[JCWeb]

Jan 1919 Division Profile

Total: 161 RL: 85 TCs: 76

RL by Career Stage:
End - 5
Post - 9
Prime - 47
Pre - 12
Beginning - 12 (11 New)

Rated: 59
800+: 11
500+: 21
200+: 45

Jan 1919 Rankings (Perf Pts and Changes from Jan 1918 in Parens)

Champ: Jack Dempsey 27-0-1 (27) (1378) (+6)
1. Sam Langford 62-9-1 (46) (1629) (NC)
2. Sam McVey 48-12-2 (29) (1424) (NC)
3. Harry Wills 30-3-1 (25) (1377) (-3)
4. Carl Morris 27-8 (16) (1036) (+15)
5. Tommy Burns 48-15-5 (32) (1035) (-2)
6. Colin Bell 27-13-3 (12) (970) (+5)
7. Frank Moran 33-13-1 (18) (945) (+1)
8. Joe Jeannette 47-10 (34) (944) (-4)
9. Bartley Madden 24-5-3 (11) (910) (+1)
10. Jeff Clarke 33-11-2 (23) (902) (-3)

Comments: All the above at Prime except for Burns, who hit post in 1918, and Jeannette, who has suffered the effects of aging for the past two years. Dempsey's rise to the top has been well documented. Langford, who remains the top rated HW in terms of PP totals, went 4-0 in 1918, all in title bouts. McVey scored a KO over Willard and a UD over Flint but lost to Langford to go 2-1 for the year. Wills slipped to #3 after his 7-bout win streak was snapped by the Manassa Mauler. Carl Morris made a huge move up the ratings with five wins in 1918, including KOs versus Fireman Jim Flynn and Joe Jeannette, a SD over Burns, and a controversial DQ over Billy Miske. Burns only won once, a KO 4 versus Gunboat Smith, against two losses, so he slipped to #5. Bell returned to the top 10 with wins over Jim Savage (via TKO), LH Tommy Gibbons (a MD) and Ireland's Jim Coffey (UD). Frank Moran was 2-1 for the year, handing Paul Samson-Korner his first loss to retain his top ten status. Jeannette lost both fights in 1918 and his days in the top 10 may be numbered. Madden was stopped in his rematch with Dempsey but scored UDs over Clarke and Thompson. Clarke clings to the #10 spot despite the losses to Wills and Madden, impressing in a KO over Fred Fulton and a UD over Willie "Sailor" Meehan.

Other Notables: Dropping out of the top group were Billy Miske, who fell six spots to #11 after the KO loss to Dempsey and the DQ loss to Morris and Jess Willard, who fell from #9 to #13, having now lost five in a row after an 0-3 year, plus aging effects put him at Post-Prime going into 1919 (the year he hits 38). On a more positive note, Bill Brennan went 4-0 for the year to advance to #12, with KOs over Willard, McMahon and Gunboat Smith helping push his career mark to 22-6 (18). EBU beltholder Flint checks in at #14, with a 24-8-2 (19) career record and 724 pp. Jim Savage, at #15, also hits Post-Prime in 1919. German Samson-Korner had compiled 16 wins in a row before the initial loss to Moran, but bounced back with a TKO over Arthur Pelkey to debut at #16 with a 17-1 (15) mark. Fat LaRue, who is still unbeaten, debuts at #19 with a 15-0 (6) record, scoring a UD over Andy Morris and a SD over Marty Cutler to go with his numerous wins versus TCs. Aussie George Cook debuts at #26, impressing in a MD over fellow Aussie Ern Waddy to go with a UD win over Fred Storbeck; his only loss to date has been at the expense of Swede, Ragnar Holmberg. Finally, newly-crowned GBU champ Penwill is ranked #32, hia 19-5-1 (12) record good for only 355 pp, once again proving that British HWs get no respect.

Prospects: Everyone is still unbeaten against the usual TC opposition, including Brits Arthur Townley, at 11-0-1 (4) and Herbert Crossley, at 10-0 (7); Argentina's Luis Firpo, at 9-0 (7); Battling Jim McCreary, at 7-0 (4); Tiny Herman, 6-0 (3); Holland's Piet Van der Veer, 5-0-1 (3); Canadian Jack Renault, 5-0 (2); and South African Nick Van Den Bergh, 4-0 (2).

Retirements: Five HWs left the ranks in 1918. Their career marks:

Fireman Jim Flynn (USA) 1903-1918 33-21-3 (19) No Titles Highest Rank:17
William Hague (UK) 1907-1918 21-19 (14) GBU Champ Highest Rank: 11
Victor McLaglen (UK) 1908-18 17-19-5 (7) No Titles Highest Rank: 14
Fred McKay (CAN) 1912-18 14-14-2 (4) No Titles Highest Rank: 42
Al Kaufmann (USA) 1904-18 34-21-1 (23) No Titles Highest Rank: 8

Al Kaufmann is an interesting case study, typical of many of the HWs who have come and gone in recent years (the so-called "Great White Hope" era). Kaufmann won his first 14 in a row but then won only about 50% of his fights for the remainder of his career, as the competition just got too tough.

Looking Ahead: The only fighters who appear likely to prove serious impediments to a long title run by Dempsey are the top two contenders, Langford and McVey. Carl Morris may be angling for Dempsey's recently vacated USBA belt. Miske might still be in the picture as well, but look for aging veterans such as Burns, Jeannette and Willard to fade from the scene. Colin Bell might be ready to ascend to the CBU title, if only Langford could be pushed aside somehow. Bartley Madden still seems to be the toughest potential challenger for Flint's EBU title. Samson-Korner and Firpo appear to be the best of the newer crop of prospects. 1919 will see a plethora of young HW boxers enter the ranks, led by George Godfrey and "Fainting" Phil Scott.

Predictions: Didn't do well on last year's big prediction, as I had Wills over Dempsey for the WBA belt. Also was wrong on Samson-Korner taking the EBU belt. For 1919, I will once again go out on the proverbial limb by forecasting a Langford win over Dempsey to regain the WBA title. I will predict that Carl Morris will get a shot at the USBA belt, but that he will lose that title to the more talented Harry Wills. I will also predict Madden over Flint for the EBU belt.