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BigBoyBrackey · 04-28-2009, 11:52 PM

In the evening's third bout from the First Regiment Armory in Newark, N.J., Johnny Risko, the tournament's 14th seed, faces No. 51 Jim Maloney.

Risko's career mark (80-53-7, 21 KOs) blurs the accomplishments of a guy who beat future heavyweight champions Max Baer and Jack Sharkey, contenders like Paolino Uzcudun, George Godfrey, Otto von Porat, Phil Scott, Tony Galento, Tom Heeney and Ernie Schaaf, then-light-heavy champ Paul Berlenbach in an over-the-weight match, former light-heavy king Tommy Loughran after he moved up in weight, and former middleweight champ Mickey Walker when he campaigned as a heavy. In today's world of myriad title belts and recycled challengers (nothing against Hasim Rahman), Risko would have been fighting for titles annually. But somehow, he never got his shot.

For the morbid among us, the Cleveland native's most memorable win was against cross-Ohio rival Joe Sekyra of Dayton in 1927.

"Shortly after this bout, Sekyra had a 52-foot tapeworm removed from his system," reported the Tacoma Times, by way of boxrec.com. Sekyra does not appear in the database, but if anyone has worked up a rating for him, I hope it includes his numbers with and without the worm. He was 21-5-4 before the eviction, but just 37-30-2 after, if that helps.

Risko also possessed one of the less imposing nicknames in heavyweight history, "The Cleveland Rubber Man." While its genesis had not been uncovered at press time, it may have had something to do with muscle tone, or lack thereof. In its account of Risko's 1928 10-round points win over Godfrey, it describes his physique as "doughy."

Maloney's biggest win was a 10-round decision over Primo Carnera, the future champion's third career loss. His 49-18-2, 20 KOs record included a win over Risko in their first meeting, which the latter avenged three times via decision. Maloney also owned wins over tourney entrants Tom Heeney, Con O'Kelly, Jack Demave and Jack Renault, as well as then-light-heavy titlist Jack Delaney, seeded 8th in the 20s heavyweight tourney.

---In the first night's main event, No. 7 Billy Miske takes on 58th-seeded Willie Meehan, who probably doesn't deserve that high a ranking, but is far too cool to leave out of the bracket.

Miske (72-14-17, 31 KOs) is best remembered for lasting three rounds with Jack Dempsey despite suffering from Bright's Disease, then stopping Bill Brennan in a bout of questionable integrity less than two months before succumbing to the illness on Jan. 1, 1924. But he also scored legitimate wins over Brennan via points, drew with Dempsey in 1918, as well as topping Jack Renault, Bob Roper and Fred Fulton, while splitting with light-heavy legend Tommy Gibbons, this tournament's No. 3 seed.

Meehan makes the field less for his 77-35-38, 15 KOs mark than for his boxrec.com encyclopedia description, which sounds lifted from a contemporary publication:

"Famous for never training or doing any roadwork whatsoever. He ate whatever and whenever he wanted. Fought in all divisions from flyweight to heavyweight. As a rotund heavyweight, it was said, "..He is so fat, blows do not make an impression on him, and he is so awkward, that even the cleverest of opponents can find no way to reach him effectively."

Still, the 5-foot-9 Meehan somehow won four-round decisions against Dempsey in 1917 and 1918 (as well as two draws, against only one loss to the future champion) and outpointed an out-of-shape Sam Langford in 1919.

Though often beaten, Meehan didn't always take it well. Box.rec com cites the Seattle Daily Times' description of "Fat Boy's" reaction to a four-round decision defeat to Floyd Johnson by saying that he "'with a show of berserker rage, rushed Schacht as he started to go through the ropes.Meehan began swinging at the referee, but missed and hit the ropes instead. Johnson stepped in to restrain Meehan. When the police arrived, Meehan began acting goofy and said that he was only kidding."

After the two fought to a four-round draw in 1918, Miske won a 10-round newspaper decision in 1919 and stopped Meehan in the first in 1922. Unfortunately, Meehan's behavior on those occasions is lost to history. But you have to wonder if a sell-out crowd at the old Armory will bring out the worst (or best, depending on your perspective) in him.

***

First bell, coming up ...

04-28-2009, 11:52 PM	#5 (permalink)
BigBoyBrackey All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Buffalo, N.Y. Posts: 823 Thanks: 31 Thanked 39x in 39 posts	The Rest of Opening Night In the evening's third bout from the First Regiment Armory in Newark, N.J., Johnny Risko, the tournament's 14th seed, faces No. 51 Jim Maloney. Risko's career mark (80-53-7, 21 KOs) blurs the accomplishments of a guy who beat future heavyweight champions Max Baer and Jack Sharkey, contenders like Paolino Uzcudun, George Godfrey, Otto von Porat, Phil Scott, Tony Galento, Tom Heeney and Ernie Schaaf, then-light-heavy champ Paul Berlenbach in an over-the-weight match, former light-heavy king Tommy Loughran after he moved up in weight, and former middleweight champ Mickey Walker when he campaigned as a heavy. In today's world of myriad title belts and recycled challengers (nothing against Hasim Rahman), Risko would have been fighting for titles annually. But somehow, he never got his shot. For the morbid among us, the Cleveland native's most memorable win was against cross-Ohio rival Joe Sekyra of Dayton in 1927. "Shortly after this bout, Sekyra had a 52-foot tapeworm removed from his system," reported the Tacoma Times, by way of boxrec.com. Sekyra does not appear in the database, but if anyone has worked up a rating for him, I hope it includes his numbers with and without the worm. He was 21-5-4 before the eviction, but just 37-30-2 after, if that helps. Risko also possessed one of the less imposing nicknames in heavyweight history, "The Cleveland Rubber Man." While its genesis had not been uncovered at press time, it may have had something to do with muscle tone, or lack thereof. In its account of Risko's 1928 10-round points win over Godfrey, it describes his physique as "doughy." Maloney's biggest win was a 10-round decision over Primo Carnera, the future champion's third career loss. His 49-18-2, 20 KOs record included a win over Risko in their first meeting, which the latter avenged three times via decision. Maloney also owned wins over tourney entrants Tom Heeney, Con O'Kelly, Jack Demave and Jack Renault, as well as then-light-heavy titlist Jack Delaney, seeded 8th in the 20s heavyweight tourney. ---In the first night's main event, No. 7 Billy Miske takes on 58th-seeded Willie Meehan, who probably doesn't deserve that high a ranking, but is far too cool to leave out of the bracket. Miske (72-14-17, 31 KOs) is best remembered for lasting three rounds with Jack Dempsey despite suffering from Bright's Disease, then stopping Bill Brennan in a bout of questionable integrity less than two months before succumbing to the illness on Jan. 1, 1924. But he also scored legitimate wins over Brennan via points, drew with Dempsey in 1918, as well as topping Jack Renault, Bob Roper and Fred Fulton, while splitting with light-heavy legend Tommy Gibbons, this tournament's No. 3 seed. Meehan makes the field less for his 77-35-38, 15 KOs mark than for his boxrec.com encyclopedia description, which sounds lifted from a contemporary publication: "Famous for never training or doing any roadwork whatsoever. He ate whatever and whenever he wanted. Fought in all divisions from flyweight to heavyweight. As a rotund heavyweight, it was said, "..He is so fat, blows do not make an impression on him, and he is so awkward, that even the cleverest of opponents can find no way to reach him effectively." Still, the 5-foot-9 Meehan somehow won four-round decisions against Dempsey in 1917 and 1918 (as well as two draws, against only one loss to the future champion) and outpointed an out-of-shape Sam Langford in 1919. Though often beaten, Meehan didn't always take it well. Box.rec com cites the Seattle Daily Times' description of "Fat Boy's" reaction to a four-round decision defeat to Floyd Johnson by saying that he "'with a show of berserker rage, rushed Schacht as he started to go through the ropes.Meehan began swinging at the referee, but missed and hit the ropes instead. Johnson stepped in to restrain Meehan. When the police arrived, Meehan began acting goofy and said that he was only kidding." After the two fought to a four-round draw in 1918, Miske won a 10-round newspaper decision in 1919 and stopped Meehan in the first in 1922. Unfortunately, Meehan's behavior on those occasions is lost to history. But you have to wonder if a sell-out crowd at the old Armory will bring out the worst (or best, depending on your perspective) in him. *** First bell, coming up ...