and body, to deadlock an issue that appeared lost at the end of the 13th.

– Joe Perlove, Toronto Daily Star

The Star’s Perlove had Pace winning by 3 rounds, as did Cleveland sportswriter, Andy Cunningham. Doug McQuarrie, also of the Star, felt Pace had a slight edge, while The Globe & Mail’s Vern DeGeer had Salica coming on strong to edge the fight by 1 round.

There was vigorous protesting from the ringside after the official decision was announced; with supporters of Salica claiming that the challenger’s strong finish had dispelled any doubt about the issue. One of the judges Fred Norbert, voted for Pace. The other judge, Dr. Les Black, cast his ballot in favour of Salica. Billy Burke, the referee, who handled the bout in efficient manner, elected to call it a draw.

– Vern DeGeer, Globe & Mail

Both manager’s said their fighters had been ill leading up to the fight, with Pace’s manager Tom Stanley producing a doctor’s bill to prove his fighter wasn’t in peak condition. According to Salica’s manager Hymie Caplin, the New York fighter had just recovered from pneumonia a month earlier.

What the fighters had to say…

"Phew! That ws some fight. I thought I won, but that Salica, he’s sure a good fighter. He’s the best I’ve ever met. The fifteen rounds bothered me, all right, because it was the first time I’ve ever done it. From the tenth to the finish I was pretty tired – I’m still tired. I’d like to have another fight with Salica. In Toronto too."

– Georgie Pace

"It was a hard fight. I thought I might have had an edge, but maybe it was my own fault the referee didn’t see it that way, I tried to pace myself just a little too far. If I had opened up one or two rounds earlier, there’d have been no doubt about it. Anyway, I’m certain I can take him if I get him into the ring again."

– Lou Salica

1950

February 28…

Promising Chicago lightweight Luther Rawlings (136) pulled away over the last two rounds to claim a clear cut unanimous 10 round decision over Tommy Campbell (136 ½) at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. It was the first ring action for Rawlings since the tragic death of his previous opponent Talmadge Bussey back in October.

The bout was competitive through eight with the 20 year old Rawlings scoring effectively with his jab and right cross, while Campbell frequently found the mark with sharp left hooks. Campbell however tired badly in the ninth and struggled to stay upright for much of the tenth. The scores were 58-52, 59-51 and 56-54. Frank Finch of the Los Angeles Times had it 57-53.

March 1…

The New York State Athletic Commission implemented a comprehensive plan to try and decrease the chances of serious injuries and deaths. Chairman Eddie Eagan specifically noted that the plan created by the commission’s new medical advisory board had been in the works for awhile and the timing had no connection with the death of Laverne Roach.

March 3…

Veteran heavyweight Jersey Joe Walcott (198) stopped Omelio Agramonte (183 ¼) 2:11 seconds into the seventh round of a scheduled 10 at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

Walcott very nearly ended the bout in the opening round, dumping Agramonte for a count of 9 with a left hand and again at the end of the round with a right. The younger man by 11 years, the Cuban came back strong over the next few rounds and carried the fight to Walcott until the seventh…

The latter opened the seventh by shooting a stiff right to the mouth, and following with a left hook to the head that dropped Omelio for a count of nine. Another left hook spilled Agramonte once more, this time for a count of 8, but he was so unsteady on arising that Watson decided to call it a night.

- Joseph C. Nichols, New York Times

The semi-final bout provided a major upset with Irish Jimmy Rooney (127 ½) of Bridgeport, losing by knockout to Johnny Breeze (123 ¾).

Thanks to an aggressive mindset and crowd pleasing style, Rooney had been the major draw of the show, and looked to be on his way to an easy win after chasing Breeze around the ring in the first session. The second was looking like a carbon copy of the first with Breeze looking none too interested in mixing, when late in the round he suddenly flattened Rooney with a counter left hook square on the jaw.

Rooney managed to get to his feet at the count of 8, but was on unsteady legs, and Breeze quickly moved in for the finish. A left and a right sent the heavily favored Bridgeport fighter sagging into the ropes, prompting the ref to quickly jump in.

Check back in next week for more of The Boxing Bulletin's History Corner as we move on to the week of March 5 to March 11.

e-mail Andrew Fruman