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1913 LW Title Bouts

WBA

Freddie Welsh CH (26-5-1) vs Willie Ritchie #4 (23-6-1)

Ritchie, the USBA champ, earns a shot at Welsh's WBA title. First meeting of the two, Ritchie has won his last four and Welsh has won his last five.

Both are tentative in the opening rounds, Ritchie follows a strong round two by taking the initiative and working the inside. Welsh rebounds with a strong round 4, and Ritchie clinches to keep the Welsh Wizard from punching. Welsh scores with a big uppercut in round 5. The bout remains close until Welsh is cut above the right eye in round 9, and Ritchie targets the eye for further damage. After the cut is reopened in round 10, blood gushes out everywhere, necessitating a stoppage. Ritchie wins the title with a TKO 10 (cut).

Willie Ritchie CH (24-6-1) vs Jack Blackburn #1 (46-6-1)

Ritchie's first defense will be a tough challenge, in against former champ Jack Blackburn. First meeting of the two. Blackburn has won four in a row since losing the WBA belt to Welsh last year.

Ritchie is sharp early. He works inside while Blackburn prefers the outside. Blackburn steps it up in round 2, causing some puffiness around the right eye of the Champ. Solid defense combined with more accurate punching enable Blackburn to build a solid points cushion. Hard fought in the middle rounds, as Ritchie repeatedly launches assault after assault, but Blackburn's defense holds. Eventually, Ritchie wears out, and Blackburn has the WBA belt for the third time. Blackburn by UD 15 (144-141, 147-139, 144-142).

Jack Blackburn CH (47-6-1) vs Fighting Dick Hyland #8 (30-15-3)

Sixth meeting, all five previous bouts going the way of Blackburn. Hyland, the NABF champ, has won three in a row and lost his only other WBA title shot back in 1907 to guess who ... Jack Blackburn.

Both men start on the outside, and the first few rounds are relatively uneventful. Blackburn gradually ratchets up the pressure as the bout enters the middle rounds, working the inside and getting off first. Hyland begins to wear down, showing signs of fatigue as early as round 8. Blackburn is able to coast to an easy points win after a solid boxing performance. Blackburn by UD 15 (147-138, 149-136, 146-139).

NABF: Blackburn vacates the belt and Lockport Jimmy Duffy meets Canada's Fighting Dick Hyland for the title. Duffy starts well but then runs into a big shot from Hyland -- KO 2 for the Canadian. Hyland defends against veteran Young Otto, who defeated him two months earlier. Hyland rips open a cut over the left eye of Otto that leads to a late stoppage. Hyland keeps the belt via TKO in the 10th due to the cut.

USBA: Ritchie begins the year as champion and defends once, versus Lockport Jimmy Duffy. Ritchie gradually gains the upper hand and bangs out a decisive UD 12 win, reversing the result in a 1911 bout with Duffy. After Ritchie wins the WBA crown, Knockout Brown and Eddie Wallace meet for the vacant title. Brown overcomes some swelling about the right eye when he lands a stunning blow that breaks Wallace's nose, necessitating an early stoppage -- Brown by TKO 5. Brown then defends versus Ray Bronson, who defeated him in an earlier bout. Bronson manages to open a cut above Brown's right eye, but in round 5 Brown decks Bronson with a hook to the head. Bronson is able to reopen the cut in round 7, and a late rally by Brown falls just short. Bronson by SD 12 (114-113, 113-115, 116-111) to take the belt. He defends against Harlem Tommy Murphy, who is fresh off a bruising battle with FW king Abe Attell. It's another close fight, going the distance with Bronson dropping Murphy in the fith but needing to take the last round for another SD 12 win. Late in the year he defends versus former champ Willie Ritchie-- another bruising affair, with Bronson cut over the right eye in round 6. Bronson recovers to put Ritchie on the canvas in the 10th. Bronson scores a second KD in a bout that is tough to score as Ritchie landed the greater volume of punches. The judges score it a draw (114-113 Ritchie, 113 even, 113-114 Bronson) which enables Bronson to keep the belt. After two split decisions and a draw, Bronson is still USBA champ.

CBU: Former champ Jem Driscoll defends his CBU belt versus Aussie Herb McCoy, who was cut in round 4 but gamely carried on while Driscoll pounded out a lopsided UD 12 win. Then he took only fellow Brit, Freddie Welsh, scoring a KD with a short hook in the 4th en route to a UD 12 win. Finally, it was another Aussie, Alf Goodwin, who proved to be overmatched in a cakewalk for the veteran Driscoll -- another UD 12 win.

GBU: Phil Bloom defended the belt he won last year, facing the former champ, Freddie Welsh. Bloom was totally outclassed in this one, and Welsh regains the GBU title by UD 12.

EBU: Battling Nelson took on the GBU titleholder, Phil Bloom, and the plucky young Brit proved to be a stiff test for the veteran Dane. Nelson pulled ahead but Bloom pulled out all the stops with a late rally in the 11th and 12th to steal the belt. Bloom by SD 12 (115-114, 114-116, 116-114). A huge upset.