My Universe - Page 16

JCWeb · 03-25-2007, 10:17 PM

Jan 1918 LW Division Profile

Total: 116 RL: 62 TCs: 54

RL by Career Stage:
End - 3
Post - 14
Prime - 30
Pre - 11
Beginning - 4 (2 New)

Rated: 47
800+: 8
500+: 26
200+: 42

Jan 1918 Rankings (Perf Pts and Changes from Jan 1917 in Parens):

Champ: Benny Leonard 29-0-1 (20) (1421) (NC)
1. Jack Blackburn 61-8-2 (20) (1481) (NC)
2. Willie Ritchie 34-11-2 (11) (1385) (NC)
3. Jem Driscoll 59-9-1 (31) (1241) (+2)
4. Ray Bronson 33-11-6 (9) (1055) (+2)
5. Fighting Dick Hyland 35-23-5 (20) (1035) (-1)
6. Lew Tendler 21-2-1 (9) (813) (+10)
7. Knockout Brown 30-12-2 (22) (800) (+1)
8. Charley White 29-14-4 (12) (740) (+5)
9. Llew Edwards 16-5 (12) (722) (+29)
10. Willie Beecher 26-11-2 (4) (721) (+1)

Comments: All but three of the above are at Prime; Driscoll (who turns 38 in 1918), Hyland and Brown are at Post-Prime. Leonard made three successful defenses to run his win streak to 15. Blackburn has won 9 and drawn one in his last 10, yet he still has more PP than Leonard. Ritchie has become firmly established as the #2 contender, and extending his win streak to six after two USBA bouts plus a UD 10 over ex-Champ Freddie Welsh. Driscoll won two titles and went 3-0 in 1917 to re-establish himself as a top contender. Bronson was also 3-0 for the year, scoring a MD over Wolgast, a TKO over Harlem Tommy Murphy and a UD over Beecher. Hyland slipped a bit, going winless in 1917; his best outing was the draw with Blackburn for the NABF title. Tendler had a busy year, fighting six times and winning four and drawing one; he won UDs versus Beecher and Edwards but could only draw with White and lost to Blackburn. Knockout Brown lost the USBA belt to Ritchie but stayed on the list with a TKO of Murphy. White regained his Top 10 status by virtue of UDs over Herb McCoy and Lockport Jimmy Duffy. He drew with Tendler, having suffered a UD loss to Wolgast early in the year. Edwards made a huge (perhaps record) move up the rankings, more remarkable because he only won two of five bouts in 1917; but his big upset win over Welsh was enough to boost his stock. Beecher eased back into the Top 10 with a UD over Koehler and a SD versus de Ponthieu after suffering losses to Tendler and Bronson earlier in the year.

Other Notables: Harlem Tommy Murphy fell out of the Top 10, probably for good, with TKO losses to Bronson and Brown that dropped him from #7 last year to #11; he is now at End career stage. Welsh went 0-3 for the year, losing all three title belts, to fall from #3 to #12. Wolgast dropped from #10 to #13, faltering after a UD over White with losses to Blackburn and Bronson. France's de Ponthieu tumbled from #9 to #16, going 1-2 for the year with a MD over Phil Bloom but losses to Beecher and Leonard (for the title). No newcomers to the rankings, but Rocky Kansas was headed in the right direction with UDs over Donahue, Hammer and Duffy before his ill-fated title try versus Leonard; he checks in at 21-5-2 (15), good for 14th spot. Aussie Herb McCoy is one spot behind him, recovering from a loss to White to register three wins in a row over Stone, Black and Douglas.

Prospects: Jimmy Dundee has looked good, reeling off 11 wins versus TCs and then downing RL opponents Delmont, Benjamin and Wallace en route to compiling a 14-0 (8) record. Benjamin had 12 TC wins prior to his loss to Dundee; his record now stands at 12-1 (10). Still unbeaten is Andy Chaney, who beat Phil Cross and Rudy Unholz to go 13-0 (10) after 11 TC wins. Frankie Farren vanquished all his TC foes and Phil Cross to go 12-0 (5). Eddie "Kid" Wagner has gone 11-0 (7), all versus TCs. Clonie Tait topped Sailor Friedman in a battle of unbeaten prospects to move to 10-0 (2); Friedman dropped to 9-1 (4). Frenchman Benny Valgar is still unbeaten at 10-0 (8). Also unblemished versus TC opposition are Tommy O'Brien at 6-0 (5), Emmanuel Jacobsen at 5-0 (1), Tommy Cello at 3-0 (1) and Alex Hart at 3-0 (0).

Retirements: Four LWs left the ranks in 1917.

Harry Ah Chung (USA) 1912-17 8-10-3 (1) No Titles Highest Rank: 44
Kid Farmer (USA) 1901-17 32-30-1 (16) No Titles Highest Rank: 15
Young Erne (USA) 1900-17 41-29-4 (15) WBA Champ 1911 Highest Rank: 3
Jack Curley (USA) 1908-17 24-15 (12) No Titles Highest Rank: 19

Looking Ahead: There appears to be a group that has separated itself from the rest, including Leonard, Blackburn, Ritchie, and possibly also including Bronson. Driscoll and Hyland may fall off in 1918 due to the effects of aging. Tendler has the making of a potential future champion, although it may be difficult to dislodge Leonard for many years to come. It will be interesting to see if Edwards will be able to keep his EBU belt when challenged. The two newcomers to the ranks in 1918 include Jimmy Goodrich, a RL champion, along with Brit Elmer Rice.

Predictions: Did fairly well except for the prediction of a Leonard win over Blackburn, as the two did not meet. Correctly forecast that Welsh would lose all three titles (CBU, GBU and EBU) in 1917; also predicted Driscoll taking a GBU belt; and there were at least three new faces in the Top 10. (Actually, there were four, although two -- White and Beecher -- had been there before.)
For 1918, I will once again forecast Leonard over Blackburn, and will further predict a NABF or USBA title for Tendler, which could be a tough task given who the current titleholders are. Also, Edwards will not retain his EBU belt, plus at least three shifts in the top ten from 1917 to 1918.

JCWeb · 03-26-2007, 05:35 PM

1917 FW Title Bouts

WBA

Abe Attell CH (64-4-1) vs Johnny Dundee #2 (26-5-1)

Attell's first bout at Post-Prime is against the current NABF champ, Dundee, who lost a prior title bout with Attell back in 1913.

Action is slow to develop, but starting in round 2 Dundee looks sharp and is prepared to take the fight to the veteran Lil' Champ. Dundee pressures Attell, who unexpectedly moves inside, but after five rounds it's 50-46 for the Scotch Wop on the unofficial card. After a close round 6, Attell finally gets on track with a strong round 7. Dundee bounces back with a great round 8, and there is puffiness around Abe's left eye. Dundee is able to hold his own in toe-to-toe action in round 9 with the Champ. 99-93 for Dundee on the unofficial card after 10. Abe, feeling his belt slipping away, gets more aggressive as the bout enters the crucial rounds. Attell is bothered by a cut above his right eye and cannot launch the desired comeback. Dundee is able to retreat into a defensive shell, converting his early points lead to a UD 15 win (147-139, 149-137, 147-139) to take the belt from Attell.

Johnny Dundee CH (27-5-1) vs Patsy Brannigan #6 (27-8-3)

Brannigan, the USBA titleholder, takes a crack at Dundee's WBA belt. A 2-1 edge in their prior encounters means Dundee is confident.

After an even first round, Brannigan tries his luck on the inside but the Scotch Wop pounds away from the outside to dominate the action. Both move outside for round three, another strong round for the Champ. Brannigan does a bit better in the toe-to-toe action on the inside in round four, but cannot follow up in the fifth. Dundee adopts a strong defensive posture that is sufficient to repulse all aggressive overtures by Brannigan. Dundee therefore coasts to a decisive UD 15 win (146-139, 146-138, 145-139).

Johnny Dundee CH (28-5-1) vs Eugene Criqui #2 (24-4-4)

Ex-Champ Criqui earns a title shot despite a recent loss to Attell by virtue of his successful defense of the EBU title. Dundee defeated Criqui in a 10-round bout back in 1912 when both were at Pre-Prime, but a more recent encounter (in 1916) ended in a draw.

Action is slow to develop until Criqui starts to seize the initiative in rounds two and three. Criqui pulls ahead 48-46 on the unofficial card after the first five rounds. The Scotch Wop steps up the pace in the middle rounds, and appears to be making progress until Criqui puts him down with a barrage of punches at the end of the 8th round. Dundee becomes more cautious, and avoids serious trouble. Criqui suffers some swelling under his left eye near the end of round 12. It's a close battle down to the wire, but the KD in the 8th proves crucial as Dundee's late rally falls short. Criqui regains the title with a UD 13 (143-142, 146-138, 144-141).

NABF: Dundee begins 1917 with the belt, and defends it versus Steve "Kid" Sullivan, who suffers a cut above the left eye in round 3 that winds up leading to a late stoppage. Dundee by TKO 11. Dundee vacates the belt after stepping up to win the WBA title, and Johnny Kilbane faces Ty Cobb for the vacant title. Cobb takes a real beating for the first three rounds when, in a huge reversal of fortunes, Kilbane suffers a broken rib in a freak exchange in round four and Cobb is awarded the title via TKO stoppage.

USBA: Brannigan defends the title against K. O. Mars, who is ineffective in his efforts against a strong performance that yields a lopsided UD win for Brannigan. Next up is ex-Champ Kilbane, who recovered from his rib injury and gradually applies the pressure to break open a close bout to pound out a solid UD 12 win to take the title.

CBU: Australia's Jimmy Hill proved his mettle in two title defenses, first versus Billy Elliott, whom he outclassed in a relatively easy UD 12 win, and then versus Canadian Percy Cove, who proved a more difficult opponent despite being a shadow of his former self -- Hill escaped with a narrow MD 12 win.

GBU: Lacking a suitable opponent, veteran British fighter Owen Moran did not defend his GBU title in 1917.

EBU: Criqui defended versus Kid Julian, who breaks through to nail the Frenchman with a vicious combination in round four. Criqui rallies strongly, however, dominating the action in the late rounds to squeak out a narrow SD 12 to take the belt. Julian is back in action later in the year to take on Moran for the vacant belt after Criqui captured the WBA crown. This time Julian used a strong 10th round to pull ahead to register a UD 12 win, breaking open a relatively close contest.

JCWeb · 03-26-2007, 06:38 PM

Jan 1918 Division Profile

Total: 69 RL: 32 TCs: 37

RL by Career Stage:
End - 1
Post - 8
Prime - 15
Pre - 6
Beginning - 2 (1 New)

Rated: 26
800+: 6
500+: 16
200+: 23

Jan 1918 Rankings (Perf Pts and Changes from Jan 1917 in Parens):

Champ: Eugene Criqui 25-4-4 (11) (1122) (+2)
1. Abe Attell 65-5-1 (24) (1211) (-1)
2. Johnny Dundee 28-6-1 (10) (1121) (+1)
3. Johnny Kilbane 35-8-4 (10) (979) (-2)
4. Kid Julian 27-8-7 (9) (892) (NC)
5. Ty Cobb 24-12-2 (9) (825) (+8)
6. Jimmy Hill 27-9-1 (1) (786) (+2)
7. Patsy Brannigan 22-10-3 (7) (696) (-2)
8. Steve Sullivan 19-9-2 (5) (673) (-1)
9. Eddie O'Keefe 33-9-2 (17) (671) (+1)
10. K. O. Mars 21-6-1 (5) (659) (+2)

Comments: Everyone still at Prime condition except Attell (who is at Post). Criqui won his only two contests in 1917, first for the EBU and then the WBA title. Attell lost the title to Dundee but still has the highest Perf Pt total after a SD 10 over Steve Sullivan. Dundee was 3-1 for the year, all in title bouts. Kilbane won four of five in 1917, his victims in non-title bouts including ex-Champ Jimmy Walsh and Battling Reddy. Julian was able to regain the EBU title and managed to improve his status with a UD 10 win over Cobb, a SD over Brannigan, and a draw with Sullivan. Cobb scored the upset over Kilbane along with a UD over Grover "Battler" Hayes, but losses to Julian and Reddy (the latter on a foul) prevented further progress. Hill now holds the longest win streak (6), but only tested himself in two CBU title bouts in 1917. Brannigan dropped after losing three of four in 1917, including a SD loss to Julian in addition to three title bouts. Sullivan salvaged a subpar year with a TKO over Frankie Ellis after managing a draw versus three losses in his other bouts. O'Keefe maintained his status with a win over Ellis and a draw with Lee Johnson. Mars went 3-1 for the year, scoring a MD over Sullivan and SD wins versus Reddy and "KO" Chaney to move into the Top 10 for the first time.

Other Notables: Ex-Champ Walsh dropped out of the top group, losing 6 spots to #12 after suffering a SD loss to Lee Johnson in addition to the UD loss to Kilbane. Percy Cove lost all three of his outings to fall even further, down 12 spots to #21. British Champ Owen Moran is only ranked #18, after a 1-3 campaign, and his overall record is now 42-23-3 (16) with 338 pp. Lee Johnson lurks just outside the top group at #11, after scoring four wins and a draw in a strong 1917 campaign. Willie Ames compiled a 13-3-3 (6) mark, good for an initial rank of #16 with 395 pp, and Panama's Ansell Bell debuts at #22 with a 12-3-1 (9) mark.

Prospects: Filipino Francisco Flores has compiled a 11-2 (5) mark, losing recently to his first RL opponent, Patsy Kline, after suffering a DQ loss to a TC early on. American Danny Edwards was unbeaten until facing tough RL competition from Ames and Tommy Dixon, both of whom defeated him; he has two draws with Bell and Leo Johnson to go 10-2-2 (4). Vincent "Pepper" Martin is 9-0-1 (8) versus all TC opposition; Bud Ridley has kept his record clean at 8-0 (7), also versus TCs. Mike Dundee got his career off to a perfect 3-0 (3) start in 1917.

Retirement: One, a mainstay in the FW ranks since the turn of the Century who winds up an impressive 21-year career.

Brooklyn Tommy Sullivan (USA) 1897-1917 48-23-8 (27) WBA Champ 1902 Highest Rank: 1

Looking Ahead: Criqui is likely to be facing some tough challenges for his WBA title belt, with Dundee, Kilbane, Cobb and Hill among the top likely opponents. Veterans such as Moran, Walsh, and even Attell are now likely to fade from the scene, as seems to have been the case with Cove and Hayes already. George "KO" Chaney, after numerous chances at FW, is likely to move up to LW division in 1918. Chick Suggs will be the only new addition to the division in 1918.

Predictions: Once again, didn't do all that well in the 1917 forecasts for this division. Had Attell maintaining the WBA crown for the entire year, which did not happen. Did predict Dundee becoming a major force--he actually won the title. Was correct that Brannigan would lose the USBA belt. However, George "KO" Chaney did not reach the top 10 list, as forecast.
For 1918, I will boldly predict that Kilbane will regain his form and the WBA title as well. Look for Jimmy Hill to fail once he takes on the top five contenders. Eddie O'Keefe will get a title shot at one of the lesser belts (NABF or USBA) and will fail when given the opportunity. Julian, on the other hand, will keep the EBU title for another year.

mh2365 · 03-26-2007, 06:43 PM

Good stuff JC

JCWeb · 03-27-2007, 12:06 PM

1917 BW Title Bouts

WBA: Four title bouts, and the belt changes hands in three of them...

Al Delmont CH (43-15-3) vs Philadelphia Pal Moore #6 (32-8-3)

Phila Pal Moore won prior bout in 1913 for NABF belt by SD, and the fact that Delmont has reached Post-Prime career stage also favors the challenger.

After a close round one, both work outside in the second stanza with a slight edge to the Champ. The defensive battle continues in round three, as Delmont moves inside. Moore starts to get on top as Delmont experiences signs of swelling in round 5. Moore is warned for holding and hitting in round 7, but he opens up and is more aggressive as the bout wears on. Delmont suffers a cut below the right eye and unable to offer much resistance as Phila Pal Moore regains the WBA belt by a rather decisive UD 15 (147-140, 147-139, 147-139).

Philadelphia Pal Moore CH (33-8-3) vs Johnny Coulon #1 (38-4-5)

Coulon, who is unbeaten since he lost the belt via SD to Delmont in 1915, is seeking to regain it from Moore, against whom he holds a 2-1 edge in prior meetings.

After a cautious start by both men, Coulon uses his strong counterpunching ability to take round 3. Moore recovers to score well in round 4, and a cut appears above the challenger's right eye. Coulon bounces back in round 6, landing a strong combination that forces the Champ to cover up. It's a close bout heading into the late rounds, but Coulon's cut reopens and finally decides it when the bout is stopped in the 14th when the cut is reopened for the third time. Phila Pal Moore by TKO 14 (cut).

Philadelphia Pal Moore CH (34-8-3) vs Kid Williams #4 (27-5)

It is Williams' third try for the WBA belt, having lost twice before via MD to Coulon and SD to Delmont. Will the third time be a charm?

Williams comes out as the aggressor in the opening rounds, while Moore is content to stay on the outside, picking his spots. The Champ holds a slight edge after the initial five rounds, and there is noticeable swelling around the right eye of Williams in round 6. Williams continues to apply the pressure but, after some good action in rounds 9 and 10, the unofficial card has Moore on top by 97-93. Kid Williams doesn't give up, and a strong rally in the last few rounds gives him the title. Williams by SD 15 (145-141, 142-143, 146-142). A glance at the cards shows Williams won the last four rounds to capture the belt.

Kid Williams CH (28-5) vs Pete Herman #1 (22-2)

Herman has won his last six bouts, including a previous MD win over Williams earlier in the year, to make him a logical contender for the title belt.

It's a cautious start by both men, and Williams seems to have the upper hand after the opening rounds. Herman comes back to take round 4 and comes back to dominate the action in the middle rounds. After 10, the unofficial card has Herman ahead by 97-93. Williams comes back to take round 11, but then Herman asserts himself with a strong 12th. Herman is cut below the right eye and his left eye starts to swell as Williams finds the range in round 13. No KDs in a close bout that goes down to the wire. Herman takes the title by MD 15 (144-142, 144-144, 144-142).

NABF: Williams defended this belt versus Herman, who piled up an early points lead and withstood a late rally by Williams to register a MD 12 win to lift the belt. Herman defended versus veteran Frankie Conley, who made a strong start but faded as the bout wore on. Herman by UD 12 to retain the belt.

USBA: Coulon defended the title versus Eddie Campi, and the Chicago Spider battled back from an indifferent start to pull in front in the middle rounds en route to a decisive UD win to retain the title for another year.

CBU, GBU: These belts slipped into inactivity as the holder, Joe Bowker, retired in 1917.

EBU: Frenchman Charles Ledoux defended the belt twice, first versus the aging British veteran, Digger Stanley, who was pounded into submission and knocked down and out in round 4 in what proved to be Stanley's final hurrah. Then Ledoux took on countryman Robert Dastillon for the second time, duplicating the earlier result with another KO 4 to retain the title.

JCWeb · 03-27-2007, 01:35 PM

Jan 1918 BW Division Profile

Total: 62 RL: 27 TCs: 35

RL by Career Stage:
End - 0
Post - 5
Prime - 14
Pre - 7
Beginning - 1 (1 New)

Rated: 20
800+: 7
500+: 14
200+: 19

Jan 1918 Rankings (Perf Pts and Changes from Jan 1917 in Parens):

Champ: Pete Herman 23-2 (12) (1122) (+4)
1. Johnny Coulon 39-5-5 (17) (1108) (NC)
2. Philadelphia Pal Moore 35-9-4 (13) (1025) (+4)
3. Kid Williams 28-6 (15) (989) (-1)
4. Eddie Campi 28-6-2 (15) (977) (-1)
5. Charles Ledoux 31-6 (26) (913) (NC)
6. Memphis Pal Moore 19-3-2 (11) (802) (+3)
7. Frankie Conley 34-17-2 (17) (773) (+3)
8. Kid Murphy 40-18-1 (26) (772) (NC)
9. Frankie Burns 26-13-1 (7) (713) (-2)
10. Jack Kid Wolfe 20-6-1 (8) (662) (+2)

Comments: All at Prime except for Campi (who hits Post in 1918) and Murphy (already at Post). Herman has won his last 7 bouts, with four wins in 1917, a UD over Ledoux plus the title bout wins documented in the prior post. Coulon lost his bid for the WBA crown but defended the USBA crown to remain the #1 rated contender. Phila Pal Moore was very active in a topsy-turvy 1917, winning three and drawing one in five bouts. He was held to a draw by Memphis Pal Moore but still maintained his high ranking. Kid Williams dropped to third after losing the WBA crown. Campi had a strong start to the year, with a TKO over Monte Attell and a UD 10 over ex-Champ Delmont, but the loss to Coulon snapped a four-bout win streak. Ledoux defended his EBU belt but a UD 10 loss to Herman prevented further progress. Memphis Pal was held to two draws with Philly Pal and Jack Kid Wolfe after wins versus Bowker and Burns. Conley came on strong with three successive wins over Little Jack Sharkey, Indian Russell and Burns after a poor start to the year, with the loss to Herman and a draw with Biz Mackey. A rejuvenated Kid Murphy won 3 of 4 in 1917, dropping a UD to Burns but scoring KOs versus Sharkey and Bowker and a UD over "Kewpie" Ertle. Burns struggled to a 2-2 record for the year, his best result a UD over Murphy. Jack "Kid" Wolfe moved into the Top 10 for the first time, by virtue of three wins (over Biderberg, Mackey and Ertle) and a draw with Memphis Pal Moore.

Other Notables: Delmont, the Champ going into 1917, tumbled all the way down to the #13 spot after losing all four contests in the year, including a KO 1 blowout loss to Dastillon and UD 10 losses to Campi and Fox. Dastillon checks in at #11 with a 14-9-2 (9) mark, mainly based on the first round KO over Delmont. Joe Fox, who also beat Delmont, winds up the year at #12 with a 18-8-1 (8) mark, including two wins over British Flyweight contenders Lee and Jones. No newcomers to the rankings list, which shrunk due to several retirements (see below).

Prospects: Joe Lynch has compiled an impressive 13-1 (11) record, scoring a UD 10 over fellow prospect Packey O'Gatty but losing a UD 10 to Ertle. O'Gatty wrapped up the year at 11-1 (9), scoring a UD 10 over Aussie Vince Blackburn. Indian Russell, who checks in at 11-2 (6), lost a split duke to Conley but managed a MD 10 over Little Jack Sharkey. Feasting on TC opposition was Joe Burman, who compiled a 10-0 (6) mark in his first two years. Abe Goldstein kept his record clean at 8-0 (6), as did George Marks, who remained unbeaten at 5-0 (1) going into 1918.

Retirements: The BW ranks shrunk by three during the year.

Charles Goldman (USA) 1906-17 18-19-4 (8) NABF Champ Highest Rank: 14
Digger Stanley (UK) 1901-17 28-31-5 (8) EBU, GBU Champ Highest Rank: 4
Joe Bowker (UK) 1900-17 39-27-4 (20) CBU, GBU Champ Highest Rank: 2

Looking Ahead: Herman moved to the top after a topsy-turvy year, and he could be set for a long run as WBA Champ. Coulon, Philly Pal Moore, WIlliams, and Memphis Pal Moore look to be the top contenders, not only for the World title but also for the NABF crown that Herman has vacated. The retirements of both Bowker and Stanley leave a void in the ranks of CBU, GBU, and EBU contenders; Joe Fox and Aussie Vince Blackburn may be expected to step up. Joe Lynch looks like he has the ability to become a top 10 contender, although a bit more seasoning may be needed first.

Predictions: Last year's predictions turned out to be a mixed bad, but mostly on the inaccurate side. Coulon failed to regain the WBA belt (as predicted), Delmont did fade from view (correct), Pete Herman did capture a lesser belt (correct) but then went on to take the WBA title, too. Williams did not wait for a WBA title shot (incorrect) and Fox has not yet captured the GBU title (incorrect), although that could be just a question of time.
For 1918, I will forecast that Herman will maintain the WBA title throughout the year, and Memphis Pal Moore will step up to claim the NABF title belt. Joe Fox I will predict for the vacant CBU and GBU titles, although it may be by default given the paucity of competition.

JCWeb · 03-27-2007, 05:30 PM

1917 FLY Title Bouts

WBA

Jimmy Wilde CH (28-1-1) vs Earl Puryear #5 (16-6-2)

First title try for Puryear, who was a TKO victim of Wilde back in 1913 when both were still at Pre-Prime.

Wilde starts pummeling Puryear from the opening bell and appears to be headed towards another successful defense when suddenly, in round four, a nasty-looking cut appears above the right eye of the Champion. Puryear actually takes advantage and is up by 48-47 on the unofficial card after five. Wilde tries to get more aggressive but the cut is clearly a problem for the Mighty Atom. In round eight, the blood is flowing freely despite a very strong round for the Champ. His corner protests when referee McIntosh takes a close look and then decides to call a halt. Puryear wins the title in a huge upset by a TKO 8 (cut) in a round dominated on points by Wilde by a massive 24-2 margin. A controversial call which brings an end to Wilde's four year reign as WBA Flyweight king.

Earl Puryear CH (17-6-2) vs Frankie Mason #2 (24-9-1)

Puryear defends versus former WBA Champ, Mason. The two fought previously to a draw in 1914.

After an uneventful round one, Mason becomes aggressive, moving to the inside and taking the fight to Puryear. In round three, a cut opens above Puryear's left eye, and Mason proceeds to target the cut. Puryear leads 49-46 after five according to the ringside expert, but the Champ's corner has trouble controlling the cut. The cut reopens in round seven, and Puryear fights a defensive bout to try to protect his lead and the cut. He runs out of time, however, as the cut re-opens again in round 11, and the result is another stoppage and another new Champ. Mason by TKO 11 (cut).

USBA: Mason defends the title versus the Young Zulu Kid. A big uppercut by Mason in round three forces the Kid to cover up. Mason puts Kid on the canvas in round 7, and then coasts to a UD 12 win. After winning the WBA crown, Mason vacates the USBA title which will be up for grabs in 1918.

CBU: Joe Symonds retains the belt he won in 1916 with a relatively easy defense versus veteran TC Joe Wilson, whom he dispatched via a round 3 TKO.

GBU: Tancy Lee keeps the belt, but did not defend it in 1917.

EBU: Lee defends the EBU title against Bill Ladbury, who by now is but a shadow of his former self. Lee dominates from the early going and finishes Ladbury with a fine-looking combination in the fourth. Lee by KO 4.

JCWeb · 03-27-2007, 05:57 PM

Jan 1918 FLY Division Profile

Total: 32 RL: 11 TCs: 21

RL by Career Stage:
End - 1
Post- 1
Prime- 7
Pre - 2
Beginning - 0 (0 New)

Rated: 9
800+: 0
500+: 3
200+: 7

Jan 1918 Rankings List (Perf Pts and Changes from Jan 1917 in Parens):

Champ: Frankie Mason 25-9-1 (16) (603) (+1)
1. Jimmy Wilde 30-2-1 (29) (721) (-1)
2. Earl Puryear 17-7-2 (4) (575) (+5)
3. Tancy Lee 19-8-1 (10) (480) (-1)
4. Sid Smith 26-14 (11) (464) (+1)
5. Joe Symonds 17-7-3 (11) (377) (-2)
6. Percy Jones 16-11-1 (11) (245) (-2)
7. Young Zulu Kid 14-6-2 (9) (150) (+1)
8. Bill Ladbury 30-13-1 (15) (148) (-2)

Comments: Everyone listed at Prime except for Jones at End career stage and Ladbury at Post. Mason recovered from a UD 10 loss to Smith to win three in a row and sweep to the WBA title for the second time. Wilde is still the highest rated FLY, despite the controversial title loss to Puryear. He recovered with KOs over Smith and Young Zulu Kid. Puryear lifted his flagging career by winning (and then losing) the WBA belt in his only outings of 1917. Tancy Lee failed to progress, losing to BW Joe Fox but winning his only bout at FLY. Smith suffered a loss to Wilde but defeated both Mason and Jones. Symonds went 3-0 in 1917, but his two FLY wins were versus TCs and his only RL victim was marginal BW, Vince Blackburn. Jones went 2-2 for the year, and his UD 10 win over Ladbury was undone by losses to Smith and BW Joe Fox. Young Zulu Kid lost both his bouts in 1917. Ladbury won one of four, losing all three of his contests versus RL opponents.

Prospects: Johnny McCoy completed his second full year of competition, piling up a 9-0 (6) record against TC opponents. Aussie George Mendies completed his first year with a perfect 5-0 (5) mark.

Retirements: Still to soon, although Percy Jones is definitely headed for his final bout soon.

Looking Ahead: Wilde is itching for a shot at getting his WBA title back. Lee is also angling for a title shot or the CBU belt. Smith is a likely opponent for either Lee or Symonds. Puryear is likely to face Young Zulu Kid for the USBA belt. McCoy and Mendies will continue to build experience, but there will be no newcomers to the FLY ranks until 1919.

Predictions: None of last year's forecasts came true. I had Lee establishing himself as the top contender by annexing the CBU belt, which did not happen; had Puryear unsuccessful in attempt at the USBA title, which also didn't happen (he actually challenged for and won the WBA belt instead); and finally, had Mason losing a WBA title bout bid to Wilde, which also didn't occur.
For 1918, I will predict Wilde making a comeback and regaining the WBA crown as he is still head and shoulders above the rest. Lee I will once again predict for the CBU belt, and I have Puryear taking the USBA crown.

Next up, the year-end wrapup and the pound-for-pound ratings.

JCWeb · 03-27-2007, 08:30 PM

Last but not least, here's the wrapup report with the pound-for-pound list:

1917 Year-End Pound-for-Pound Ratings (Changes from Last Year in Parens):

1. Jack Blackburn, LW (NABF Champ), 1481 (+2)
2. Harry Wills, HW (WBA Champ), 1463 (new)
3. Sam Langford, HW (CBU, NABF Champ), 1462 (-1)
4. Benny Leonard, LW (WBA Champ), 1421 (+4)
5. Sam McVey, HW (no title), 1419 (-1)
6. Willie Ritchie, LW (USBA Champ), 1385 (+3)
7. Art Magirl, WW (WBA Champ), 1309 (new)
8. Harry Greb, MW (WBA Champ), 1297 (new)
9. Mike Gibbons, MW (no title), 1296 (-3)
10. Packey McFarland, WW (NABF Title), 1272 (-6)

Dropped out: Abe Attell, FW (#5)
Jack Johnson, HW (#7)
Jack Britton, WW (#10)

Comments: Interesting, only four of the divisions are represented in this list, and it happens to be the four deepest divisions: HW, MW, WW and LW, each with two or three representatives apiece. Attell had been in the list for nine of the prior 10 years, including five years in a row at the top spot from 1908 through 1912. Johnson, who retired in 1917, had been the only fighter on all 10 prior Top Ten lists, so a bit of a changing of the guard.

While there have been many newcomers and up-and-coming fighters in the 11 years of the Universe since the pound-for-pound list was instituted in 1907, in some respect things have come full circle as the #1 ranked boxer on that first list was -- none other than Jack Blackburn, the same fighter who heads the list for 1917.

Of the current crop, Langford is now the senior member of the group, having been listed for nine years in a row going back to 1909. Blackburn follows with eight appearances, followed by McFarland with seven. Leonard, and more recently Wills and Greb, signal a changing of the guard as others like Dempsey and Tunney can be expected to be future additions.

Looking at the overall picture, here are some numbers tracking the overall number of very high rated fighters in the Uni over the past few years:

Year: 1915 1916 1917

1200+: 9 11 13
1100+: 18 20 18
1000+: 22 24 25

All-time high in the year-end rankings remains 1655 pp, set by Sam Langford in 1913.

After a brief respite, 1918 action will get underway. I plan on terminating the Dempsey reports once Jack fights for the WBA title, but the Tunney reports will continue for awhile, and I expect to track a new fighter (probably Mickey Walker) starting in 1919. In order to keep things moving, I expect to be simming more fights and perhaps cutting back a bit on some of the year-end post-fight write-ups.

Ric915 · 03-29-2007, 12:20 AM

Really enjoy this universe and the year in review type write ups. Great Stuff

JCWeb · 04-02-2007, 09:00 PM

Feb 16, 1918 at San Francisco's Cow Palace, Gene Tunney, the unbeaten "Fighting Marine," takes on his first ranked opponent, the #20 ranked LHW, Clay "Chief" Turner, in one of the main support bouts on tonight's card. Turner, who has compiled a 14-12 (2) mark, appears to be another step on Tunney's road to a Top 10 LHW ranking by years' end. Tunney, of course, comes in having won all 13 previous contest, 11 of them by knockout.

Round one, Tunney connects with a hook to the head, and follows up with a jab. Turner is off target with a cross, Tunney moves in behind the jab and the initial stanza shows a slight edge for the Marine.

Second round, Tunney fights inside, while "Chief" stays on the outside. Tunney starts out with a jab, rips a hook to the head, circles his stationary opponent, fires a combination but is called for a low blow. Except for the foul call, it's a strong round for Tunney.

Third round, both men work from the outside. After an early flurry by Tunney, Turner counters with a combination, then a straight right scores for Tunney. Tunney misses with a left, can't connect late in the round but did enough early on to take the round.

Round four, Tunney moves inside again as Turner fights defensively. Tunney scores with a big left. Turner lands an uppercut. Tunney responds with a jab. Turner sticks a hook to the body. Close round.

Fifth round, both move inside. Turner scores first with the uppercut. Tunney rallies with a three-punch combo. Gene follows up with an uppercut, then a hook to the head. Tunney dominates the round, connecting with a cross but Turner is still standing.

Round six, Tunney works the head and body, but "Chief" responds with a hard uppercut. Tunney steps up the pace, dominating the rest of the action. Turner's left eye shows signs of swelling by round's end.

Round seven, Tunney gets more aggressive, takes a shot from Turner but pushes forward with a cross to the head, a right to the body, a jab then moves inside with an uppercut that staggers the "Chief." Tunney bobs and weaves, inflicting more punishment, but again his opponent remains vertical.

Eighth round, Turner tries to get more aggressive, fires a left that misses, Tunney fires back with a straight right that forces Turner to cover up. Tunney follows up with a double jab, but Turner survives the rest of the round by clinching.

Round nine, Tunney pulls back to the outside, continues to outbox his outclassed opponent. Turner flails away but misses.

Tenth and final round, Tunney coasts to victory, staying away from the wild shots of his tired opponent. The bell sounds.

The judges' cards are unanimous -- all three saw it exactly the same, 100-90 for Tunney, interestingly all three called every round 10-9 for Tunney (ignoring the foul call in round two).

The win runs Tunney's record to 14-0 (11 KOs) and 655 pp. One more bout (hopefully in March 1918) and he will be rated.

JCWeb · 04-05-2007, 10:39 PM

March 30, 1918 -- Kiel Auditorium, St Louis -- The Fighting Marine, Gene Tunney, comes East to take on unbeaten LHW prospect Pat McCarthy, only a "3" rated fighter who has compiled a 10-0 (5) record, all versus TCs. Tunney is going for win number 15 and a likely Top 10 LHW ranking.

Round one, McCarthy lashes out at Tunney with a leaping shot that misses. McCarthy fires a combination that misses. Tunney snakes home a jab, then pins his opponent in the corner. Tunney connects with a jab, lands a hook, forcing McCarthy to hang on until the bell sounds. Solid start for Gene.

Second round, Tunney fights inside while McCarthy stays on the outside. A McCarthy hook bounces off the side of Tunney, who bounces around the ring. A careless McCarthy then runs right into a strong shot from Tunney and drops to the canvas. He recovers his footing, covering up for the rest of the round. Tunney flicks a jab, lands a hard hook and follows with a two-fisted attack, connecting with an uppercut -- McCarthy, already suffering from some swelling around his right eye, manages to evade a Tunney jab just before the bell.

Round three, this time McCarthy tries his luck on the inside while Tunney is content to work the outside. Tunney scores with a short hook to the chest, but misses with a follow-up right. McCarthy ducks a roundhouse Tunney right, then lands a clean uppercut of his own. It's a fairly even round until Tunney comes through with a late flurry, featuring a hook to the body. McCarthy tries to counter with a big left, but he winces in pain as he injures his hand right before the bell.

McCarthy is back out for round four, trying to counter Tunney on the inside by looking for the big knockout punch. Tunney finds the range with a sharp uppercut, targeting his opponent's swollen right eye. McCarthy is hurt, but eschews the cover up strategy. Not a good move -- Tunney crashes through with another strong shot -- knockdown #2 of the bout. This time McCarthy is unable to regain his footing and he's counted out at 1:04 of round four.

Tunney's KO victory runs his record to 15-0 (12 KOs). He has 696 pps, good for a debut at #6 in the LHW rankings. Bigger and better things are projected in the upcoming year for the popular Fighting Marine.

Cap · 04-07-2007, 02:25 PM

In my own altered reality, ol' Gene was about 29-6-2 with only 11 KOs just before he retired. Have most of his knockouts come against TCs in your universe?

Cap

JCWeb · 04-07-2007, 11:58 PM

To respond to Cap's last question, Tunney had 10 KOs all vs TCs in his first ten bouts. His last three bouts he has taken on some RL guys and gone 5-0 but with only 2 KOs. So far, all his opponents have been LHWs.

Now on to the next report regarding Jack Dempsey's most recent outing ...

JCWeb · 04-08-2007, 12:14 AM

April 6, 1918 Mammoth Gardens, Denver CO -- The Manassa Mauler, Jack Dempsey, puts his USBA crown on the line against another highly regarded HW, "The Pottawatomie Giant," Jess Willard. IRL, of course, these two pugilists met for the World HW title a year later, 1919, but in my Uni where Harry Wills holds the World belt, they are matched together a bit sooner for the lesser US title. The unbeaten Dempsey enters the bout ranked #6 with 23 KOs and one draw in 24 pro fights, while Willard has compiled a 22-6 career record with 15 KOs, good for #9 in the rankings list. As both are sluggers, the fans (who heavily favor Dempsey) are anticipating a good action bout that is not expected to last the full 10 round distance.

First round, Dempsey is blocked in the corner as big Jess swings away and misses with a big uppercut. Dempsey connects with a short right to the chest, then catches Willard with a crushing left to the head followed up with an uppercut. Willard misses again and is a stationary target for a Dempsey combination followed up with a jab that pins Willard against the ropes. The fans are on their feet, screaming for more action as Dempsey delivers an uppercut. Willard fights his way off the rope with a late flurry just before the bell, but it's going into the books as a huge opening round for Dempsey.

Round two, Dempsey fights inside while Willard tries to fight outside. Dempsey opens with an uppercut to the chin, which he follows with a second and a third (!) uppercut that rocks big Jess, sending him against the ropes once again. Dempsey loads up on a big hook -- Willard is literally trapped in a neutral corner. Dempsey fires with a big right that lands right on the button, follows up with a jab, and this time Willard is not fighting back. Ref Harry Kessler steps in and calls a halt to the action at 2:28 of the round. Jack Dempsey by TKO, perhaps the biggest win of his career thus far.

Dempsey's win boosts his record to 24-0-1 (all 24 wins by KO) and 1074 pp, good to move up to #5 on the HW rankings list. Willard drops to 22-7 (15 KOs) and his 853 pp now drop him just outside the Top 10, to #11 in the HW rankings.

Dempsey's fans are now clamoring for a World HW title shot versus Wills, or at least a NABF title bout versus Langford by year's end. Negotiations are underway, but rumor has it Jack is looking for another payday in May before taking on Wills for the WBA title.

JCWeb · 04-12-2007, 12:58 PM

Dateline, Los Angeles, May 25, 1918 -- Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney once again are fighting on the same card, this time in LA on the undercard of a World LH Title Fight.

First of the two to step in the ring is Gene "Fighting Marine" Tunney. Now the #5 ranked LH, at 15-0, he takes on the former USBA LH champ, now #12 ranked Charles Grande, who has a 17-10-1 record. Tunney, although still at Pre-Prime, is expected to win #16 in a row.

First round, Grande swings and misses, then Tunney opens the action with a strong cross and then drives a hook home. Grande sticks out a left jab, then follows up with a hook. Tunney rips an uppercut and punishes his opponent with a hook to the head. Strong opening round for Gene Tunney.

Round two, both work the outside, Grande lands a lead right, Tunney slams home a right that lands on the nose, he follows with another right, traps Grande in a corner, pummeling him with a jolting uppercut. Grande is sporting a mouse under the right eye after another strong round for Tunney.

Round three, Tunney misses then lands a sharp combination as he moves inside for the kill. Grande takes a step back and hooks off his jab. Tunney follows with a jab of his own and then lands a strong uppercut. Grande is on the defensive as Gene flicks a right cross, then a jab to the chest. Grande is now helpless and the ref, Larry Hernandez, steps in to call a halt at 2:29 of the round.

Tunney by TKO 3 to run his record to 16-0 (13 KOs). His 736 pp are good for the #4 ranking amongst the LHs.

A few bouts later Dempsey steps into the ring in a rematch against the only man to go the distance with the Manassa Mauler, Ireland's Bartley Madden. Madden has only been stopped once, by Harry Wills in 1917 when Wills was en route to the WBA crown. Dempsey and Madden battled to a 10-round draw in late 1916, a bout that right now is the only blemish on Dempsey's record. The LA crowd is expected to provide a huge boost to Dempsey.

Round one, Madden lands a straight right. Dempsey is wild with a hook, but follows up with a quick uppercut. Madden doubles up with a jab, then follows with a three-punch combo that staggers the Manassa man, who is forced to cover up. Madden forces Dempsey against the ropes, flicks a few harmless jabs, a follow up right, then the bell sounds. Strong start by Madden, but Dempsey did well to avert further damage.

Second round sees both men willing to wage battle on the inside. Madden lands a three-punch combination; Dempsey connects with an uppercut. Madden lands a short hook. Dempsey fires away with the uppercut. Madden fires back with the jab. Dempsey connects with another uppercut. Madden lands another blow right before the bell in a great action round, which is fairly even according to most neutral observers.

Round three, this time it's Dempsey on the inside and Madden on the outside. Dempsey opens the action by connecting with a hard shot to the top of Madden's head. Maddden fires back with a couple of quick jabs, otherwise it's a quiet round.

Fourth round, Madden tries to work his way inside, but he makes himself an inviting target for a Dempsey jab, followed up by a crushing uppercut from the Manassa Man. Madden connects with a right to the chin of Dempsey. Dempsey connects with a solid cross right before the bell to take the round.

Round five, Dempsey is looking to put his man away. After an early flurry by Dempsey, Madden comes back to land a body shot but misses with a left. Dempsey fires back and lands a huge uppercut. Another round for Dempsey, who is ahead 49-46 on the unofficial cards.

Sixth round sees Dempsey pressuring Madden on the inside. Madden flicks the jab, is off target with a cross. Dempsey connects with a sweet uppercut that has Madden reeling. After having some difficulty getting on track, a late three-punch combo right before the bell solidifies Dempsey's lead.

Round seven, Madden tries his luck on the inside. Dempsey is fighting outside. Dempsey gets in first with the uppercut, followed by a straight right. Madden fires back with a jab that lacks sting. Another strong shot by Dempsey has Madden in trouble. Madden tries to back Dempsey into a corner, but Jack escapes and then connects with a big hook. Madden collapses to the canvas and is counted out.

Dempsey by KO 7 at 2:41 to avenge his one non-win from earlier in his career. He advances to 25-0-1 (25 KO), with 1123 pp, good enough to move up to #3 in the HW rankings. Madden drops to 22-5-3 (11), falling out of the Top 10 to #12.

Speculation of course is rampant about the identity of Dempsey's next opponent. WBA champ Harry Wills, ex-Champs McVey and Langford are all being discussed, as is a USBA title defense versus Billy Miske. Stay tuned...

Tommysixfingers · 04-12-2007, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCWeb

Dateline, Los Angeles, May 25, 1918 -- Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney once again are fighting on the same card, this time in LA on the undercard of a World LH Title Fight.

First of the two to step in the ring is Gene "Fighting Marine" Tunney. Now the #5 ranked LH, at 15-0, he takes on the former USBA LH champ, now #12 ranked Charles Grande, who has a 17-10-1 record. Tunney, although still at Pre-Prime, is expected to win #16 in a row.

First round, Grande swings and misses, then Tunney opens the action with a strong cross and then drives a hook home. Grande sticks out a left jab, then follows up with a hook. Tunney rips an uppercut and punishes his opponent with a hook to the head. Strong opening round for Gene Tunney.

Round two, both work the outside, Grande lands a lead right, Tunney slams home a right that lands on the nose, he follows with another right, traps Grande in a corner, pummeling him with a jolting uppercut. Grande is sporting a mouse under the right eye after another strong round for Tunney.

Round three, Tunney misses then lands a sharp combination as he moves inside for the kill. Grande takes a step back and hooks off his jab. Tunney follows with a jab of his own and then lands a strong uppercut. Grande is on the defensive as Gene flicks a right cross, then a jab to the chest. Grande is now helpless and the ref, Larry Hernandez, steps in to call a halt at 2:29 of the round.

Tunney by TKO 3 to run his record to 16-0 (13 KOs). His 736 pp are good for the #4 ranking amongst the LHs.

A few bouts later Dempsey steps into the ring in a rematch against the only man to go the distance with the Manassa Mauler, Ireland's Bartley Madden. Madden has only been stopped once, by Harry Wills in 1917 when Wills was en route to the WBA crown. Dempsey and Madden battled to a 10-round draw in late 1916, a bout that right now is the only blemish on Dempsey's record. The LA crowd is expected to provide a huge boost to Dempsey.

Round one, Madden lands a straight right. Dempsey is wild with a hook, but follows up with a quick uppercut. Madden doubles up with a jab, then follows with a three-punch combo that staggers the Manassa man, who is forced to cover up. Madden forces Dempsey against the ropes, flicks a few harmless jabs, a follow up right, then the bell sounds. Strong start by Madden, but Dempsey did well to avert further damage.

Second round sees both men willing to wage battle on the inside. Madden lands a three-punch combination; Dempsey connects with an uppercut. Madden lands a short hook. Dempsey fires away with the uppercut. Madden fires back with the jab. Dempsey connects with another uppercut. Madden lands another blow right before the bell in a great action round, which is fairly even according to most neutral observers.

Round three, this time it's Dempsey on the inside and Madden on the outside. Dempsey opens the action by connecting with a hard shot to the top of Madden's head. Maddden fires back with a couple of quick jabs, otherwise it's a quiet round.

Fourth round, Madden tries to work his way inside, but he makes himself an inviting target for a Dempsey jab, followed up by a crushing uppercut from the Manassa Man. Madden connects with a right to the chin of Dempsey. Dempsey connects with a solid cross right before the bell to take the round.

Round five, Dempsey is looking to put his man away. After an early flurry by Dempsey, Madden comes back to land a body shot but misses with a left. Dempsey fires back and lands a huge uppercut. Another round for Dempsey, who is ahead 49-46 on the unofficial cards.

Sixth round sees Dempsey pressuring Madden on the inside. Madden flicks the jab, is off target with a cross. Dempsey connects with a sweet uppercut that has Madden reeling. After having some difficulty getting on track, a late three-punch combo right before the bell solidifies Dempsey's lead.

Round seven, Madden tries his luck on the inside. Dempsey is fighting outside. Dempsey gets in first with the uppercut, followed by a straight right. Madden fires back with a jab that lacks sting. Another strong shot by Dempsey has Madden in trouble. Madden tries to back Dempsey into a corner, but Jack escapes and then connects with a big hook. Madden collapses to the canvas and is counted out.

Dempsey by KO 7 at 2:41 to avenge his one non-win from earlier in his career. He advances to 25-0-1 (25 KO), with 1123 pp, good enough to move up to #3 in the HW rankings. Madden drops to 22-5-3 (11), falling out of the Top 10 to #12.

Speculation of course is rampant about the identity of Dempsey's next opponent. WBA champ Harry Wills, ex-Champs McVey and Langford are all being discussed, as is a USBA title defense versus Billy Miske. Stay tuned...

Great reading! Would you mind posting the HW rankings?

JCWeb · 04-12-2007, 10:42 PM

Tommy, I generally hold off posting the rankings until the end of the year, but since you asked, the current HW list is:

Champ: Harry Wills
1. Langford (NABF and CBU Champ)
2. McVey
3. Dempsey (USBA Champ)
4. Burns
5. Jeannette
6. Moran
7. Joplin Ghost Jeff Clarke
8. Willard
9. Carl Morris
10. Miske

Looking ahead, Dempsey is due to fight next in July and the only Top 10 guys available that month are McVey, Willard and Miske. Since he has already fought Willard, that leaves McVey and Miske as the most likely opponents.

03-25-2007, 10:17 PM	#301 (permalink)
JCWeb All Star Reserve Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 672	1917-Lightweights Part II Jan 1918 LW Division Profile Total: 116 RL: 62 TCs: 54 RL by Career Stage: End - 3 Post - 14 Prime - 30 Pre - 11 Beginning - 4 (2 New) Rated: 47 800+: 8 500+: 26 200+: 42 Jan 1918 Rankings (Perf Pts and Changes from Jan 1917 in Parens): Champ: Benny Leonard 29-0-1 (20) (1421) (NC) 1. Jack Blackburn 61-8-2 (20) (1481) (NC) 2. Willie Ritchie 34-11-2 (11) (1385) (NC) 3. Jem Driscoll 59-9-1 (31) (1241) (+2) 4. Ray Bronson 33-11-6 (9) (1055) (+2) 5. Fighting Dick Hyland 35-23-5 (20) (1035) (-1) 6. Lew Tendler 21-2-1 (9) (813) (+10) 7. Knockout Brown 30-12-2 (22) (800) (+1) 8. Charley White 29-14-4 (12) (740) (+5) 9. Llew Edwards 16-5 (12) (722) (+29) 10. Willie Beecher 26-11-2 (4) (721) (+1) Comments: All but three of the above are at Prime; Driscoll (who turns 38 in 1918), Hyland and Brown are at Post-Prime. Leonard made three successful defenses to run his win streak to 15. Blackburn has won 9 and drawn one in his last 10, yet he still has more PP than Leonard. Ritchie has become firmly established as the #2 contender, and extending his win streak to six after two USBA bouts plus a UD 10 over ex-Champ Freddie Welsh. Driscoll won two titles and went 3-0 in 1917 to re-establish himself as a top contender. Bronson was also 3-0 for the year, scoring a MD over Wolgast, a TKO over Harlem Tommy Murphy and a UD over Beecher. Hyland slipped a bit, going winless in 1917; his best outing was the draw with Blackburn for the NABF title. Tendler had a busy year, fighting six times and winning four and drawing one; he won UDs versus Beecher and Edwards but could only draw with White and lost to Blackburn. Knockout Brown lost the USBA belt to Ritchie but stayed on the list with a TKO of Murphy. White regained his Top 10 status by virtue of UDs over Herb McCoy and Lockport Jimmy Duffy. He drew with Tendler, having suffered a UD loss to Wolgast early in the year. Edwards made a huge (perhaps record) move up the rankings, more remarkable because he only won two of five bouts in 1917; but his big upset win over Welsh was enough to boost his stock. Beecher eased back into the Top 10 with a UD over Koehler and a SD versus de Ponthieu after suffering losses to Tendler and Bronson earlier in the year. Other Notables: Harlem Tommy Murphy fell out of the Top 10, probably for good, with TKO losses to Bronson and Brown that dropped him from #7 last year to #11; he is now at End career stage. Welsh went 0-3 for the year, losing all three title belts, to fall from #3 to #12. Wolgast dropped from #10 to #13, faltering after a UD over White with losses to Blackburn and Bronson. France's de Ponthieu tumbled from #9 to #16, going 1-2 for the year with a MD over Phil Bloom but losses to Beecher and Leonard (for the title). No newcomers to the rankings, but Rocky Kansas was headed in the right direction with UDs over Donahue, Hammer and Duffy before his ill-fated title try versus Leonard; he checks in at 21-5-2 (15), good for 14th spot. Aussie Herb McCoy is one spot behind him, recovering from a loss to White to register three wins in a row over Stone, Black and Douglas. Prospects: Jimmy Dundee has looked good, reeling off 11 wins versus TCs and then downing RL opponents Delmont, Benjamin and Wallace en route to compiling a 14-0 (8) record. Benjamin had 12 TC wins prior to his loss to Dundee; his record now stands at 12-1 (10). Still unbeaten is Andy Chaney, who beat Phil Cross and Rudy Unholz to go 13-0 (10) after 11 TC wins. Frankie Farren vanquished all his TC foes and Phil Cross to go 12-0 (5). Eddie "Kid" Wagner has gone 11-0 (7), all versus TCs. Clonie Tait topped Sailor Friedman in a battle of unbeaten prospects to move to 10-0 (2); Friedman dropped to 9-1 (4). Frenchman Benny Valgar is still unbeaten at 10-0 (8). Also unblemished versus TC opposition are Tommy O'Brien at 6-0 (5), Emmanuel Jacobsen at 5-0 (1), Tommy Cello at 3-0 (1) and Alex Hart at 3-0 (0). Retirements: Four LWs left the ranks in 1917. Harry Ah Chung (USA) 1912-17 8-10-3 (1) No Titles Highest Rank: 44 Kid Farmer (USA) 1901-17 32-30-1 (16) No Titles Highest Rank: 15 Young Erne (USA) 1900-17 41-29-4 (15) WBA Champ 1911 Highest Rank: 3 Jack Curley (USA) 1908-17 24-15 (12) No Titles Highest Rank: 19 Looking Ahead: There appears to be a group that has separated itself from the rest, including Leonard, Blackburn, Ritchie, and possibly also including Bronson. Driscoll and Hyland may fall off in 1918 due to the effects of aging. Tendler has the making of a potential future champion, although it may be difficult to dislodge Leonard for many years to come. It will be interesting to see if Edwards will be able to keep his EBU belt when challenged. The two newcomers to the ranks in 1918 include Jimmy Goodrich, a RL champion, along with Brit Elmer Rice. Predictions: Did fairly well except for the prediction of a Leonard win over Blackburn, as the two did not meet. Correctly forecast that Welsh would lose all three titles (CBU, GBU and EBU) in 1917; also predicted Driscoll taking a GBU belt; and there were at least three new faces in the Top 10. (Actually, there were four, although two -- White and Beecher -- had been there before.) For 1918, I will once again forecast Leonard over Blackburn, and will further predict a NABF or USBA title for Tendler, which could be a tough task given who the current titleholders are. Also, Edwards will not retain his EBU belt, plus at least three shifts in the top ten from 1917 to 1918.

03-26-2007, 05:35 PM	#302 (permalink)
JCWeb All Star Reserve Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 672	1917-Featherweights Part I 1917 FW Title Bouts WBA Abe Attell CH (64-4-1) vs Johnny Dundee #2 (26-5-1) Attell's first bout at Post-Prime is against the current NABF champ, Dundee, who lost a prior title bout with Attell back in 1913. Action is slow to develop, but starting in round 2 Dundee looks sharp and is prepared to take the fight to the veteran Lil' Champ. Dundee pressures Attell, who unexpectedly moves inside, but after five rounds it's 50-46 for the Scotch Wop on the unofficial card. After a close round 6, Attell finally gets on track with a strong round 7. Dundee bounces back with a great round 8, and there is puffiness around Abe's left eye. Dundee is able to hold his own in toe-to-toe action in round 9 with the Champ. 99-93 for Dundee on the unofficial card after 10. Abe, feeling his belt slipping away, gets more aggressive as the bout enters the crucial rounds. Attell is bothered by a cut above his right eye and cannot launch the desired comeback. Dundee is able to retreat into a defensive shell, converting his early points lead to a UD 15 win (147-139, 149-137, 147-139) to take the belt from Attell. Johnny Dundee CH (27-5-1) vs Patsy Brannigan #6 (27-8-3) Brannigan, the USBA titleholder, takes a crack at Dundee's WBA belt. A 2-1 edge in their prior encounters means Dundee is confident. After an even first round, Brannigan tries his luck on the inside but the Scotch Wop pounds away from the outside to dominate the action. Both move outside for round three, another strong round for the Champ. Brannigan does a bit better in the toe-to-toe action on the inside in round four, but cannot follow up in the fifth. Dundee adopts a strong defensive posture that is sufficient to repulse all aggressive overtures by Brannigan. Dundee therefore coasts to a decisive UD 15 win (146-139, 146-138, 145-139). Johnny Dundee CH (28-5-1) vs Eugene Criqui #2 (24-4-4) Ex-Champ Criqui earns a title shot despite a recent loss to Attell by virtue of his successful defense of the EBU title. Dundee defeated Criqui in a 10-round bout back in 1912 when both were at Pre-Prime, but a more recent encounter (in 1916) ended in a draw. Action is slow to develop until Criqui starts to seize the initiative in rounds two and three. Criqui pulls ahead 48-46 on the unofficial card after the first five rounds. The Scotch Wop steps up the pace in the middle rounds, and appears to be making progress until Criqui puts him down with a barrage of punches at the end of the 8th round. Dundee becomes more cautious, and avoids serious trouble. Criqui suffers some swelling under his left eye near the end of round 12. It's a close battle down to the wire, but the KD in the 8th proves crucial as Dundee's late rally falls short. Criqui regains the title with a UD 13 (143-142, 146-138, 144-141). NABF: Dundee begins 1917 with the belt, and defends it versus Steve "Kid" Sullivan, who suffers a cut above the left eye in round 3 that winds up leading to a late stoppage. Dundee by TKO 11. Dundee vacates the belt after stepping up to win the WBA title, and Johnny Kilbane faces Ty Cobb for the vacant title. Cobb takes a real beating for the first three rounds when, in a huge reversal of fortunes, Kilbane suffers a broken rib in a freak exchange in round four and Cobb is awarded the title via TKO stoppage. USBA: Brannigan defends the title against K. O. Mars, who is ineffective in his efforts against a strong performance that yields a lopsided UD win for Brannigan. Next up is ex-Champ Kilbane, who recovered from his rib injury and gradually applies the pressure to break open a close bout to pound out a solid UD 12 win to take the title. CBU: Australia's Jimmy Hill proved his mettle in two title defenses, first versus Billy Elliott, whom he outclassed in a relatively easy UD 12 win, and then versus Canadian Percy Cove, who proved a more difficult opponent despite being a shadow of his former self -- Hill escaped with a narrow MD 12 win. GBU: Lacking a suitable opponent, veteran British fighter Owen Moran did not defend his GBU title in 1917. EBU: Criqui defended versus Kid Julian, who breaks through to nail the Frenchman with a vicious combination in round four. Criqui rallies strongly, however, dominating the action in the late rounds to squeak out a narrow SD 12 to take the belt. Julian is back in action later in the year to take on Moran for the vacant belt after Criqui captured the WBA crown. This time Julian used a strong 10th round to pull ahead to register a UD 12 win, breaking open a relatively close contest.

03-26-2007, 06:38 PM	#303 (permalink)
JCWeb All Star Reserve Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 672	1917-Featherweights Part II Jan 1918 Division Profile Total: 69 RL: 32 TCs: 37 RL by Career Stage: End - 1 Post - 8 Prime - 15 Pre - 6 Beginning - 2 (1 New) Rated: 26 800+: 6 500+: 16 200+: 23 Jan 1918 Rankings (Perf Pts and Changes from Jan 1917 in Parens): Champ: Eugene Criqui 25-4-4 (11) (1122) (+2) 1. Abe Attell 65-5-1 (24) (1211) (-1) 2. Johnny Dundee 28-6-1 (10) (1121) (+1) 3. Johnny Kilbane 35-8-4 (10) (979) (-2) 4. Kid Julian 27-8-7 (9) (892) (NC) 5. Ty Cobb 24-12-2 (9) (825) (+8) 6. Jimmy Hill 27-9-1 (1) (786) (+2) 7. Patsy Brannigan 22-10-3 (7) (696) (-2) 8. Steve Sullivan 19-9-2 (5) (673) (-1) 9. Eddie O'Keefe 33-9-2 (17) (671) (+1) 10. K. O. Mars 21-6-1 (5) (659) (+2) Comments: Everyone still at Prime condition except Attell (who is at Post). Criqui won his only two contests in 1917, first for the EBU and then the WBA title. Attell lost the title to Dundee but still has the highest Perf Pt total after a SD 10 over Steve Sullivan. Dundee was 3-1 for the year, all in title bouts. Kilbane won four of five in 1917, his victims in non-title bouts including ex-Champ Jimmy Walsh and Battling Reddy. Julian was able to regain the EBU title and managed to improve his status with a UD 10 win over Cobb, a SD over Brannigan, and a draw with Sullivan. Cobb scored the upset over Kilbane along with a UD over Grover "Battler" Hayes, but losses to Julian and Reddy (the latter on a foul) prevented further progress. Hill now holds the longest win streak (6), but only tested himself in two CBU title bouts in 1917. Brannigan dropped after losing three of four in 1917, including a SD loss to Julian in addition to three title bouts. Sullivan salvaged a subpar year with a TKO over Frankie Ellis after managing a draw versus three losses in his other bouts. O'Keefe maintained his status with a win over Ellis and a draw with Lee Johnson. Mars went 3-1 for the year, scoring a MD over Sullivan and SD wins versus Reddy and "KO" Chaney to move into the Top 10 for the first time. Other Notables: Ex-Champ Walsh dropped out of the top group, losing 6 spots to #12 after suffering a SD loss to Lee Johnson in addition to the UD loss to Kilbane. Percy Cove lost all three of his outings to fall even further, down 12 spots to #21. British Champ Owen Moran is only ranked #18, after a 1-3 campaign, and his overall record is now 42-23-3 (16) with 338 pp. Lee Johnson lurks just outside the top group at #11, after scoring four wins and a draw in a strong 1917 campaign. Willie Ames compiled a 13-3-3 (6) mark, good for an initial rank of #16 with 395 pp, and Panama's Ansell Bell debuts at #22 with a 12-3-1 (9) mark. Prospects: Filipino Francisco Flores has compiled a 11-2 (5) mark, losing recently to his first RL opponent, Patsy Kline, after suffering a DQ loss to a TC early on. American Danny Edwards was unbeaten until facing tough RL competition from Ames and Tommy Dixon, both of whom defeated him; he has two draws with Bell and Leo Johnson to go 10-2-2 (4). Vincent "Pepper" Martin is 9-0-1 (8) versus all TC opposition; Bud Ridley has kept his record clean at 8-0 (7), also versus TCs. Mike Dundee got his career off to a perfect 3-0 (3) start in 1917. Retirement: One, a mainstay in the FW ranks since the turn of the Century who winds up an impressive 21-year career. Brooklyn Tommy Sullivan (USA) 1897-1917 48-23-8 (27) WBA Champ 1902 Highest Rank: 1 Looking Ahead: Criqui is likely to be facing some tough challenges for his WBA title belt, with Dundee, Kilbane, Cobb and Hill among the top likely opponents. Veterans such as Moran, Walsh, and even Attell are now likely to fade from the scene, as seems to have been the case with Cove and Hayes already. George "KO" Chaney, after numerous chances at FW, is likely to move up to LW division in 1918. Chick Suggs will be the only new addition to the division in 1918. Predictions: Once again, didn't do all that well in the 1917 forecasts for this division. Had Attell maintaining the WBA crown for the entire year, which did not happen. Did predict Dundee becoming a major force--he actually won the title. Was correct that Brannigan would lose the USBA belt. However, George "KO" Chaney did not reach the top 10 list, as forecast. For 1918, I will boldly predict that Kilbane will regain his form and the WBA title as well. Look for Jimmy Hill to fail once he takes on the top five contenders. Eddie O'Keefe will get a title shot at one of the lesser belts (NABF or USBA) and will fail when given the opportunity. Julian, on the other hand, will keep the EBU title for another year.

03-26-2007, 06:43 PM	#304 (permalink)
mh2365 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: louisville Posts: 14,483	Good stuff JC __________________ Management Image Recruiters UTBA II Villebillies Louisville Boxing Association

03-27-2007, 12:06 PM	#305 (permalink)
JCWeb All Star Reserve Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 672	1917-Bantamweights Part I 1917 BW Title Bouts WBA: Four title bouts, and the belt changes hands in three of them... Al Delmont CH (43-15-3) vs Philadelphia Pal Moore #6 (32-8-3) Phila Pal Moore won prior bout in 1913 for NABF belt by SD, and the fact that Delmont has reached Post-Prime career stage also favors the challenger. After a close round one, both work outside in the second stanza with a slight edge to the Champ. The defensive battle continues in round three, as Delmont moves inside. Moore starts to get on top as Delmont experiences signs of swelling in round 5. Moore is warned for holding and hitting in round 7, but he opens up and is more aggressive as the bout wears on. Delmont suffers a cut below the right eye and unable to offer much resistance as Phila Pal Moore regains the WBA belt by a rather decisive UD 15 (147-140, 147-139, 147-139). Philadelphia Pal Moore CH (33-8-3) vs Johnny Coulon #1 (38-4-5) Coulon, who is unbeaten since he lost the belt via SD to Delmont in 1915, is seeking to regain it from Moore, against whom he holds a 2-1 edge in prior meetings. After a cautious start by both men, Coulon uses his strong counterpunching ability to take round 3. Moore recovers to score well in round 4, and a cut appears above the challenger's right eye. Coulon bounces back in round 6, landing a strong combination that forces the Champ to cover up. It's a close bout heading into the late rounds, but Coulon's cut reopens and finally decides it when the bout is stopped in the 14th when the cut is reopened for the third time. Phila Pal Moore by TKO 14 (cut). Philadelphia Pal Moore CH (34-8-3) vs Kid Williams #4 (27-5) It is Williams' third try for the WBA belt, having lost twice before via MD to Coulon and SD to Delmont. Will the third time be a charm? Williams comes out as the aggressor in the opening rounds, while Moore is content to stay on the outside, picking his spots. The Champ holds a slight edge after the initial five rounds, and there is noticeable swelling around the right eye of Williams in round 6. Williams continues to apply the pressure but, after some good action in rounds 9 and 10, the unofficial card has Moore on top by 97-93. Kid Williams doesn't give up, and a strong rally in the last few rounds gives him the title. Williams by SD 15 (145-141, 142-143, 146-142). A glance at the cards shows Williams won the last four rounds to capture the belt. Kid Williams CH (28-5) vs Pete Herman #1 (22-2) Herman has won his last six bouts, including a previous MD win over Williams earlier in the year, to make him a logical contender for the title belt. It's a cautious start by both men, and Williams seems to have the upper hand after the opening rounds. Herman comes back to take round 4 and comes back to dominate the action in the middle rounds. After 10, the unofficial card has Herman ahead by 97-93. Williams comes back to take round 11, but then Herman asserts himself with a strong 12th. Herman is cut below the right eye and his left eye starts to swell as Williams finds the range in round 13. No KDs in a close bout that goes down to the wire. Herman takes the title by MD 15 (144-142, 144-144, 144-142). NABF: Williams defended this belt versus Herman, who piled up an early points lead and withstood a late rally by Williams to register a MD 12 win to lift the belt. Herman defended versus veteran Frankie Conley, who made a strong start but faded as the bout wore on. Herman by UD 12 to retain the belt. USBA: Coulon defended the title versus Eddie Campi, and the Chicago Spider battled back from an indifferent start to pull in front in the middle rounds en route to a decisive UD win to retain the title for another year. CBU, GBU: These belts slipped into inactivity as the holder, Joe Bowker, retired in 1917. EBU: Frenchman Charles Ledoux defended the belt twice, first versus the aging British veteran, Digger Stanley, who was pounded into submission and knocked down and out in round 4 in what proved to be Stanley's final hurrah. Then Ledoux took on countryman Robert Dastillon for the second time, duplicating the earlier result with another KO 4 to retain the title.

03-27-2007, 01:35 PM	#306 (permalink)
JCWeb All Star Reserve Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 672	1917-Bantamweights Part II Jan 1918 BW Division Profile Total: 62 RL: 27 TCs: 35 RL by Career Stage: End - 0 Post - 5 Prime - 14 Pre - 7 Beginning - 1 (1 New) Rated: 20 800+: 7 500+: 14 200+: 19 Jan 1918 Rankings (Perf Pts and Changes from Jan 1917 in Parens): Champ: Pete Herman 23-2 (12) (1122) (+4) 1. Johnny Coulon 39-5-5 (17) (1108) (NC) 2. Philadelphia Pal Moore 35-9-4 (13) (1025) (+4) 3. Kid Williams 28-6 (15) (989) (-1) 4. Eddie Campi 28-6-2 (15) (977) (-1) 5. Charles Ledoux 31-6 (26) (913) (NC) 6. Memphis Pal Moore 19-3-2 (11) (802) (+3) 7. Frankie Conley 34-17-2 (17) (773) (+3) 8. Kid Murphy 40-18-1 (26) (772) (NC) 9. Frankie Burns 26-13-1 (7) (713) (-2) 10. Jack Kid Wolfe 20-6-1 (8) (662) (+2) Comments: All at Prime except for Campi (who hits Post in 1918) and Murphy (already at Post). Herman has won his last 7 bouts, with four wins in 1917, a UD over Ledoux plus the title bout wins documented in the prior post. Coulon lost his bid for the WBA crown but defended the USBA crown to remain the #1 rated contender. Phila Pal Moore was very active in a topsy-turvy 1917, winning three and drawing one in five bouts. He was held to a draw by Memphis Pal Moore but still maintained his high ranking. Kid Williams dropped to third after losing the WBA crown. Campi had a strong start to the year, with a TKO over Monte Attell and a UD 10 over ex-Champ Delmont, but the loss to Coulon snapped a four-bout win streak. Ledoux defended his EBU belt but a UD 10 loss to Herman prevented further progress. Memphis Pal was held to two draws with Philly Pal and Jack Kid Wolfe after wins versus Bowker and Burns. Conley came on strong with three successive wins over Little Jack Sharkey, Indian Russell and Burns after a poor start to the year, with the loss to Herman and a draw with Biz Mackey. A rejuvenated Kid Murphy won 3 of 4 in 1917, dropping a UD to Burns but scoring KOs versus Sharkey and Bowker and a UD over "Kewpie" Ertle. Burns struggled to a 2-2 record for the year, his best result a UD over Murphy. Jack "Kid" Wolfe moved into the Top 10 for the first time, by virtue of three wins (over Biderberg, Mackey and Ertle) and a draw with Memphis Pal Moore. Other Notables: Delmont, the Champ going into 1917, tumbled all the way down to the #13 spot after losing all four contests in the year, including a KO 1 blowout loss to Dastillon and UD 10 losses to Campi and Fox. Dastillon checks in at #11 with a 14-9-2 (9) mark, mainly based on the first round KO over Delmont. Joe Fox, who also beat Delmont, winds up the year at #12 with a 18-8-1 (8) mark, including two wins over British Flyweight contenders Lee and Jones. No newcomers to the rankings list, which shrunk due to several retirements (see below). Prospects: Joe Lynch has compiled an impressive 13-1 (11) record, scoring a UD 10 over fellow prospect Packey O'Gatty but losing a UD 10 to Ertle. O'Gatty wrapped up the year at 11-1 (9), scoring a UD 10 over Aussie Vince Blackburn. Indian Russell, who checks in at 11-2 (6), lost a split duke to Conley but managed a MD 10 over Little Jack Sharkey. Feasting on TC opposition was Joe Burman, who compiled a 10-0 (6) mark in his first two years. Abe Goldstein kept his record clean at 8-0 (6), as did George Marks, who remained unbeaten at 5-0 (1) going into 1918. Retirements: The BW ranks shrunk by three during the year. Charles Goldman (USA) 1906-17 18-19-4 (8) NABF Champ Highest Rank: 14 Digger Stanley (UK) 1901-17 28-31-5 (8) EBU, GBU Champ Highest Rank: 4 Joe Bowker (UK) 1900-17 39-27-4 (20) CBU, GBU Champ Highest Rank: 2 Looking Ahead: Herman moved to the top after a topsy-turvy year, and he could be set for a long run as WBA Champ. Coulon, Philly Pal Moore, WIlliams, and Memphis Pal Moore look to be the top contenders, not only for the World title but also for the NABF crown that Herman has vacated. The retirements of both Bowker and Stanley leave a void in the ranks of CBU, GBU, and EBU contenders; Joe Fox and Aussie Vince Blackburn may be expected to step up. Joe Lynch looks like he has the ability to become a top 10 contender, although a bit more seasoning may be needed first. Predictions: Last year's predictions turned out to be a mixed bad, but mostly on the inaccurate side. Coulon failed to regain the WBA belt (as predicted), Delmont did fade from view (correct), Pete Herman did capture a lesser belt (correct) but then went on to take the WBA title, too. Williams did not wait for a WBA title shot (incorrect) and Fox has not yet captured the GBU title (incorrect), although that could be just a question of time. For 1918, I will forecast that Herman will maintain the WBA title throughout the year, and Memphis Pal Moore will step up to claim the NABF title belt. Joe Fox I will predict for the vacant CBU and GBU titles, although it may be by default given the paucity of competition.

03-27-2007, 05:30 PM	#307 (permalink)
JCWeb All Star Reserve Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 672	1917-Flyweights Part I 1917 FLY Title Bouts WBA Jimmy Wilde CH (28-1-1) vs Earl Puryear #5 (16-6-2) First title try for Puryear, who was a TKO victim of Wilde back in 1913 when both were still at Pre-Prime. Wilde starts pummeling Puryear from the opening bell and appears to be headed towards another successful defense when suddenly, in round four, a nasty-looking cut appears above the right eye of the Champion. Puryear actually takes advantage and is up by 48-47 on the unofficial card after five. Wilde tries to get more aggressive but the cut is clearly a problem for the Mighty Atom. In round eight, the blood is flowing freely despite a very strong round for the Champ. His corner protests when referee McIntosh takes a close look and then decides to call a halt. Puryear wins the title in a huge upset by a TKO 8 (cut) in a round dominated on points by Wilde by a massive 24-2 margin. A controversial call which brings an end to Wilde's four year reign as WBA Flyweight king. Earl Puryear CH (17-6-2) vs Frankie Mason #2 (24-9-1) Puryear defends versus former WBA Champ, Mason. The two fought previously to a draw in 1914. After an uneventful round one, Mason becomes aggressive, moving to the inside and taking the fight to Puryear. In round three, a cut opens above Puryear's left eye, and Mason proceeds to target the cut. Puryear leads 49-46 after five according to the ringside expert, but the Champ's corner has trouble controlling the cut. The cut reopens in round seven, and Puryear fights a defensive bout to try to protect his lead and the cut. He runs out of time, however, as the cut re-opens again in round 11, and the result is another stoppage and another new Champ. Mason by TKO 11 (cut). USBA: Mason defends the title versus the Young Zulu Kid. A big uppercut by Mason in round three forces the Kid to cover up. Mason puts Kid on the canvas in round 7, and then coasts to a UD 12 win. After winning the WBA crown, Mason vacates the USBA title which will be up for grabs in 1918. CBU: Joe Symonds retains the belt he won in 1916 with a relatively easy defense versus veteran TC Joe Wilson, whom he dispatched via a round 3 TKO. GBU: Tancy Lee keeps the belt, but did not defend it in 1917. EBU: Lee defends the EBU title against Bill Ladbury, who by now is but a shadow of his former self. Lee dominates from the early going and finishes Ladbury with a fine-looking combination in the fourth. Lee by KO 4.

03-27-2007, 05:57 PM	#308 (permalink)
JCWeb All Star Reserve Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 672	1917-Flyweights Part II Jan 1918 FLY Division Profile Total: 32 RL: 11 TCs: 21 RL by Career Stage: End - 1 Post- 1 Prime- 7 Pre - 2 Beginning - 0 (0 New) Rated: 9 800+: 0 500+: 3 200+: 7 Jan 1918 Rankings List (Perf Pts and Changes from Jan 1917 in Parens): Champ: Frankie Mason 25-9-1 (16) (603) (+1) 1. Jimmy Wilde 30-2-1 (29) (721) (-1) 2. Earl Puryear 17-7-2 (4) (575) (+5) 3. Tancy Lee 19-8-1 (10) (480) (-1) 4. Sid Smith 26-14 (11) (464) (+1) 5. Joe Symonds 17-7-3 (11) (377) (-2) 6. Percy Jones 16-11-1 (11) (245) (-2) 7. Young Zulu Kid 14-6-2 (9) (150) (+1) 8. Bill Ladbury 30-13-1 (15) (148) (-2) Comments: Everyone listed at Prime except for Jones at End career stage and Ladbury at Post. Mason recovered from a UD 10 loss to Smith to win three in a row and sweep to the WBA title for the second time. Wilde is still the highest rated FLY, despite the controversial title loss to Puryear. He recovered with KOs over Smith and Young Zulu Kid. Puryear lifted his flagging career by winning (and then losing) the WBA belt in his only outings of 1917. Tancy Lee failed to progress, losing to BW Joe Fox but winning his only bout at FLY. Smith suffered a loss to Wilde but defeated both Mason and Jones. Symonds went 3-0 in 1917, but his two FLY wins were versus TCs and his only RL victim was marginal BW, Vince Blackburn. Jones went 2-2 for the year, and his UD 10 win over Ladbury was undone by losses to Smith and BW Joe Fox. Young Zulu Kid lost both his bouts in 1917. Ladbury won one of four, losing all three of his contests versus RL opponents. Prospects: Johnny McCoy completed his second full year of competition, piling up a 9-0 (6) record against TC opponents. Aussie George Mendies completed his first year with a perfect 5-0 (5) mark. Retirements: Still to soon, although Percy Jones is definitely headed for his final bout soon. Looking Ahead: Wilde is itching for a shot at getting his WBA title back. Lee is also angling for a title shot or the CBU belt. Smith is a likely opponent for either Lee or Symonds. Puryear is likely to face Young Zulu Kid for the USBA belt. McCoy and Mendies will continue to build experience, but there will be no newcomers to the FLY ranks until 1919. Predictions: None of last year's forecasts came true. I had Lee establishing himself as the top contender by annexing the CBU belt, which did not happen; had Puryear unsuccessful in attempt at the USBA title, which also didn't happen (he actually challenged for and won the WBA belt instead); and finally, had Mason losing a WBA title bout bid to Wilde, which also didn't occur. For 1918, I will predict Wilde making a comeback and regaining the WBA crown as he is still head and shoulders above the rest. Lee I will once again predict for the CBU belt, and I have Puryear taking the USBA crown. Next up, the year-end wrapup and the pound-for-pound ratings.

03-27-2007, 08:30 PM	#309 (permalink)
JCWeb All Star Reserve Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 672	Year-End Wrapup and Pound-for-Pound Ratings Last but not least, here's the wrapup report with the pound-for-pound list: 1917 Year-End Pound-for-Pound Ratings (Changes from Last Year in Parens): 1. Jack Blackburn, LW (NABF Champ), 1481 (+2) 2. Harry Wills, HW (WBA Champ), 1463 (new) 3. Sam Langford, HW (CBU, NABF Champ), 1462 (-1) 4. Benny Leonard, LW (WBA Champ), 1421 (+4) 5. Sam McVey, HW (no title), 1419 (-1) 6. Willie Ritchie, LW (USBA Champ), 1385 (+3) 7. Art Magirl, WW (WBA Champ), 1309 (new) 8. Harry Greb, MW (WBA Champ), 1297 (new) 9. Mike Gibbons, MW (no title), 1296 (-3) 10. Packey McFarland, WW (NABF Title), 1272 (-6) Dropped out: Abe Attell, FW (#5) Jack Johnson, HW (#7) Jack Britton, WW (#10) Comments: Interesting, only four of the divisions are represented in this list, and it happens to be the four deepest divisions: HW, MW, WW and LW, each with two or three representatives apiece. Attell had been in the list for nine of the prior 10 years, including five years in a row at the top spot from 1908 through 1912. Johnson, who retired in 1917, had been the only fighter on all 10 prior Top Ten lists, so a bit of a changing of the guard. While there have been many newcomers and up-and-coming fighters in the 11 years of the Universe since the pound-for-pound list was instituted in 1907, in some respect things have come full circle as the #1 ranked boxer on that first list was -- none other than Jack Blackburn, the same fighter who heads the list for 1917. Of the current crop, Langford is now the senior member of the group, having been listed for nine years in a row going back to 1909. Blackburn follows with eight appearances, followed by McFarland with seven. Leonard, and more recently Wills and Greb, signal a changing of the guard as others like Dempsey and Tunney can be expected to be future additions. Looking at the overall picture, here are some numbers tracking the overall number of very high rated fighters in the Uni over the past few years: Year: 1915 1916 1917 1200+: 9 11 13 1100+: 18 20 18 1000+: 22 24 25 All-time high in the year-end rankings remains 1655 pp, set by Sam Langford in 1913. After a brief respite, 1918 action will get underway. I plan on terminating the Dempsey reports once Jack fights for the WBA title, but the Tunney reports will continue for awhile, and I expect to track a new fighter (probably Mickey Walker) starting in 1919. In order to keep things moving, I expect to be simming more fights and perhaps cutting back a bit on some of the year-end post-fight write-ups.

03-29-2007, 12:20 AM	#310 (permalink)
Ric915 All Star Reserve Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Prescott, Arizona Posts: 649	Really enjoy this universe and the year in review type write ups. Great Stuff

04-02-2007, 09:00 PM	#311 (permalink)
JCWeb All Star Reserve Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 672	Tunney Versus Ranked Opponent Feb 16, 1918 at San Francisco's Cow Palace, Gene Tunney, the unbeaten "Fighting Marine," takes on his first ranked opponent, the #20 ranked LHW, Clay "Chief" Turner, in one of the main support bouts on tonight's card. Turner, who has compiled a 14-12 (2) mark, appears to be another step on Tunney's road to a Top 10 LHW ranking by years' end. Tunney, of course, comes in having won all 13 previous contest, 11 of them by knockout. Round one, Tunney connects with a hook to the head, and follows up with a jab. Turner is off target with a cross, Tunney moves in behind the jab and the initial stanza shows a slight edge for the Marine. Second round, Tunney fights inside, while "Chief" stays on the outside. Tunney starts out with a jab, rips a hook to the head, circles his stationary opponent, fires a combination but is called for a low blow. Except for the foul call, it's a strong round for Tunney. Third round, both men work from the outside. After an early flurry by Tunney, Turner counters with a combination, then a straight right scores for Tunney. Tunney misses with a left, can't connect late in the round but did enough early on to take the round. Round four, Tunney moves inside again as Turner fights defensively. Tunney scores with a big left. Turner lands an uppercut. Tunney responds with a jab. Turner sticks a hook to the body. Close round. Fifth round, both move inside. Turner scores first with the uppercut. Tunney rallies with a three-punch combo. Gene follows up with an uppercut, then a hook to the head. Tunney dominates the round, connecting with a cross but Turner is still standing. Round six, Tunney works the head and body, but "Chief" responds with a hard uppercut. Tunney steps up the pace, dominating the rest of the action. Turner's left eye shows signs of swelling by round's end. Round seven, Tunney gets more aggressive, takes a shot from Turner but pushes forward with a cross to the head, a right to the body, a jab then moves inside with an uppercut that staggers the "Chief." Tunney bobs and weaves, inflicting more punishment, but again his opponent remains vertical. Eighth round, Turner tries to get more aggressive, fires a left that misses, Tunney fires back with a straight right that forces Turner to cover up. Tunney follows up with a double jab, but Turner survives the rest of the round by clinching. Round nine, Tunney pulls back to the outside, continues to outbox his outclassed opponent. Turner flails away but misses. Tenth and final round, Tunney coasts to victory, staying away from the wild shots of his tired opponent. The bell sounds. The judges' cards are unanimous -- all three saw it exactly the same, 100-90 for Tunney, interestingly all three called every round 10-9 for Tunney (ignoring the foul call in round two). The win runs Tunney's record to 14-0 (11 KOs) and 655 pp. One more bout (hopefully in March 1918) and he will be rated.

04-05-2007, 10:39 PM	#312 (permalink)
JCWeb All Star Reserve Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 672	Tunney Takes on Unbeaten Prospect For Win #15 March 30, 1918 -- Kiel Auditorium, St Louis -- The Fighting Marine, Gene Tunney, comes East to take on unbeaten LHW prospect Pat McCarthy, only a "3" rated fighter who has compiled a 10-0 (5) record, all versus TCs. Tunney is going for win number 15 and a likely Top 10 LHW ranking. Round one, McCarthy lashes out at Tunney with a leaping shot that misses. McCarthy fires a combination that misses. Tunney snakes home a jab, then pins his opponent in the corner. Tunney connects with a jab, lands a hook, forcing McCarthy to hang on until the bell sounds. Solid start for Gene. Second round, Tunney fights inside while McCarthy stays on the outside. A McCarthy hook bounces off the side of Tunney, who bounces around the ring. A careless McCarthy then runs right into a strong shot from Tunney and drops to the canvas. He recovers his footing, covering up for the rest of the round. Tunney flicks a jab, lands a hard hook and follows with a two-fisted attack, connecting with an uppercut -- McCarthy, already suffering from some swelling around his right eye, manages to evade a Tunney jab just before the bell. Round three, this time McCarthy tries his luck on the inside while Tunney is content to work the outside. Tunney scores with a short hook to the chest, but misses with a follow-up right. McCarthy ducks a roundhouse Tunney right, then lands a clean uppercut of his own. It's a fairly even round until Tunney comes through with a late flurry, featuring a hook to the body. McCarthy tries to counter with a big left, but he winces in pain as he injures his hand right before the bell. McCarthy is back out for round four, trying to counter Tunney on the inside by looking for the big knockout punch. Tunney finds the range with a sharp uppercut, targeting his opponent's swollen right eye. McCarthy is hurt, but eschews the cover up strategy. Not a good move -- Tunney crashes through with another strong shot -- knockdown #2 of the bout. This time McCarthy is unable to regain his footing and he's counted out at 1:04 of round four. Tunney's KO victory runs his record to 15-0 (12 KOs). He has 696 pps, good for a debut at #6 in the LHW rankings. Bigger and better things are projected in the upcoming year for the popular Fighting Marine.

04-07-2007, 02:25 PM	#313 (permalink)
Cap Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Large Province in God's Country Posts: 3,896	In my own altered reality, ol' Gene was about 29-6-2 with only 11 KOs just before he retired. Have most of his knockouts come against TCs in your universe? Cap __________________ "...There were Giants in Those Days.." Cap's Journal

04-07-2007, 11:58 PM	#314 (permalink)
JCWeb All Star Reserve Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 672	Re: Tunney's Record To respond to Cap's last question, Tunney had 10 KOs all vs TCs in his first ten bouts. His last three bouts he has taken on some RL guys and gone 5-0 but with only 2 KOs. So far, all his opponents have been LHWs. Now on to the next report regarding Jack Dempsey's most recent outing ...

04-08-2007, 12:14 AM	#315 (permalink)
JCWeb All Star Reserve Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 672	April of 1918: Dempsey vs Willard April 6, 1918 Mammoth Gardens, Denver CO -- The Manassa Mauler, Jack Dempsey, puts his USBA crown on the line against another highly regarded HW, "The Pottawatomie Giant," Jess Willard. IRL, of course, these two pugilists met for the World HW title a year later, 1919, but in my Uni where Harry Wills holds the World belt, they are matched together a bit sooner for the lesser US title. The unbeaten Dempsey enters the bout ranked #6 with 23 KOs and one draw in 24 pro fights, while Willard has compiled a 22-6 career record with 15 KOs, good for #9 in the rankings list. As both are sluggers, the fans (who heavily favor Dempsey) are anticipating a good action bout that is not expected to last the full 10 round distance. First round, Dempsey is blocked in the corner as big Jess swings away and misses with a big uppercut. Dempsey connects with a short right to the chest, then catches Willard with a crushing left to the head followed up with an uppercut. Willard misses again and is a stationary target for a Dempsey combination followed up with a jab that pins Willard against the ropes. The fans are on their feet, screaming for more action as Dempsey delivers an uppercut. Willard fights his way off the rope with a late flurry just before the bell, but it's going into the books as a huge opening round for Dempsey. Round two, Dempsey fights inside while Willard tries to fight outside. Dempsey opens with an uppercut to the chin, which he follows with a second and a third (!) uppercut that rocks big Jess, sending him against the ropes once again. Dempsey loads up on a big hook -- Willard is literally trapped in a neutral corner. Dempsey fires with a big right that lands right on the button, follows up with a jab, and this time Willard is not fighting back. Ref Harry Kessler steps in and calls a halt to the action at 2:28 of the round. Jack Dempsey by TKO, perhaps the biggest win of his career thus far. Dempsey's win boosts his record to 24-0-1 (all 24 wins by KO) and 1074 pp, good to move up to #5 on the HW rankings list. Willard drops to 22-7 (15 KOs) and his 853 pp now drop him just outside the Top 10, to #11 in the HW rankings. Dempsey's fans are now clamoring for a World HW title shot versus Wills, or at least a NABF title bout versus Langford by year's end. Negotiations are underway, but rumor has it Jack is looking for another payday in May before taking on Wills for the WBA title.

04-12-2007, 12:58 PM	#316 (permalink)
JCWeb All Star Reserve Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 672	May 1918 -- Another Dempsey-Tunney Doubleheader Dateline, Los Angeles, May 25, 1918 -- Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney once again are fighting on the same card, this time in LA on the undercard of a World LH Title Fight. First of the two to step in the ring is Gene "Fighting Marine" Tunney. Now the #5 ranked LH, at 15-0, he takes on the former USBA LH champ, now #12 ranked Charles Grande, who has a 17-10-1 record. Tunney, although still at Pre-Prime, is expected to win #16 in a row. First round, Grande swings and misses, then Tunney opens the action with a strong cross and then drives a hook home. Grande sticks out a left jab, then follows up with a hook. Tunney rips an uppercut and punishes his opponent with a hook to the head. Strong opening round for Gene Tunney. Round two, both work the outside, Grande lands a lead right, Tunney slams home a right that lands on the nose, he follows with another right, traps Grande in a corner, pummeling him with a jolting uppercut. Grande is sporting a mouse under the right eye after another strong round for Tunney. Round three, Tunney misses then lands a sharp combination as he moves inside for the kill. Grande takes a step back and hooks off his jab. Tunney follows with a jab of his own and then lands a strong uppercut. Grande is on the defensive as Gene flicks a right cross, then a jab to the chest. Grande is now helpless and the ref, Larry Hernandez, steps in to call a halt at 2:29 of the round. Tunney by TKO 3 to run his record to 16-0 (13 KOs). His 736 pp are good for the #4 ranking amongst the LHs. A few bouts later Dempsey steps into the ring in a rematch against the only man to go the distance with the Manassa Mauler, Ireland's Bartley Madden. Madden has only been stopped once, by Harry Wills in 1917 when Wills was en route to the WBA crown. Dempsey and Madden battled to a 10-round draw in late 1916, a bout that right now is the only blemish on Dempsey's record. The LA crowd is expected to provide a huge boost to Dempsey. Round one, Madden lands a straight right. Dempsey is wild with a hook, but follows up with a quick uppercut. Madden doubles up with a jab, then follows with a three-punch combo that staggers the Manassa man, who is forced to cover up. Madden forces Dempsey against the ropes, flicks a few harmless jabs, a follow up right, then the bell sounds. Strong start by Madden, but Dempsey did well to avert further damage. Second round sees both men willing to wage battle on the inside. Madden lands a three-punch combination; Dempsey connects with an uppercut. Madden lands a short hook. Dempsey fires away with the uppercut. Madden fires back with the jab. Dempsey connects with another uppercut. Madden lands another blow right before the bell in a great action round, which is fairly even according to most neutral observers. Round three, this time it's Dempsey on the inside and Madden on the outside. Dempsey opens the action by connecting with a hard shot to the top of Madden's head. Maddden fires back with a couple of quick jabs, otherwise it's a quiet round. Fourth round, Madden tries to work his way inside, but he makes himself an inviting target for a Dempsey jab, followed up by a crushing uppercut from the Manassa Man. Madden connects with a right to the chin of Dempsey. Dempsey connects with a solid cross right before the bell to take the round. Round five, Dempsey is looking to put his man away. After an early flurry by Dempsey, Madden comes back to land a body shot but misses with a left. Dempsey fires back and lands a huge uppercut. Another round for Dempsey, who is ahead 49-46 on the unofficial cards. Sixth round sees Dempsey pressuring Madden on the inside. Madden flicks the jab, is off target with a cross. Dempsey connects with a sweet uppercut that has Madden reeling. After having some difficulty getting on track, a late three-punch combo right before the bell solidifies Dempsey's lead. Round seven, Madden tries his luck on the inside. Dempsey is fighting outside. Dempsey gets in first with the uppercut, followed by a straight right. Madden fires back with a jab that lacks sting. Another strong shot by Dempsey has Madden in trouble. Madden tries to back Dempsey into a corner, but Jack escapes and then connects with a big hook. Madden collapses to the canvas and is counted out. Dempsey by KO 7 at 2:41 to avenge his one non-win from earlier in his career. He advances to 25-0-1 (25 KO), with 1123 pp, good enough to move up to #3 in the HW rankings. Madden drops to 22-5-3 (11), falling out of the Top 10 to #12. Speculation of course is rampant about the identity of Dempsey's next opponent. WBA champ Harry Wills, ex-Champs McVey and Langford are all being discussed, as is a USBA title defense versus Billy Miske. Stay tuned...

04-12-2007, 10:42 PM	#318 (permalink)
JCWeb All Star Reserve Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 672	Response to Tommy Tommy, I generally hold off posting the rankings until the end of the year, but since you asked, the current HW list is: Champ: Harry Wills 1. Langford (NABF and CBU Champ) 2. McVey 3. Dempsey (USBA Champ) 4. Burns 5. Jeannette 6. Moran 7. Joplin Ghost Jeff Clarke 8. Willard 9. Carl Morris 10. Miske Looking ahead, Dempsey is due to fight next in July and the only Top 10 guys available that month are McVey, Willard and Miske. Since he has already fought Willard, that leaves McVey and Miske as the most likely opponents.