[JCWeb]

Jan 1919 LW Division Profile

Total: 117 RL: 62 TC: 55

RL by Career Stage:
End - 6
Post - 9
Prime- 29
Pre - 13
Beginning - 5 (4 New)

Rated: 51
800+: 11
500+: 28
200+: 47

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

Champ: Benny Leonard 34-0-1 (21) (1622) (NC)
1. Jack Blackburn 63-10-2 (22) (1316) (NC)
2. Lew Tendler 23-2-1 (9) (1075) (+4)
3. Willie Ritchie 35-13-2 (12) (1075) (-1)
4. Rocky Kansas 25-6-2 (16) (1023) (+10)
5. Ray Bronson 34-13-6 (9) (1007) (-1)
6. Llew Edwards 19-5-1 (12) (995) (+3)
7. Herb McCoy 27-11-1 (13) (974) (+8)
8. Jem Driscoll 60-12-1 (31) (933) (-5)
9. Fighting Dick Hyland 36-25-5 (20) (871) (-4)
10. Louis de Ponthieu 21-6-2 (6) (819) (+6)

Comments: All but the last three, who are at Post (Driscoll, Hyland and de Ponthieu) for 1919, still at Prime. Leonard has now reeled off 20 wins in a row after his one draw with Special Delivery Hirsch back in 1913. Blackburn is still the #1 contender despite two losses in 1918 (he dropped a SD to Driscoll in addition to the title bout with Leonard). Tendler went 3-0 for the year, scoring UDs over Edwards and Jimmy Dundee and a SD versus Driscoll. Ritchie won only one of three, his only win a TKO over Phil Bloom, yet he manages to hold onto a top spot. Kansas shot up the ranks with four wins, taking the USBA title, scoring a UD 10 over Driscoll but losing a UD to Edwards for his only setback. Bronson defeated de Ponthieu but lost his two title bouts. Edwards bounced back from the TD4 with de Ponthieu with successive wins over Kansas (UD), White (MD) and Wolgast (UD). McCoy took the CBU belt and also TKO'd Ever Hammer to move into the top ranks. Driscoll registered the SD over Blackburn but slipped after three more losses, including the UD to Kansas. Hyland won one of three in 1918, scoring a UD over Knockout Brown. de Ponthieu defeated Hyland but slipped after a SD loss to Bronson.

Other Notables: White slipped three spots to #11, going 2-2 for the year, defeating KO Brown (UD) and Andy Chaney (MD) but suffering a MD loss to Edwards in addition to the WBA title bout loss. Lockport Jimmy Duffy stands 12th, having won three in a row until he was defeated by Blackburn. Next in the rankings at #13 is veteran Ad Wolgast, who lost a UD to Edwards after two wins against lesser opposition. Top newcomer was Jimmy Dundee, ranked 15th with a 17-1 (9) start, losing his first bout to Tendler, his first Top 10 opponent, after taking his first 17 in a row. Willie Beecher dropped seven spots to #17, a result of dropping MDs to Duffy and Ever Hammer. Andy Chaney debuts at #17, winning his first 17 but then dropping a MD to White to wind up 17-1 (10). Next at #18 is Special Delivery Hirsch, who has put together a five-bout win streak and an 8-bout unbeaten streak (6 wins 2 draws) going back to February 1917. (Hirsch, it will be remembered, represents the only blemish on Benny Leonard's career record.) Knockout Brown fell 14 spots all the way to #21 after going winless in 1918. Finally, Canadian Clonie Tait, who won his first 15 bouts, lost a SD to Chaney and a UD to Richie Mitchell to wind up at #23 with a 15-2 (4) start to his career.

Prospects: Frenchman Benny Valgar is 14-0 (11), scoring a TKO over Dane Emanuel Jacobsen after 13 wins versus TCs. Tommy O'Brien, at 11-1 (7), suffered a DQ loss to a TC. Jacobsen is off to a 10-1 (4) start, his only loss coming to Valgar. Tommy Cello has gone 9-0 (5) versus TCs, ditto for Alex Hart whose record is now 8-0 (3). Ernie Rice stumbled out of the gate, dropping a MD in his first bout that he later avenged, en route to a 5-1 (4) start, while Jimmy Goodrich won his first two bouts, one by KO.

Retirements: Four veteran LWs left the division in 1918. Their records:

Rudy Unholz (GER) 1902-18 28-29-5 (13) EBU Champ Highest Rank: 15
Harlem Tommy Murphy (USA) 1903-18 31-24-1 (10) NABF Champ Highest Rank: 5
Phil Cross (USA) 1910-18 22-16 (15) No Titles Highest Rank: 13
Gene Delmont (USA) 1911-18 10-16-2 (3) No Titles Highest Rank: UNR

Looking Ahead: Not too many challenges left for Leonard, although Tendler is a likely opponent for 1919. Kansas may also be looking for a title shot, now that he has captured the USBA belt. Aging veterans like Driscoll and Hyland are likely to drop out of the top group, as has already happened with Freddie Welsh, now in the twilight of his career. Overall, an aging division, and none of the four newcomers for 1919 (paced by Sid Barbarian and Charley O'Connell) look like future world-beaters.

Predictions: Let's see, last year I had Leonard defending successfully versus Blackburn -- correct; Tendler taking a lesser belt -- wrong; Edwards losing the EBU title -- wrong again; 3 shifts in the Top 10 -- correct. So, batting 500 (two for four).
For 1919, I will predict Leonard continuing as WBA champ, turning aside a challenge from Tendler. I will boldly forecast Kansas over Blackburn for the NABF belt. Also, I have Edwards defeating McCoy for the CBU belt.