[JCWeb]

Jan 1919 Division Profile

Total: 138 RL: 75 TC: 63

RL by Career Stage:
End - 1
Post - 6
Prime - 47
Pre - 10
Beginning - 11 (7 New)

Rated: 57
800+: 9
500+: 25
200+: 54

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

Champ: Eddie McGoorty 39-15-1 (32) (1016) (+3)
1. Mike O'Dowd 24-5 (11) (1172) (+9)
2. Mike Gibbons 33-5-1 (13) (1171) (-1)
3. Harry Greb 24-3 (17) (1129) (-3)
4. Jeff Smith 30-8 (14) (1015) (+3)
5. Billy Papke 38-7-3 (25) (1003) (-3)
6. Joe Borrell 23-8-1 (15) (966) (NC)
7. Panama Joe Gans 21-2 (13) (901) (+2)
8. Fighting Billy Murray 23-9-2 (14) (826) (-3)
9. Jack McCarron 27-11-2 (13) (774) (-5)
10. George "KO" Brown 28-11-2 (13) (771) (+2)

Comments: All at Prime, but Papke will hit Post with his next fight, as 1919 was his final year IRL. McGoorty finally made it to the top of this topsy-turvy division, which has seen three new Champs in the last four title bouts after a long reign by Gibbons. McGoorty overcame years of frustration and two losses to Smith and Gans, avenging the Smith loss in capturing the title. O'Dowd may be the division's strongest fighter right now, having won his last eight in a row, four in 1918 (all NABF or USBA title bouts). Ex-Champ Gibbons suffered a UD loss to O'Dowd but remains a top-notch contender. Smith had a three-bout win streak snapped by the loss to McGoorty. Papke went 2-1 for the year, scoring TKOs over Downey and McCoy but losing the NABF title belt to O'Dowd. Borrell won both bouts in 1918, over Downey (a UD) and Murray (a TKO) but no title bouts this year. Gans won three in a row, UD wins over Jimmy Darcy, Grayber and McGoorty and is now looking for a title shot. Murray went 2-2 for the year, scoring a UD over Ahearn and a KO over Christie but lost the USBA title and also a TKO loss to Borrell. McCarron had only one win (a UD 10 over Ashe) but managed to stay in the Top 10. Moving up was George "KO" Brown, who wons UDs over Mantell and Johnny Wilson to extend his consecutive win streak to three.

Other Notables: Only one Top 10 dropout this time, Johnny Wilson, who slipped four spots to #13, suffering the loss to Brown in addition to a TKO loss to Smith, although a UD 10 over Joe Chip kept him from falling further. Lurking outside the Top 10 at #11 is Bryan Downey, who won three of five in 1918, decisioning McCarron but losing to Borrell. "Buck" Crouse checks in at #12, recovering from a UD loss to Grayber with wins over McCoy and George Robinson. Gus Christie had a solid year, scoring UD 10s over Moha and Silent Martin to wind up #16 with a 25-8-2 (12) mark. McCoy had another up and down season to wind up #17, defeating Johnny Howard but losing to O'Dowd and Crouse. CBU/GBU champ Ahearn has compiled a 29-10-1 (14) mark, defending both belts but losing a UD to Murray. His 599 pp are good enough for the #18 rank. One spot below is this year's top debutant, Johnny Gill, still perfect at 15-0 (7), but only one win over an aging RL boxer (Sailor Ed Petroskey). Jimmy Darcy won three in a row to move his record to 17-2-2 (6), rounding out the top 20. Joe Chip is still ahead of his brother George, but George was unbeaten in 1918 with two wins and a draw to move up to 25th spot with 492 pp. EBU beltholder Platts is mired in 33rd spot with 428 pp and a 20-13-3 (8) record.

Prospects: Jock Malone remained unbeaten, running his record to 13-0-1 (6), beating Petroskey but being held to a draw in a bout with fellow prospect Kid Mexico. Gordon McKay is 11-0 (7), all versus TC opposition. Mexico suffered the one loss and a draw to Malone -- his mark stands at 11-1-2 (6). Brit Roland Todd, at 8-0 (3), and "Little Fox," Belgian Rene DeVos, at 7-0 (6), continued their winning ways versus TC competition. Starting out well were Billy Shade, with 5 KO wins in five bouts, and Tiger Flowers, with 4 KOs in his first four bouts. Dave Shade, Frankie Schoell, and Allentown Joe Gans also have clean slates but are still in Beginner mode.

Retirements: Two former Champs were among those MWs who hung 'em up in 1918. Their career marks:

Cyclone Johnny Thompson (USA) 1902-18 34-27 (22) WBA Champ (3 times)
Walter Coffey (USA) 1905-18 31-22 (18) USBA Champ Highest Rank: 8
Joe Thomas (USA) 1906-18 24-22-2 (12) WBA Champ Highest Rank: 6
Sailor Ed Petroskey (USA) 1910-18 18-21 (13) No Titles Highest Rank: 38

Looking Ahead: O'Dowd looks like the next logical title contender. Greb may be fed up with the MW division, and might contemplate a step up to LH. Mike Gibbons remains a solid challenger. Gans seeks a title shot, probably for the NABF belt. Papke is likely to fade rather quickly once he hits Post-Prime in 1919. Mantell is still hoping for a EBU title shot in an effort to revive his flagging career. Among the second 10, Downey and Wilson may still emerge as top contenders should the opportunity arise.
A strong crop of newcomers in 1919, led by Mickey Walker, Canadian Eugene Brosseau and Dave Rosenberg.

Predictions: A pretty bad year for predictions -- actually, oh-for-four as I inaccurately had Greb hanging onto the WBA belt, had Panama Joe Gans taking the NABF crown (he didn't get a title shot), had Mantell taking the EBU belt back (he didn't get a shot either), and had three new faces in the Top 10 when only one spot changed hands.
So, for 1919, I will predict a NABF title try for Gans, only to lose to Gibbons. McGoorty will lose if he faces O'Dowd for the WBA title, which should change hands more than once in 1919. I will also once again predict a EBU title for Mantell.