[BigBoyBrackey]

The site of several pre-championship Jack Dempsey bouts, Dreamland Rink in San Francisco will host eight first-round bouts.

Dreamland was replaced by the New Dreamland Rink in 1928, which would later become known as Winterland Ballroom, a legendary concert venue of the 1970s. For two nights, though, the original Dreamland is the center of this boxing universe.

FRIDAY

Ernie Schaaf (No. 31) vs. John Lester Johnson (34)

Ernie Schaaf
58-15-2, 23 KO


Notable fights: L10, W10, W10, L10 Tommy Loughran; W10 Ray Neuman; W10 King Solomon; W10, L12 Johnny Risko; W10 Young Stribling; W10 Tony Galento; W10 Jim Braddock; W10 Tuffy Griffiths; W10 Jack Gross; W10, L10 Max Baer; KOby13 Primo Carnera.

Schaaf died of “an inter-cranial hemorrhage,” according to boxrec.com, four days after getting stopped by Carnera. Less than six months earlier, Schaaf was knocked unconscious late in the final round by Baer, but saved by the bell and so lost on points. His death is often cited as a reason not to license fighters who have had any sort of previous brain injury, though no tests existed at the time to show if Schaaf suffered such an injury against Baer. Fought 17 times in 1931, his only loss coming against Loughran.

John Lester Johnson
40-30-6, 24 KO



Notable fights: D10 Jack Dempsey; W10 Porky Dan Flynn; L10, L8 Harry Wills; L10, L10 Joe Jeannette; KOby1 Sam Langford; KO4 Tut Jackson; W10 Bob Roper.

Broke Dempsey’s ribs in their 1916 meeting. Went on to a Hollywood career, including several appearances with The Three Stooges in the 1930s.

Larry Gains (28) vs. Bill Hartwell (37)

Larry Gains
114-23-5, 60 KO


Notable fights: W10 Bud Gorman; W10 Quintin Romero Rojas; W10 Ray Neuman; TKOby6 Bill Hartwell; TKOby6, WbyDQ3 George Godfrey; KO2 Max Schmeling; KO2 Phil Scott; W10 Primo Carnera.

A Toronto native who fought almost exclusively in England during the final decade of his career, Gains had the misfortune of peaking at a time when heavyweight champions Dempsey and Tunney defended infrequently against anyone, and never against black challengers.

Bill Hartwell
25-21-5, 17 KO


Notable fights: WbyRTD6 Jack Johnson; TKOby7, D10, D10, D12, W10 Bearcat Wright; L10, L12, W10 Bob Lawson; L10 Paolino Uzcudun; KOby2 George Godfrey.

Career record hurt by going 7-14-1 over final three years. Beat a 50-year-old Jack Johnson, who retired claiming a broken hand, after six rounds. Huge for his time at 6-foot-3 and weighing 220-230 pounds.

Tuffy Griffiths (14) vs. Sandy Seifert (51)

Tuffy Griffiths
74-13-3, 41 KO



Notable fights: WbyDQ7, W10, W10, L12 Johnny Risko; KO1 Sandy Seifert; KO1 Sully Montgomery; L10 Ernie Schaaf; KOby7 Max Baer; W10, L10 Kingfish Levinsky; TKO10 Tom Heeney; W10 Con O’Kelly; L10 Tommy Loughran; L10 Young Stribling; TKOby2 Jim Braddock (at light-heavy).

Loss to Schaaf was highly unpopular with the crowd, according to the United Press by way of boxrec.com. Fought most of the contenders of the late ‘20s and early ‘30s, beating most of them, but never got a whiff of a title shot.

Sandy Seifert
21-13-6, 7 KO


Notable fights: D10, W10 Jack Demave; L10, W12 Emmett Rocco; L10 Johnny Risko; L10 Bob Lawson; L10 Jack Gross; D10 Battling Levinsky; KOby1 Tuffy Griffiths.

Ended career with a 2-10-1 skid, capped by a first-round KO by Griffiths, to mar overall record. Was 15-2-5 at the end of 1926, with most of the wins save one over Demave over anonymous competition. That was enough to earn him the No. 12 ranking by The Ring (then going with the Top 15), and entry into this tournament.

Harry Wills (5) vs. Ray Neuman (60)

Harry Wills
The Black Panther
80-10-5, 52 KO

Notable fights: W10, KOby14, W10, W20, KOby19, W10, W8, D6, W10, W12, KO6, TKO7, W8, NC10, W15, W15, W10; KO3 Tut Jackson; W12 Luis Angel Firpo; KO1 Floyd Johnson; LbyDQ13 Jack Sharkey; LbyKO4 Paolino Uzcudun; KO1 Denver Ed Martin; KO1 Gunboat Smith; KO2 Kid Norfolk.

Should have been the No. 1 contender for most of Jack Dempsey’s title reign, but never fought for the title. Faced Langford at least 17 times, winning 15. Unlike Langford and Jack Johnson, was still near his peak for much of the 1920s, though he was 37 by the time of his losses to Sharkey and Uzcudun.

Ray Neuman
16-22-9, 3 KO

Notable fights: ND12, W10, L10 Jack DeMave; L6, W10 Bob Lawson; L10 Bud Gorman; L12 Paul Berlenbach; L10 Young Stribling; L10 Larry Gains; L10 Battling Levinsky.

Perhaps due to a manager who knew people -- or, like Seifert, a win over DeMave late in the year -- somehow wound up ranked No. 14 in 1925. After decisioning Lawson to start ’26, immediately set about resting on his laurels and went 1-13-1 to end his career.