[mh2365]

I am going to list the before and after rankings now on the fight cards listed as (before/after) all rankings will be the WBA rankings unless it's a title fight for another organization. Also I will list my scorecard on the fights I watch in bold.

Jimmy Briggs (3/CH) (14-10-5) came all the way back from dropping to the club ranks to stun the boxing world with a SD15 over Jem Driscoll (CH/1) (34-6-1).

Briggs pulled off a similiar upset early in his career when he defeated Abe Attell to win the WBA title back in 1903. He lost in his next bout to Jimmy Whistler.

In 1906 he dropped to 3-8-1 and into the club ranks. Since then he has gone 11-2-4 and worked his way back into the main division and in position for this title shot.

There were no knockdowns or cuts or swelling in this fight. Briggs appeared to have an advantage in the early stage of the fight but Driscoll dominated the middle rounds. Briggs mounted a little rally at the end but everyone in the building thought he had come up short.

I had it 145-142 Driscoll, as did Steve McCarthy ringside. One of the official judges saw it similiar scoring the fight 145-141 Driscoll. The other two judges scored it 144-143 and 143-142 for Briggs.

Despite the stunning upset and the controversial decision the head of the LBA (me) did not mandate a rematch. The official statement from the LBA office was that the fight was close enough that it could have gone either way, Driscoll is ranked high enough that he will get another shot before long.

On the undercard

HW - Bill Lang (11/10) (18-6) KO4 Peter Maher (76/79) (16-18-1) 29-29 at stoppage (Maher at post)

BW - Jimmy Walsh (5/5) (10-9-5) UD10 Harry Ware (10/11) (11-12-2)

MW - Jack Burke (25/28)** (20-15-6) TKO10 Jack Williams (36/40) (13-7-2)

HW - Jim McCormick (UR/19) (13-2) KO10 Dick Matthews (26/29) (12-4) 87-86 McCormick at stoppage (both at pre)

BW - Ike Weir (club) (8-12-1) UD8 Harry Dally (UR) (8-3-1) (Dally at pre for this club fight