[JCWeb]

Interesting comments about Attell, who now stands as highest rated guy ever in my uni (over 1600 pp). Thought he was maybe headed to a loss in the bout with Kilbane, but that cut changed everything.

Unlike some of you who have posted on this, I haven't run into the issue of negative points for a win yet, probably because I do almost all manual pairings (I love being the matchmaker) and usually I try to keep them within a few hundred pp of each other. With Abe, this might be getting to be a problem but so far after every win he's picked up at least 15 pp or more despite the rankings difference. I've not tried moving him up to LW because, at least according to my Ring Record Book, he never fought for the LW title, unlike guys like Gans (strictly rated at LW in the game) who tried for the WW title, so generally I will only move a guy up if he's rated for the weight class in the game (like Moran and Driscoll) or if he moved up and tried for the title historically. Abe's foray into the LW ranks in 1912 was a one-off because that month there were just no credible FW contenders for his WBA belt. On to the report ...

Division Profile

Total boxers: 67 Real-life: 30 TCs: 37

RL by Career Stage:
End - 2
Post- 4
Prime- 12
Pre - 11
Beginner - 1 (0 New in 1913)

Rated: 23
800+: 3
500+: 13
200+: 21

NOTE: I may have explained this before, but right now in my Uni "rated" means at least 15 fights and a non-negative pp total. It can include TCs, though most have negative pp numbers after that many fights. There are a few RL guys with negative totals, and then I try to match them with TCs to give them a chance to get back on the positive side of the ledger.

Jan 1913 Rankings (Perf Pts and changes from 1912 in Parens)
Champ: Abe Attell 53-2-1 (22) (1640) (NC)
1. Brooklyn Tommy Sullivan 41-15-5 (24) (945) (NC)
2. Johnny Kilbane 21-4-2 (10) (915) (+1)
3. Patsy Brannigan 15-2-1 (7) (756) (+7)
4. Percy Cove 27-12-2 (9) (755) (NC)
5. Eddie O'Keefe 22-3 (15) (704) (-3)
6. Jimmy Walsh 26-11-1 (7) (695) (+5)
7. Grover Hayes 32-9-2 (22) (694) (-2)
8. Johnny Dundee 15-1 (9) (683) (new)
9. Kid Julian 15-3-3 (5) (663) (NC)
10. Leo Johnson 15-2 (9) (659) (new)

Comments: All listed are at Prime except for Sullivan, who hits Post in 1913 (his retirement year) and Brannigan and the two newcomers, Dundee and Leo Johnson, who are still at Pre. Attell, who now hasn't lost for seven years (last defeat a KO loss to Brooklyn Tommy in 1906) has the all-time high pp total. Brooklyn Tommy was only 1-1-1 for the year and probably not remain as #1 contender for long as aging effects kick in. Kilbane was 3-1 for the year, bouncing back with wins over Chaney and Leo Johnson after his title bout loss to Abe, he also had a UD 10 win over Kid Julian earlier in the year. Brannigan made great strides, leading up the rankings with a SD 10 win versus Percy Gove (gained 120 plus pp in that one bout alone) and a TKO 2 demolition of Jimmy Walsh. Cove won all three CBU title defenses but the loss to Brannigan means his status as a top contender is clouded with a question mark. O'Keefe had a 5-bout win streak snapped when he was KO'd in 8 by Leo Johnson, but through the vagaries of the ratings system, he is ahead of Johnson at year's end. Walsh is back in the Top 10 after a UD 10 win over Grover "Battler" Hayes, bouncing back from that earlier loss to Brannigan. Hayes dropped in the list after the loss to Walsh despite wins versus Snailham and Patsy Kline and the excellent result (a draw) against Brooklyn Tommy for the USBA title. Dundee has emerged from the ranks of the prospects, going 6 for 6 in 1912 with wins over Young Corbett, Criqui, Leo Johnson, Dixon, Crowe and Cobb -- his only loss was on a DQ to a TC earlier in his career. Kid Julian had wins over Bernstein and Kline but was held to a draw by Criqui. Leo Johnson rounds out the top 10, his four-bout win streak snapped when he lost to Kilbane for the NABF belt, but his big KO win over O'Keefe is what catapulted him to Top 10 status.

Other Notables: Owen Moran, the EBU and GBU champ, fell from #7 to #11 despite adding the EBU title. He stands at 34-14 (15) with 650 pp, just shy of the #10 spot. Veteran Young Corbett hit End career stage, plummeting from #6 spot to #12 with losses to O'Keefe and Dundee -- a return to the top 10 now seems highly unlikely. Bernstein, who was ranked #8 at last time, has retired. George "KO" Chaney debuts at #16 with a 12-3 (11) mark, despite losing three of his last four. Aussie Joe Russell is new to the rankings at #19 with a 13-4 (5) mark, he was 2-2 in 1912 but both his wins were against TC opponents.

Prospects: Frenchman Eugene Criqui is set to move into the list with a 12-1-1 (8) mark, his only loss to Dundee but wins versus Kline and Decker show he is ready to move up. Tommy Dixon has compiled a 9-3-2 (4) mark, the high point being a 10th round TKO of George Chaney but in his last two he has fallen short against Kid Julian and Leo Johnson. Lee Johnson (not to be confused with Leo) has compiled a 10-1 (3) mark, all versus TCs. Also being fed a steady diet of TCs are Steve Sullivan, at 7-0 (2); Kiwi Frankie Ellis, at 5-0 (1); Battling Reddy, at 5-0-1 (0) and 1912 debutant, KO Mars, who is 3-0 (0).

Retirements: Two notables, including one former WBA champ, hung up the gloves in 1912. Their career stats:

Aurelio Herrera (USA) 1898-1912 30-20-2 (27) WBA Champ
Joe Bernstein (USA) 1896-1912 37-25-2 (17) NABF Champ Highest rank: 4

Looking Ahead: Despite his loss to Attell in 1912, Kilbane remains my top choice to end Abe's win streak, but he may have to wait his turn as other contenders -- like Brannigan, O'Keefe and Walsh seek their first title shots. (Actually O'Keefe tried once before, a TKO 1 loss in 1911.) I would expect Kid Julian and Criqui to contend for the EBU belt, spicing up the competition in that arena. Johnny Dundee may be brought along slowly until he reaches career prime, but a challenge for a NABF or USBA belt in 1913 is not out of the question. Steve "Kid" Sullivan looks to be the best long-term prospect but there is a paucity of newcomers (none) to be added in 1913.