[JCWeb]

Thanks, Mark. Here's the summary of key bouts from the first part of October, 1928:

Oct. 5, 1928: Friday Night fights journeys to Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. Main event is for the Commonwealth FW crown, and the two protagonists are defending Champion Johnny Cuthbert and Young Johnny Brown. These two are familiar foes, with Brown holding a 3-1 advantage in four prior meetings. In round four, Brown suffers a cut over his right eye, and the cut proves to be a continual problem for Brown and his corner, as it is reopened two or three times during the course of the bout. Cuthbert takes advantage of the situation to build a solid points lead, and Brown is unable to cope with both the cut and Cuthbert. No knockdowns, and this one goes to the scorecards -- and it's a fairly comfortable UD 12 win for Cuthbert (117-112, 117-112, 115-114) to retain the belt. Cuthbert's career total is now 22-13-1 (8) while Brown slips to 25-9-1 (13).

Oct. 6, 1928: Chicago's Comiskey Park is the scene of the next fight action, and the main event is a USBA BW title bout between Bushy Graham (the holder) and Bobby Green (in his first title contest of any kind). Green enters the bout on a very impressive seven-bout winning streak, but Graham represents his toughest opposition to dat. Graham builds an early points lead, and Green seems unable to keep pace with the more talented defending champ. No knockdowns, but by the end of the bout both men are sporting bruises; Green also suffers a cut over the right eye. End result -- a solid UD 12 win for Graham (117-112, 118-111, 116-113) -- seems totally justified. Graham moves to 24-9 (8) after the win, while Green is now 24-10-2 (14).

Oct. 12, 1928: Friday night action returns to the Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo. Main support is a 10-round non-title bout, one of those proverbial crossroads fights that has top LW contender Sammy Mandell facing up-and-comer Sammy Fuller who is off to an impressive 22-1 career start. Mandell suffers a cut forehead, perhaps as a result of a clash of heads, in round four. Mandell battles on, and by the end of round six, Fuller's right eye has begun to swell. The bout remains close into the final rounds, as these two fighters appear very evenly-matched. The cut is reopened in round eight, and a late surge puts Fuller ahead when the cut leads to a stoppage midway through the final round. Since the cut was the result of an accidental butt, it goes to the scorecards and Fuller takes a narrow STD 10 (that's short for split technical decision) (votes of 86-85 Fuller, 85-86 Mandell, 86-85 Fuller) to advance further up the rankings. Fuller moves to 23-1 (8). Tough loss for Mandell, whose career has stalled once again, just a rung or two short of the top; his overall record is now 28-9 (8). Then, on to the main event, a NABF FW title clash featuring defending Champ and former WBA kingpin Chick Suggs versus Carl Duane, the "Bronx Express." Suggs has two prior wins and is looking to make it three in a row. In the early going, it looks like a runaway for Suggs as Duane's right eye starts to puff up after just two rounds. The other eye starts swelling a round later. The pace slows in the middle rounds, but then Suggs is slowed by a cut over the left eye. The cut is reopened in the seventh round and, significantly, again in the ninth. The bout is stopped, and the title goes to Duane by TKO 9 due to the cut. He moves to 25-8-1 (12) as a result, and Suggs is now 30-10-4 (11).

Oct. 13, 1928: Back to the Stadium in Liverpool, UK, where a series of bouts leads to the main event, for the Commonwealth LH title held by Len Harvey. Harvey defends versus current GBU titleholder, Gypsy Daniels, whom he has defeated twice before. Not much to report here, except that Harvey once again impresses, building an early points lead as Daniels takes a real beating, lasting the distance with both eyes reduced to slits due to some major swelling. Harvey wins lopsided a UD 12 (120-109 on all three cards). The win moves Harvey to 29-4-1 (12). Daniels drops to 25-13-2 (16).

Oct. 13, 1928: Mammoth Gardens in Denver, Colorado is the scene for the next night fight card returns to the Amor Bahn in Munich, Germany. Featured is a 10-round LH contest with two top 10 contenders, Jimmy Slattery and Jack Reeves. Slattery starts strongly, and Reeves shows the effects -- some swelling around the left eye -- after just one round. Slattery gradually piles up an impressive points lead, and Reeves gets more and more aggressive as the bout wears on. However, Slattery maintains his focus to the end and takes a very solid UD 10 win (99-91, 97-93, 99-91). The win lifts Slattery to 25-8-1 (9), putting him right back in the LHW title hunt. Reeves, who will be at Post starting with his next bout in early 1929, had a four-bout win streak snapped, going to 31-14-1 (18) overall.