[JCWeb]

Jan 1925 LH Division Profile

Total: 122 RL: 76 TC: 46

RL by Career Stage:
End - 1
Post - 11
Prime - 27
Pre - 30
Beginning - 7 (5 New)

Rated: 52
800+: 7
500+: 21
200+: 40

Jan 1925 Rankings (Perf Pts and Changes from Jan 1924 in Parens):

Champ: Harry Greb 43-7 (24) (1566) (+1)
1. Tommy Gibbons 40-13-2 (16) (1292) (+3)
2. Jack Delaney 25-1 (18) (1161) (-2)
3. Jeff Smith 44-13-4 (18) (1144) (-1)
4. Kid Norfolk 33-9-2 (18) (1076) (-1)
5. Tommy Loughran 23-2-1 (10) (992) (NC)
6. Len Harvey 20-2 (11) (821) (+7)
7. Lou Bogash 27-9-1 (15) (793) (+8)
8. Mike McTigue 30-14-4 (21) (754) (-1)
9. Jimmy Delaney 23-4-1 (16) (757) (-1)
10. Jimmy Slattery 17-2-1 (8) (755) (new)

Comments: All at Prime except Gibbons, who hits Post in 1925. Greb has won his last eight in a row to re-establish himself at the top of the division. Gibbons has won his last six, his most recent win an impressive UD 10 over a top newcomer to the top 10, Brit Len Harvey. He struggled earlier in the year, however, managing only a MD over Jack Reeves. "Bright Eyes" Jack Delaney bounced back from the title loss to Greb with a UD 10 over Jeff Smith to re-establish his credentials as a top contender. Smith slipped only one spot despite no wins in 1924, suffering losses to Gibbons (a MD) and Delaney while being held to a draw with Norfolk. Norfolk was also winless, two draws with Smith and Bogash to go with the pair of title bout losses to Greb. Tommy Loughran, ranked #5, only lost that narrow split duke to Gibbons while winning three USBA title defenses to remain in contention. Harvey surged into the top group, riding a 9-bout win streak until his loss to Gibbons. Bogash advanced to the top 10 with three wins and a draw, impressing in a UD 10 over ex-Champ Dillon, drawing with Norfolk and taking a controversial DQ win over Jimmy Slattery. The still inconsistent McTigue scored two wins (one a KO, the other a SD) over Jack Reeves, but faltered in his third title try against Loughran. Duluth Jimmy Delaney, a Greb TKO victim, won his last two bouts via KO over Bob Sweeney and a SD versus Battling Levinsky to retain his top 10 spot. Rounding out the top group was newcomer Slattery, who held on despite the DQ loss to Bogash, with a UD 10 over Dillon representing his best performance to date.

Other Notables: Debuting just outside the top 10 was Ad Stone, whose perfect 15-0 (10) start included KOs over Art Weigand and Billy Vidabeck, in addition to a pair of wins (UD, MD) over Leo Lomski. Top 10 dropouts included Levinksy, who slid seven spots to #13 (losses to Jamieson, Dillon and Jimmy Delaney marred his year) and Dillon, who dropped five spots to #14 after two straight losses to Bogash and Slattery offset the win versus Levinsky. Finally, Bob Sweeney (#8 in the 1924 list) retired. Two more top newcomers to the rankings are George Nichols, whose 15-2 (7) career start places him 15th, based on UDs versus Bobby Brown and Eddie McGovern after suffering a second UD loss to Stone; and Bobby Brown, who checks in at #18 after a 14-2-1 (11) start, going unbeaten until his last two bouts when he lost to Slattery and Nichols but impressing with a pair of KOs over Hambone Kelly and a one-round blowout of Cuban LH Esparraguera. Young Tony Marullo, once a highly regarded prospect, took a nose dive after going 0-3 for the year, sliding all the way to #23. One spot behind is Leo Lomski, whose 12-3-1 (3) record includes recent successes versus Sergeant Jack Lynch (a UD) and Sunny Jim Williams (a SD) but stumbled with the pair of losses to the unbeaten Stone. Finally, EBU Champ Gypsy Daniels, who is off to a 18-6-1 (13) career start, is probably woefully underrated after compiling a five-bout unbeaten streak, then dropping a MD to the highly regarded Harvey, as he is mired in #29 spot with only 368 PPs.

Prospects: Maxie Rosenbloom's career has been well-documented, he is off to a 12-0 (7) start. Still unbeaten is Battling Slim Ryan, who has KO wins versus Earl Blue and veteran Charles Grande on his 11-0 (8) resume. Brit Charlie Tonner had won nine a row before suffering a stunning KO loss to a TC, Al Holloway, in his last bout to slide to 9-1 (8). The Astoria Assassin, Paul Berlenbach, has iced all nine of his opponents to date, including a KO 1 schellacking of previously unbeaten Eddie Huffman. Yale Okun has been carefully managed to this point, as he is 8-0 (7), all versus TCs. Also with a clean slate is Osk Till at 6-0 (2), same for Italian Rinaldo Palmucci at 5-0 (5). Young Firpo is off to a 3-0 (2) start but Cuban Martin Perez was held to a draw versus a TC and finishes the year at 4-0-1 (3).

Retirements: Two retirements in 1924.

Bob Sweeney (USA) 1911-24 31-17-2 (20) NABF Champ Highest Rank: 4
Clay Turner (USA) 1912-24 23-25 (5) No Titles Highest Rank: 14

Looking Ahead: With Gibbons hitting Post-Prime, Jack Delaney and Loughran are probably the top two potential challengers to Greb's throne. Harvey and Bogash rose rapidly in the rankings last year, and Slattery is an impressive newcomer to the top group. There may be a changing of the guard in the division as long-time contenders like Gibbons, Dillon, Levinsky, Siki, and Houck fade from the scene, with plenty of new talent, paced by Rosenbloom and Berlenbach, likely to fill the void. Lou Scozza, a 7-rated fighter, is the top rated of five new faces to the division in 1925.