The Boxing Bulletin History Corner: March 26 to April 1, 1930, 1940 & 1950

By Andrew Fruman

Picking up from where we left off on Thursday (March 26 to April 1, 1910 & 1920), we're moving on to the years 1930, 1940 and 1950 for the week of March 26 to April 1.

In this edition...

• Benny Bass vs Eddie Shea - World junior-lightweight title, St. Louis, March 28, 1930
• Jimmy McLarnin vs Young Jack Thompson - New York, March 28, 1930
• Billy Townsend vs Armando Santiago - Los Angeles, April 1, 1930
• Turkey Thompson vs Teddy Yarosz - Los Angeles, March 26, 1940
• Joe Louis vs Johnny Paychek - World heavyweight title, New York, March 29, 1940
• Arthur King vs Humberto Sierra - Toronto, March 28, 1950
• Tony Janiro vs Rocky Graziano - New York, March 31, 1950
• Plus plenty more fight reports and pugilistic news of the times...

1930

March 28…

Despite getting slightly the better of champion Benny Bass (128) in front of a big crowd at the Arena in St. Louis, Eddie Shea (126 ½) fell short in his challenge for the junior-lightweight crown. The consensus of the ringside press had Shea ahead after ten give and take rounds, but as boxing decisions are not permitted under *Missouri’s state laws, the title could only have changed hands by way of knock-out or foul.

The aggressive Chicago slugger forced the action with a two handed attack that included some heavy body work, while the counter punching Bass looked for spots to respond with his vaunted right hand.

Though the challenger had the better of the early going, it was Bass (pictured, Antiquities of the Prize Ring) that very nearly ended matters, when he smashed through a right to the jaw in the fifth. Shea was up at 9, and managed to evade the champion’s push for the stoppage, before getting drilled again just before the bell.

Bass had the better of the sixth, but Shea came back strong in the seventh, very nearly finding the knock-out he needed when he sent the Philadelphia fighter crashing backwards with a booming left hook. This time it was Bass that struggled up, getting to his feet at the count of 7, and the dazed champion’s turn to fend off the follow-up assault.

Remarkably once his head had cleared, Bass was able to rattle Shea with a right hand, although Shea responded by staggering the Philadelphia fighter just before the bell.

Desperate for the finish, Shea again pressed hard in the eighth, but by the ninth his efforts to end the fight had left him drained, and sensing his chance, Bass turned the tables and went on the offensive, winning the round by "a big margin".

Bass only needed to last out the tenth to retain his title, but aggressively went after the tiring challenger with a right handed attack to the head and body. Shea responded by shaking the champion with his own right hand to punctuate a thrilling final round.

• Decisions were not permitted in Missouri until September of 1931. The new regulations also allowed for bouts of up to 15 rounds – the limit had previously been 10.

* * * *

Fighting through injury, Jimmy McLarnin (142 ½) made a gallant late round stand to win a unanimous, though unpopular, ten round decision over Young Jack Thompson (143 ½) at New York’s Madison Square Garden. The crowd of almost 17,000 loudly booed the verdict, although the ringside press had McLarnin (pictured, Antiquities of the Prize Ring) just edging the bout, preferring his more consistent attack to Thompson’s spectacular rallies

The baby-faced Irish lad from Vancouver B.C., fractured his right hand in the first round, saw stars in the fifth round in which he came near being disqualified for low punches and then had to weather some of the toughest battling of his career before Joe Humphries raised his hand at the finish.

– United Press

In that fifth round, McLarnin was battered without let-up from one side of the ring to the other, and given a stern talking to on the way back to the corner from the referee. In his desperate effort to fend off Thompson’s furious assault, the Canadian had been guilty of multiple violations that included not only low blows, but a warning for backhanding Thompson.

Thompson (pictured on right with Maxie Rosenbloom Harry E. Winkler collection) started the sixth round off by landing two hard rights, and a punishing hook to the body, but couldn’t keep his momentum going as McLarnin came storming back with a series of right hands.

The seventh through ninth rounds were closely fought with observes split on which fighter had the edge, as was the frantic final round that featured both men slugging it out during several toe to toe exchanges.

While the ringside press had praise for McLarnin’s courage under adverse circumstances, the effort of Thompson – a 5 to 1 underdog, who reportedly also injured a hand during the bout - did not go unnoticed…

It is my impression that a fast moving, circling Thompson, could have beaten McLarnin last night, just as a rapidly pirouetting Tunney pecked the eyes out of Dempsey. But Thompson did not deign to win by the dot-and-dash system. He elected to go after victory by the sock-and-slash method. His success in the fifth round had made him slug crazily and so he gambled on a knockout – and lost.

He was a gallant loser, at that, a man who took a punch with an enthusiasm equal to the manner in which he gave it, a fighter of great variety and resourcefulness and a sharp shooter who almost shot the great McLarnin down in the fifth.

– Davis J. Wash, International News Service

March 29…

Middleweight Oliver Horne (pictured), captain of the University of Pennsylvania boxing team passed away a week after losing to Penn State’s William Struble in a 3 round inter-collegiate bout. Horne was admitted to hospital a day after suffering two knockdowns during the bout, and underwent surgery to remove a blood clot the following day.

 March 30…

The particulars for the upcoming vacant heavyweight title match-up between Jack Sharkey and Max Schmeling were announced in New York. The battle has been set for June 12 at Yankees Stadium – two weeks ahead of the expected date so as not to conflict with the baseball team’s schedule.

Schmeling is expected to arrive in New York by April 20, while his manager Joe Jacobs will be heading over from Germany a few weeks earlier to make training camp arrangements.

April 1…

In a rematch of their memorable battle from earlier in the year, Canadian Billy Townsend (pictured right Harry E. Winkler collection) once again stopped Armando Santiago at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles.

In the previous meeting on February 11, the fighters were out on their feet at the close of the sixth round, with both needing to be helped back to their corners. Only Townsend was able to rise off his stool for the start of the seventh; Santiago having collapsed in his corner between rounds.

Following that bout, the Cuban disappeared and was not heard from again for 3 weeks, until he sent a wire from Havana informing his worried manager that he’d gone home to get married.

On this occasion, Townsend had much the better of it, getting off to a good start by flooring Santiago for an eight count in the second round. Santiago managed to get himself back in the bout, winning the third and fourth rounds and hanging tough through the next couple as well, before Townsend finished matters in the seventh, dropping the Cuban twice, the second time for the full count.

1940

March 26…

Local youngster Turkey Thompson (166) won a ten round decision over former middleweight champion Teddy Yarosz (170) at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. Thompson (pictured, Antiquities of the Prize Ring) won 9 of 10 rounds (with 1 even) on referee Benny Whitman’s scorecard, but was forced to work hard by the cagey veteran…

Thompson had a difficult time hitting the elusive Yarosz and was made to look positively silly on some occasions by the ex-champ’s feinting.

But as the fight wore on Turkey’s hard punching began to take effect. He was unable to hit Yarosz on the head but he repeatedly scored with hard rights to the body.

– Los Angeles Times

March 29…

In a battle of middleweight contenders at the Chicago Stadium, Tony Zale (159 ¼) of nearby Gary, Indiana, knocked out Ben Brown (159 ¼) in the third round of a scheduled ten.

The first round was uneventful with Brown playing it safe, but the Atlanta fighter opened up a little more in the second session, landing a couple of nice right hands to Zale’s jaw. Then came the third round…

The echo of the bell starting the third round had not yet quieted down when Zale landed a left hook to the chin. Brown went down for a nine count, and appeared none the worse for his experience. He wasn’t on his feet long, however, until Tony feinted a left jab and then hooked the same hand to the jaw. Brown came up at the nine count. Zale then drove both hands to the head and again Brown dropped to the canvas where he remained while Referee Frank McAdams completed his count at 2 minutes 20 seconds of the round.

– Frank Mastro, Chicago Tribune

Leading lightweight contender Davey Day (134 ¼) also featured on the card, shutting out Norment Quarles (139) in a 10 rounder. Day (pictured Antiquities of the Prize Ring) is set to fight Sammy Angott on May 3 in Louisville for vacant lightweight title stripped from Lou Ambers the previous week. Day took the bout with Quarles as "a testing block" to show that he could still be effective at the 135lb limit.

* * * *

Joe Louis (200 ½) defended his heavyweight title for the tenth time, crushing long-shot challenger Johnny Paychek (187 ¾) at Madison Square Garden in New York. The bout lasted all of 3 minutes and 44 seconds with Paychek (pictured below left, Antiquities of the Prize Ring) tasting the canvas three times in opening round before being dropped for good with a right hand in the second.

Louis came out of his corner at the bell and Paychek came out of his. That’s the last time they were even. Joe kept coming forward and 25-year-old Iowan just went backward.

– Associated Press

The first knockdown came via a right hand after Louis had manoeuvred the backpedaling challenger into a neutral corner. Paychek was down for a count of 9. After a couple of misses from Paychek, another 9 count quickly followed – this time from a left hook to the chin.

Paychek tried a desperation right hand after the second knockdown, which fell short, at which point Louis blasted him to the canvas with another right. Somehow Paychek made it up once more at the count of 9 – at which point the bell spared him before Louis could fire another blow.

Louis patiently stalked the challenger to open the second, edging forward slowly as he waited for an opening…

Joe caught up with his rival near a neutral corner, feinted his left and then threw a vicious righthand shot that crunched against Paychek’s chin.

Paycheck was lifted clear off his feet, sailed through the air for a foot or so, and spreadeagled flast on his back – in dreamland. Referee Arthur Donovan didn’t even bother counting, but just waved Paychek’s handlers to come and get him.

– Associated Press

Despite the expected result – and the devastating fashion which Louis delivered it – the crowd started to boo…

Satisfactory and artistic as was the task performed by the champion, the outcome, for some inexplicable reason, was roundly booed by the gathering of 11,620 fans. For some moment these observers howled their displeasure at having seen exactly what they had come prepared to see, a quick knockout by the pulverizing champion.

For in no quarter, save in his intimate coterie of handlers and advisers, was it believed that Paychek had a chance to dethrone the Bomber.

– Joseph C. Nichols, New York Times

1950

March 27…

Two days before his scheduled heavyweight championship defense against Freddie Beshore in Buffalo, heavyweight champion Ezzard Charles was forced to withdraw from the bout for medical reasons. This was the second time the title go had been postponed only days before the fighters were to enter the ring, as Charles had pulled out of the original February 28 date after suffering a cracked rib during sparring.

Beshore and Charles (Antiquities of the Prize Ring) signing contracts for the fight back in January.

The following day, it was reported that the rib injury had practically healed, but a thorough physical Charles had taken in Buffalo to renew his boxing license had revealed a problem with the fighter’s heart. The Buffalo physician, Dr. Kaiser, had sent two cardiographs to the boxing commission’s medical board in New York, prompting the postponement of the contest.

With rumors swirling that the champion would never fight again, Charles’ manager Jake Mintz insisted the fighter would be ready to go within two months, and that the seriousness of the doctor’s reports had been exaggerated.

* * * *

In a battle of top 10 rated featherweights, hometown fighter Charley Riley (127 ¾) edged Glen Flanagan (129 ½) of St.Paul over ten rounds at the Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis. Flanagan scored throughout the bout with his left jab, though Riley landed the heavier blows and had the visiting fighter on shaky legs in the second, third and seventh rounds. Riley also opened up a cut by Flanagan’s left eye with a right hand in the fourth session. The scores were 55-45 and 52-48 for Riley, and 53-47 for Flanagan.

* * * *

The comeback of former lightweight champion Bob Montgomery (143) ended at the Arena in Philadelphia with a unanimous decision loss to Eddie Giosa (143). It was the fourth fight – all losses - since returning to the ring after a two year retirement for the once great lightweight.

Giosa used his left hand to good effect throughout the ten rounds and punctuated his victory with a knockdown in the eighth round. The result came with a price however for the winner, as Giosa suffered a cut cheek and was forced to pull out of an April 10 date with Enrique Bolanos.

March 28…

The return of #1 ranked lightweight contender Arthur King (137) to Toronto proved a success in the ring, but a disappointment at the Maple Leaf Gardens gate. King, now making his home in Philadelphia, was in fine form, knocking out Humberto Sierra (133 ½) in the sixth round of a scheduled ten. However, the turn-out of only 5,500 spectators – due to a Maple Leafs road play-off game telecast against Detroit falling on the same night- was well below Gardens’ promoter Frank Tunney’s target.

The action was slow for the most part as Sierra fought mainly in retreat, jumping in from time to time with a quick flurry to the body, before moving back to long range. King pressed forward throughout, scoring frequently with left hooks that he mixed up to the body and head. Two such hooks to the midsection in the fourth round took much of the steam from the Cuban and another hook in the sixth set up the finish…

King connected with a left hook to the chin and a thing of beauty it was, except for any relatives Sierra happened to have in the house. And as Sierra’s head flew around, it was met by a smashing straight right, and as it flew the other way, another left hook. And it was curtains.

– Joe Perlove, Toronto Star

* * * *

At the Arena in Cleveland, Jake LaMotta (168 ¾) pounded Chuck Hunter (168 ½), stopping the local fighter via a sixth round TKO.

Hunter (pictured, Antiquities of the Prize Ring) used his left jab to edge the opening two rounds before the middleweight champion’s pressure started taking its toll. The finish came just after the local fighter had been dropped for a 5 count…

Hunter’s hands were down and his eyes were glazed as the Bronx boy moved in for a finisher. That was when Davis stopped the arena feature, although many of the 8,181 fans shouted to let it go on.

– Associated Press

March 29…

A crowd of 8,651 spectators had the Detroit Olympia watched Lester Felton (147) win an uneventful unanimous decision over Texan Bobby Dykes (148).

The Felton camp had promised a fast knockout, but the Detroiter followed his customary habit of striking with quick rights to win points and then retreating from danger.

– Associated Press

Felton had been scheduled to meet Ike Williams, only for the lightweight champion to pull out a week before the bout due to illness. It was the second time the bout had been cancelled, as Williams had come down with a hand injury ahead of the previously scheduled date of March 8.

The Michigan State Athletic Control Board was not too pleased with Williams and put the champion under suspension in the state a day before Felton fought Dykes. On March 30, the National Boxing Association backed up Michigan, announcing the suspension will remain in effect in all NBA states until Williams fulfils his contract with Felton in Detroit. The New York commission is expected to recognize the suspension as well, leaving Williams with few options.

* * * *

Reuben Jones (175) of Norfolk recovered from an early round deficit to claim a surprise split decision victory over Nick Barone (176) at the Coliseum in Syracuse. It was a hard fought tie to toe bout with plenty of crowd pleasing exchanges, although the decision was met with displeasure by the majority of local fans.

The result was the biggest upset here in recent years as the fans, and perhaps Barone, hadn’t expected Jones to go the route with the usually murderous Syracusan. However, there were many spectators who figured Barone had won despite the official decision.

– Gerald Ashe, Syracuse Post-Standard

The Post-Standard had Barone winning by 1 round and according to the Syracuse Herald-Journal, most ringsiders had the hometown man winning by a similar margin. One judge scored the contest 7-3 for Barone, while the other had it 6-3-1 for the visiting fighter. Referee Tony Petta cast the deciding vote, scoring it for Jones by a 6-4 tally.

Unfortunately the bout was marred by ugly scenes afterward, when a couple of spectators attacked Petta in the dressing room area. Police were needed to handle the situation.

The assault angered even Barone’s followers for Petta has long been established as one of the most competent arbiters in the upstate areas, fearless, and a fine judge of milling.

– Frank Woolever, Syracuse Herald-Journal

March 31…

Tony Janiro (152 ¾) and Rocky Graziano (159 ¾) battled to a draw in a wild "anything goes" 10 round affair before a big crowd at New York’s Madison Square Garden. It was a spirited, though none too clean clash, with both fighters skirting the rules on numerous occasions, while engaging in a steady stream of banter.

Janiro’s (pictured, Antiquities of the Prize Ring) superior boxing skills were the story early, as he frequently made Graziano pay for his wild aggression with sharp lefts, and held a clear edge at the mid-way point. The second half of the fight was a different story though, as Graziano’s heavy hands and weight advantage took their toll on the Youngstown fighter.

Janiro was staggered several times between the sixth and ninth frames, and in real bad shape on a couple of occasions, but managed to find the strength for a big tenth round…

It was this last-gasp revival on the part of Janiro that enabled him to draw even, paving the way for a probable re-match between the slugger and the boxer, one hard as nails the other a baby-faced "cutie" who gave an excellent account of himself.

There was not a knockdown in the ten rounds, but the bout never lacked for action.

– Louis Effrat, New York Times

One judge had it 6-3-1 for Graziano, while the other had Janiro in front 5-4-1. Referee George Walsh scored five rounds for each fighter, and 10-10 on points, leading to the draw decision. The New York Times had Graziano up 6-4.

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

Check back in a few days for more of The Boxing Bulletin's History Corner as we move on to the week of April 2 to April 8.

e-mail Andrew Fruman