My Universe

[JCWeb]

Two hot young prospects are in action as of this date in two separate fight cards, one at the Polo Grounds in NY City and one at the Cow Palace in Frisco. First, in NY City, popular LH Tommy Loughran puts his 4-0 record on the line in a 6-rounder versus British TC Nigel Burke (0-3).

Loughran comes out forcing the action in round one, landing an uppercut right on the button. Burke misses with a leaping shot. Loughran unloads with a short uppercut in close. Burke misses again, and Loughran land a right. Burke clutches and grabs to stall for time. Loughran scores with a late flurry to take the round.

Second round, both men work from the outside. A flurry by Loughran goes unanswered, and Tommy scores with a hook, an uppercut, a jab, and a late combination to dominate the action.

Round three, Loughran works inside again, nailing Burke with a cross and an uppercut in close. He flicks a jab and pins Burke in the corner. Burke misses, then Loughran wins an exchange in the center of the ring. Loughran ends the round by landing a huge left that leaves Burke breathing heavily while still on his feet.

Fourth round, this time Loughran is looking to end it. He jars Burke with an uppercut, then backs his man up with a left hook. Burke tries to fight back, but he leaves himself wide open for another Loughran uppercut. Burke drops to the canvas and is counted out.

Loughran by KO at 2:17 of the 4th to move to 5-0 (2 KOs) with 374 PPs.

On the West Coast, Pancho Villa is eager to erase the stain of his first pro defeat and he tangles with veteran FLY TC Malcolm Epp (2-7) in a bout that is scheduled for 8.

First round, Villa is content to fight on the outside. He keeps Epp off balance with some fancy footwork. Villa lands with a short hook. He lands a cross, then quickly follows up with a hook and a jab. Epp suffers a cut along the bridge of his nose. A right-left combination scores for Villa. Epp ties Villa up to survive the round, which is a strong one for Villa.

Round two, the cut is cleaned up between rounds but Villa is on the attack, splitting Epp's gloves with a jab. A quick hook to the head and Epp is starting to show signs of swelling below his right eye. A big uppercut from Villa, and Epp staggers to the canvas. He arises at the count of 9, but the ref Harry Kessler is quick to call a halt.

Villa by TKO at 1:51 of round two. His record moves to 8-1 (6), worth 393 PPs.

[JCWeb]

July 24, 1920 -- Uline Arena, Washington, DC -- In one of the main supports for the USBA WW title bout, Filipino FLY prospect Pancho Villa steps up to the world of the 10-rounders, seeking to avenge the only blemish on his 8-1 (6) career record by taking on Little Jeff Smith, who moved to 6-2-1 (2) after prevailing in a prior bout on a controversial foul call.

Round one, Villa works his jab and then lands an uppercut from way outside. Smith backs up; Villa connects with a solid hook to the head. Villa is off target with a left. Smith sneaks in an uppercut, but leaves himself open as Villa pounds a right-left to the head and body. Villa snakes home a jab right before the bell, ending a dominant opening round.

Second round, Villa moves inside, misses with a left. Smith elects to clutch and grab. Villa steps back and hammers a straight right, followed with an uppercut. Smith fires back with a flurry of his own. More clinching, then Villa breaks free to land another hook. Smith's left eye is already exhibiting signs of swelling, so it's another strong round for the Filipino.

Round three, both men are content to work inside. Villa shoots home a right. Smith is short with a leaping shot. Villa rips a hook to the head and piles up enough points to win the round easily.

Round four, Villa is looking for the KO blow. Villa clocks Smith with a hook to the head, followed by a glancing cross. Smith flicks the jab. Villa counters with a cross. Smith misses with the uppercut. Villa's jab is off target, but he follows up with an uppercut right before the bell.

Fifth round, Villa works inside while Smith stays outside. Smith misses with a left. Villa connects with a stinging jab, following up with a straight right that staggers his opponent. A right cross scores for Villa, then Smith shoots a right of his own home. Villa lands a combination right before the bell; at the halfway point, the ringside observer has him well ahead (49-46) in the unofficial scoring.

Round six, more of the same as Villa pressures Smith on the inside. Villa shoots a jab and follows with a strong hook to the body. Smith offers little resistance as Villa continues to dominate, landing to the head and the body and connecting with a devastating right cross. Smith finally responds with a quick uppercut, then Villa winds up the round with another strong cross.

Round seven, Smith tries to get more aggressive but leaves himself open to a big uppercut from Villa. Smith connects with a solid right uppercut. Villa backs Smith into the neutral corner and measures his man with a jab. Smith is warned for holding and hitting. Another strong round for Villa.

Eighth round, Smith is still the aggressor but shows signs of tiring. Smith's jab lacks sting, and Villa counters with an uppercut. Smith absorbs more punishment while Villa sits on his lead, adopting a more defensive posture.

Round nine, Villa lands a lead right. Smith is off target, and Villa piles up more points with a jab followed by a short hook. Smith misses with a combination, and Villa's defense dominates the rest of the round.

Tenth and final round, Villa picks off Smith's feeble jabs and battles off the ropes, continuing to emphasize his superior hand speed and defense. Finally, the bell sounds, and the decision comes as no surprise.

It's a whitewash! (And I don't mean a bad decision). Villa by UD 10, 100-90 on all three cards, to move his career record to 9-1 (6) worth 400 PP.

[JCWeb]

Dateline August 7, 1920, Detroit MI: Popular MW prospect Mickey Walker puts his unbeaten and consecutive KO streak on the line in an 8-round bout versus Australian TC Terry Kessler. Kessler, whose career mark is a respectable 4-5, appears to be a slight step up in class compared to Walker's previous victims.

Round one, Walker opens with two quick jabs, then he fires a left which Kessler is able to pick off. After some clutching and grabbing, Kessler misses. A straight right by Walker is blocked. A jab to chest from Walker connects and Kessler backs up. A hard shot to the head staggers Kessler. Walker follows up with a cross, and Kessler already exhibits signs of swelling around both eyes. Huge opening round for The Toy Bulldog, Mickey Walker.

Second round sees Walker move inside quickly -- he and Kessler bang heads, opening a cut under Walker's left eye. Walker is undeterred, and he steps back and lands a solid uppercut, staggering his opponent. Walker follows with a right, an uppercut to the chin, then doubles up on a hook. Walker continues to pound away at Kessler's head and body, penetrating Kessler's defenses with a stinging jab. The bell sounds before Walker can finish his man.

Round three, Walker is looking to protect the cut, which is cleaned up with some good corner work. Walker scores with a combination, then he catches an off-balance Kessler with a strong shot that sends the Aussie to the canvas. Kessler is down for an 8-count, and Walker unleashes an all-out attack with a hard cross and a hook to the body. However, Kessler manages to bob and weave and force Walker to miss as he barely manages to last to the bell.

Fourth round, Walker is looking to finish Kessler. Kessler throws a short uppercut, but then leaves himself open for a right from the Toy Bulldog. Walker then unleashes a powerful hook to send Kessler to the canvas for the second time. Kessler is back up at a four-count, and Walker is soon swarming all over him, landing a combination and a strong flurry. Kessler is defenseless, and ref Zach Clayton calls a halt at 2:26 of round 4.

Walker's ninth consecutive win by TKO lifts his career record to 9-0 (9), worth 516 PPs. Kessler was only the second opponent to last past two rounds against Mickey. For his next bout, Walker is expected to step up again into the 10-round bout arena.

[JCWeb]

August 28, 1920, Boston Gardens: LH Prospect Tommy Loughran takes on veteran TC Scott Carlson in an 8-rounder. Loughran is gunning for his sixth successive win since the start of his career.

Round one, Loughran fights on the outside. Loughran fires a straight right that is blocked by Carlson. Carlson counters with a short right hook. Louhgran doubles up on his jab, then Carlson fires a hook to the body that is blocked by Loughran. Carlson retreats to a neutral corner. Loughran fires a jab, the bell sounds after a close opening round, slight edge to Loughran.

Loughran moves inside to apply more pressure on Carlson in round two. Loughran scores with a glancing cross, then blasts home a hook that staggers Carlson. Loughran shows good hand speed and fires a flurry of shots. Carlson misses with a combination. Loughran finds the target with the jab, setting up an uppercut to the chin. Huge round for Loughran.

Round three, Loughran is once again forcing the action on the inside. Loughran is off target with a hook. Carlson sneaks a jab home. Loughran scores with a huge flurry and works hard to establish the jab, winning the round.

Fourth round, this time Loughran settles back to work outside. Carlson fires a shot that bounces off Loughran's shoulder. Loughran lands an uppercut and then re-establishes control with his piston-like jab. Carlson lands a short counter, while Loughran impresses the judges with solid ring movement and defense. Halfway through the bout, the unofficial ringside observer has Loughran ahead by 40-36.

Round five, Loughran is the aggressor, looking for the knockout. A crushing hook sends Carlson reeling. Loughran lands a straight right, forcing Carlson back into the ropes where he is vulnerable to more jabs from Loughran. Loughran penetrates Carlson's defenses to land a solid uppercut, but Carlson fights back, scoring well on a close-in exchange. By this time a weary Carlson is starting to carry his hands low, and his right eye is starting to swell. Loughran lands a sharp uppercut and follows out with a strong shot that drops Carlson to the canvas. Carlson barely manages to beat the count, but ref Art Donovan steps in to save him from further punishment with just a few seconds left in round 5.

Loughran by TKO at 2:53 of round 5 to run his record to 6-0 (3 KOs) worth 387 PPs.

[JCWeb]

Dateline Sept 11, 1920, Dodge Theatre in Phoenix, AZ: Two top FLY prospects are brought together in a very strong undercard, as Filipino Pancho Villa (9-1) takes on previously unbeaten Johnny Buff (11-0).

First round sees the usual feeling-out process as Buff is leading with his jab, and Villa counters with a right-left combination to the head in a round that is viewed as fairly even.

Round two, both men elect to work on the outside. Buff lands a right, Villa scores with a hook/uppercut to back up his opponent. Pancho misses with a left, then leaves himself open for a straight right from Buff. Villa lands a flurry, Buff works his jab to end another close round.

Third round, Villa moves inside while Buff stays outside. Buff is backed up against the ropes as Villa lands to the head and body. Another hook to the body has Buff clinching as he gasps for air. Buff is off target with the jab right before the bell sounds -- strong round for Villa.

Round four, more of the same as Villa works inside. Buff does better at slipping punches, working his jab more effectively to take a close round.

Fifth round, both men work the inside. Buff tries to tie up Villa, who gets his hands free to land a short hook to the ribs. Buff scores with an uppercut. Villa lands an uppercut to the chin; after some clinching, Buff unleashes another uppercut. The bell sounds after another even round, and the unofficial scorecard shows Villa with a narrow 49-48 edge after five.

Sixth round, Buff hitches his trunks up and tries to move inside. Villa scores well from the outside, but Buff manages to penetrate his defenses with a short hook. Buff tries to follow up but misses with an uppercut. After some extended clinching, Buff fires a quick jab. Villa responds with a hook to the head to keep the bout close.

Round seven, Villa gets more aggressive and moves inside again. Villa staggers Buff who is forced to cover up. However, Villa misses with a follow up cross and cannot take his man out despite a strong round.

Eighth round, Buff is more aggressive and Villa is looking to come in off his jab. Villa picks off a hook from Buff and counters with several jabs. An impressive round for Villa as Buff tried to apply some pressure.

Ninth round, Villa adopts a more defensive posture as a tiring Buff looks to land one big shot. It doesn't work as once again Villa's defense and his strong jab enables him to dominate the action.

Final round, looks like Buff needs a knockout or at least a knockdown, but his punches are off target and lack steam. Villa plays it cautiously, sneaking a right home, doing just enough to capture the round.

Final scores: Villa by UD 10 (98-95, 97-95, 97-95) pulling out the win based on his superior stamina which enabled him to dominate the last 3-4 rounds of the fight.

The win moves Villa to 10-1 (6 KOs) and 464 PPs. Buff drops to 11-1 (7 KO) and 463 PPs.

[JCWeb]

Dateline October 2, 1920 -- Unbeaten MW prospect Mickey Walker moves on in his career with his first scheduled 10-rounder, versus 1-8 TC Dan Flatt. Walker is looking to keep his KO win streak intact.

Round one, Walker nails Flatt with a hard shot from outside and then works his way inside. Walker uses his jab to set up a hook to the head that staggers Flatt. Walker fires a jab to the chest but time runs out before he can inflict more damage.

Second round, and the Toy Bulldog is more aggressive, moving to the inside to force matters from the outset. Walker works the jab again and follows up with a hook to the body. Walker bobs and weaves, nailing a flat-footed Flatt with a combination to the head and the body. Another hook is followed up with a strong uppercut, and Flatt is in deep trouble now. Walker unleashes a couple of more blows before the ref, Harry Krause, moves in to stop it.

Walker wins it by TKO at 2:43 of the second, his 10th straight win inside the distance, worth 536 PPs. One more bout for Mickey in December 1920 before moving up to face some stiffer competition in 1921.

[JCWeb]

October 23, 1920, Boston Garden: popular LH prospect Tommy Loughran is back in action in Beantown, this time for a scheduled 8-rounder against veteran TC Ed Cramer. Loughran enters the bout with a perfect 6-0 slate while Cramer's record is a less than scintillating 1-6.

The initial round of action sees Loughran get off to a quick start, unleashing a quick uppercut that lands cleanly followed by a right cross. He then backs up Cramer, shooting a quick hook to the ribs in the process. Loughran fires another hook to the body, and Cramer is in some trouble already. He manages to tie up Loughran to last until the bell.

Round two, Loughran applies the pressure by moving inside. He sticks a jab to Cramer's chest, then surprises his foe with a hook that puts Cramer on the canvas. Ed arises at the count of 8, but he seems unsteady -- something Loughran is quick to take advantage of. Loughran lands a stinging jab and is prepared to unleash more punishment on the defenseless Cramer when ref Arthur Donovan calls an early halt.

Loughran by TKO at 1:55 of round two. He moves to 7-0 (4 KOs) worth 427 PPs. He plans to fight frequently, with his next contest set for November.

[JCWeb]

back to running some bouts after a brief week and a half hiatus ...

November 19, 1920 -- Melbourne Australia -- FLY prospect Pancho Villa heads down under to take on newly-crowned Commonwealth champion, George Mendies. Villa puts his 10-1 career mark on the line by taking on a rated opponent in only his 12th career fight, as Mendies carries a gaudy 16-2 record (15 by KO) and the #4 FLY ranking into the bout. Plus, Villa will be facing a hostile crowd rooting for their Australian favorite.

Round one, it is a cautious start by both men. Villa shoots a left that is blocked by Mendies. Villa lands a stinging jab. Mendies connects with a right to the head. Villa circles the ring, adopting a defensive posture. Not much action, slight edge for Mendies.

Second round sees Mendies moving inside while Villa fights on the outside. Villa misses with an uppercut from way outside. Then he connects with a leaping shot that sends a surprised Mendies to the canvas. The Australian pops up at the count of six, then covers up as Villa delivers an uppercut followed by two quick jabs. Villa sneaks home a right cross but other blows are blocked, and Mendies hangs on to last the round.

Round three, both men are content to stay on the outside. Villa connects with an uppercut. Mendies retreats to a neutral corner, looking to clear his head. He absorbs another hook to the head from Villa. Mendies sticks a jab to the chest, slowing down the Filipino. Villa sneaks home a jab right before the bell, taking the round.

Fourth round, Mendies tries his luck on the inside again. A left hook from the Aussie finds its target, then Villa delivers a jab to the chest. Mendies stands his ground, and a straight right is blocked by the gloves of Mendies. Mendies uncorks a big left. More action as Villa traps Mendies in the corner. A hook to the head from Villa is sidestepped by Mendies. Close round, the crowd cheers as Mendies appears to be regaining his form.

Round five, Villa moves inside to apply more pressure. His right bounces off Mendies' shoulder. Mendies counters with a hook to the body. Villa lands with a punch that is part uppercut, part hook. Flat-footed, Mendies plods forward. Villa misses and leaves himself open for a short hook from Mendies. Mendies misses with a follow-up punch but does enough to take the round.

Midway through the bout, the unofficial scorer has the bout even, 47-all, although this may reflect some pro-Mendies bias.

Sixth round is a free-for-all as both men work on the inside. Mendies scores with a hook to the head. Villa clinches. Villa is backed up by a Mendies right. Villa is really struggling to find his timing, and an uppercut from the outside by the Filipino falls short. Villa closes the distance and scores with a hard hook to the body right before the bell. Close round.

Round seven, Mendies is already starting to tire, and this time he is headhunting, looking for the KO. A quick uppercut by Mendies finds its mark. Villa scores with a counter. Mendies lands a short hook followed by a hard cross. Villa responds with a huge hook of his own. Lots of leather thrown, a memorable round with both men letting their hands go. Going into the final three rounds, the bout is in the balance.

Eighth round sees Villa adopting a more defensive posture while Mendies continues on the attack. Villa gets there first. Mendies lands a cross. Villa misses badly. Another leaping shot from Villa falls just short. Mendies is stalking his opponent. He doubles up on his hook. Villa responds with a short uppercut. Villa lands a jab. Mendies scores with a nice combination. Good round, slight edge for Villa.

Round nine, Mendies applies pressure on the inside and Villa stays on the outside. Lots of clinching early in the round. Villa lunges with a stinging jab that finds its target. An uppercut lands for Villa. Mendies does not respond, and Villa connects with a right cross. Mendies lands a hook to the head and body, but his punches lack sting. Villa doubles on his jab. Both men seem fairly tired as the bell sounds.

Tenth and final round, and Mendies (egged on by the hometown crowd) is going all out for the KO finish. He connects early in the round with a combination and follows with a hook to the head. Villa appears to be unfazed. He pops a jab home, and Mendies is wild with a hook that finds air. Villa fires a solid combination, then a strong jab. Mendies is running out of steam now, and he clinches instead of fighting back. It's Villa's round and probably Villa's fight.

The judges tally their scorecards and it's a UD 10 win for Villa (97-94, 96-94, 97-93). He moves to 11-1 (6 KOs), worth 513 PPs. A solid win against a very tough opponent.

[JCWeb]

November 27, 1920, Coliseum Arena, New Orleans: Unbeaten LH prospect Tommy Loughran is matched with TC Dean Foley (1-4 record) in an 8-rounder.

Round one: Loughran starts out on the outside and methodically dissects his less skilled opponent. Tommy misses with a jab from outside, but follows up with a cross and then scores with another jab. After some clinching, a quick uppercut scores for Loughran before Foley sticks in a jab of his own. Another Loughran uppercut finds its target on the chin of Foley, who then blocks a straight right from Loughran. A strong start for Loughran, and Foley is already showing signs of swelling around his left eye.

Round two, Loughran presses the action on the inside and backs Foley up into a neutral corner. Foley fires and misses with the right, enabling Loughran to double up on his hook, following with a strong jab. Foley is on the defensive, and Loughran pours it on with a cross, followed by another jab before the bells sounds to save Foley from further punishment.

Third round, both men elect to stay on the outside. Loughran scores with a quick 1-2 combination, and the swelling around Foley's eye worsens. Loughran nails Foley with an uppercut, then dominates the action, landing a right and scoring with a flurry of punches, punctuated by a stinging jab that leaves Foley reeling right before the bell.

Fourth round, more domination by Loughran's speed and defense. A right cross is partially blocked by Foley. Loughran scores with a cross, and then follows Foley around the ring, unloading with a couple of strong shots to the head and body. Midway through the bout, the unofficial card has it 40-36, a shutout for Loughran.

Round five, Loughran is looking to finish Foley, and he starts with a right-left to the head, followed by a cross that rocks Foley. Loughran is warned for head-butting by ref Harry Ertle. Another Loughran uppercut and then a hook to the body, and Foley is shaken. Loughran snakes a jab through Foley's defenses and causes the swollen eye to worsen.

Sixth round, and Foley's corner has done a good job controlling the swelling. But they can't stop Loughran, who sneaks inside to drill Foley with an uppercut, stepping back to land a jab. Foley misses with a hook, and he leaves himself open for a Loughran hook to the head. The ring doctor is called in to examine Foley's eye, and the bout continues. Foley continues to struggle, but he hangs on to last another round.

Round seven, Loughran is content to work on the outside. Loughran follows up a jab with a hook on the inside. A jab, a cross, and a solid combination and then another trip to the ringside doctor to look at Foley's swollen eye. Loughran connects with another uppercut, and he has Foley trapped in the corner when the bell sounds.

One more round to go, and Loughran lands a volley of shots, sits back and continues to control the bout, scoring with a hook to the body as his very tired opponent is happy just to last the full eight rounds.

The decision is a foregone conclusion: 80-72 on all three cards, a dominating UD 8 win for Loughran, who moves to 8-0 (5) with 452 PPs.

[JCWeb]

Boston Garden, December 4, 1920: Mickey Walker, the unbeaten MW prospect, takes on TC Ray Kinsler (2-12) in a scheduled 10-rounder. Walker is seeking to keep his unbeaten, all KO win streak alive in this, his final appearance of 1920.

Round one, Walker unloads with a straight right that bounces off the shoulder of Kinsler. Walker traps Kinsler in the neutal corner and delivers a devastating cross. Kinsler is hurt and attempts to cover up. Walker follows with a short hook to the head and a volley of blows. Kinsler is still standing when Walker nails him with a combination right before the bell. A groggy Kinsler arises at a 6-count, barely lasting the round. Walker scored 34 pts. in the opening stanza, dominating his opponent.

Second round, and the "Toy Bulldog" is looking to keep that KO streak alive. Walker works his way inside. scoring with three hard shots in a row. Another shot midway through the round sends Kinsler to the canvas for the second time in the fight. Kinsler arises at the count of five, but he is clearly struggling to regain his footing. Ref Donovan wisely opts to save him from further punishment, and it goes as a TKO win for Walker at 1:57 of round two.

Walker keeps his KO streak intact, as his record improves to 11-0 (all by KO) worth 549 PPs. Some stiffer competition (pardon the pun) is anticipated in 1921.

[JCWeb]

December 18, 1920 -- LH prospect Tommy Loughran heads north of the border, to Montreal, where he takes on English TC Walt Sands (1-3-3) in a scheduled 8-rounder at the Montreal Forum, on the undercard of a WBA LW title bout featuring the great Benny Leonard.

Round one, Loughran stays on the outside where he dominates the early action. He works the head and body, then doubles up on the jab and follows with a short uppercut. Sands wings a wild left in response, but he leaves himself open for another penetrating jab from Loughran. Loughran falls short with a leaping right as Sands retreats out of range. Loughran pursues his overmatched opponent, nailing Sands with a solid combination and a jab that results in signs of swelling under the left eye of Sands. Another jab and Sands appears exhausted, unable to fend for himself. The crowd is roaring as the ref steps in to halt the contest.

TKO at 2:56 of round one for Loughran, who moves to 9-0 (5) worth 481 PPs. The fans north of the border are clamoring for a matchup between Loughran and Canadian LH Jack "Bright Eyes" Delaney, who boasts a similar 9-bout unbeaten career start, but it remains to be seen if their connections can make the match in 1921.

BTW, this should be the final post before the 1920 year-end reports, which hopefully will start up in the next few days or so.

[mh2365]

good stuff as always JC

[JCWeb]

1920 HW Title Bouts

WBA

Bartley Madden CH (27-6-3) vs Sam McVey #2 (51-13-2)

First defense for Madden, surprise winner over Langford in 1919. McVey seeking to regain WBA belt despite hitting Post-Prime career stage. McVey won a prior bout via TKO in 1919.

Round one sees a strong start by Madden, who slices open a cut below the right eye of the challenger,and McVey's left eye shows signs of swelling. Madden pounds away from the inside in round two. In round three, both men mix it up on the inside, and a three-punch combo by Madden forces McVey to cover up. Round four, both men work outside, the result being a fairly even round. McVey steps in the pace, becoming the aggressor in round five. Madden is up by one, 48-47, on the unofficial card, at this point. More toe-to-toe action on the inside in round 6, with Madden once again gaining the upper hand. McVey comes back with a solid, strong round in round 7, and in round 8 he steps up the pressure, finally nailing Madden with a strong shot that puts Madden down and out. McVey by KO 8 to regain the WBA belt.

Sam McVey CH (52-13-2) vs Bob Devere #13 (20-6-2)

McVey defends versus the new EBU champ who enters the bout after registering two straight KO wins. The two have not met before.

After a close opening round, Devere presses McVey on the inside, good round for the aggressive challenger. Round three, slight edge to the Champ while both men stay outside. Fourth round is even, toe-to-toe exchanges on the inside. Round five, McVey presses action on the inside, but towards the end of the round his left eye starts to show signs of swelling. Devere continues to pressure McVey on the inside in the middle rounds, but Sam holds his own. Finally, in the middle of round 10, Devere puts McVey on the canvas with a wicked hook to the head. McVey regains his footing, but he cannot recover, as Devere goes on to take the crown from the aging champ. Devere by UD 15 (145-138, 145-139, 145-139).

Bob Devere CH (21-6-2) vs Jeff Clarke #6 (38-12-3)

An attractive matchup of two sluggers, and a great title opportunity for the veteran contender "Joplin Ghost" Jeff Clarke in his third try for the WBA crown after suffering KO losses to Langford and Wills in two prior efforts.

Round one, after a feeling out process, Clarke is off to a strong start. Both work outside in round two, a fairly even round. Devere works inside to take the third. Both men get in their licks in round four, a good action round with both men taking some strong shots from the other. Clarke dominates the action in round five, but the unofficial scorer has Devere on top, 48-47, after five. A strong round six for Devere, and Clarke suffers a split lip and his left eye starts to swell. Devere presses the attack in rounds 7 and 8, but Clarke defends well, scoring with some strong counterpunching. Devere runs into a strong cross from Clarke in round nine, and he goes down for a 7-count. Clarke follows up in the following round, inflicting some serious punishment that causes the bout to be stopped. Clarke by TKO 10 to become the eighth different WBA HW champ in eight successive title bouts!

NABF: "Joplin Ghost" Jeff Clarke began 1920 with the belt, but his defense versus Bill Brennan went badly when he suffered a cut above the right eye in round three, and then Brennan put him down for the count in the 6th to take the belt. Brennan then defended versus Billy Miske, piling up an early points lead and hanging on to register a SD 12 win. Finally, it was a WBA title rematch with Carl Morris, a real slugfest that turned in Brennan's favor when he broke down his opponent with two KDs in the 7th, the second for a KO, to keep the belt.

USBA: Jack Dempsey defended versus Carl Morris, and the Manassa Mauler extracted some revenge for his 1919 WBA title bout loss on a cut by nailing Morris with a huge left hand early in the second that left his opponent helpless. Dempsey by TKO 2. Then, it was a rematch of the 1918 WBA title bout as Dempsey took on top contender Harry Wills. Wills got off to a strong start, and Dempsey was bothered by an cut opened above the eye in round two. Dempsey came back, opening a gash above Wills' eye. Dempsey tried to target the cut, but when his own cut reopened, Wills took advantage, taking the USBA belt on a 9th round cuts stoppage (Dempsey's second loss, both on cuts). Wills defended the crown late in 1920 with a one-round demolition of Fred Fulton, cementing his position as the top HW contender heading into the 1920s.

CBU: Aussie Colin Bell defended versus ex-Champ Sam Langford, surviving a second round knockdown a recovering to take the final three rounds to score a UD 12 win that was roundly booed by the pro-Langford crowd in Toronto. Bell wrapped up the year with another defense versus Canadian Arthur Pelkey, who suffered an early cut that gradually worsened, leading to an eventual stoppage and a TKO 8 win for Bell.

GBU: Bombadier Billy Wells put the British belt on the line versus Joe Beckett, who regained the belt with a fifth-round KO of Wells to repeat an earlier result. Beckett retained the crown with a lopsided UD 12 over vet Joe Goddard, who was down four times in the second half of the bout.

EBU: Irishman Bob Devere took on LH Georges Carpentier for the vacant belt previously held by Bartley Madden. Devere nailed Carpentier with a big hook in round seven, and that led to a stoppage as Carpentier couldn't fend for himself. Devere defended versus the Swede, Ragnar Holmberg, scoring a KO 7 before moving up to claim the WBA crown. Holmberg took on another Irishman, Jim Coffey, for the vacant crown, and Coffey recovered after suffering an early knockdown to dominate the late rounds, putting Holmberg on the canvas in rounds 11 and 12 en route to a UD 12 victory. Thus, after several years in German hands (via Otto Flint), the EBU HW title has recently resided in Ireland (first Madden, then Devere, now Coffey).

[JCWeb]

Jan 1921 HW Division Profile

Total: 168 RL: 91 TC: 77

RL by Career Stage:
End - 5
Post - 17
Prime - 40
Pre - 21
Beginning - 8 (7 New)

Rated: 59
800+: 12
500+: 24
200+: 42

Jan 1921 Rankings (Perf Pts and Changes from Jan 1920 in Parens):

Champ: Jeff Clarke 39-12-3 (17) (1127) (+5)
1. Harry Wills 36-3-1 (20) (1612) (NC)
2. Bartley Madden 29-7-3 (13) (1344) (-2)
3. Jack Dempsey 29-2-1 (28) (1271) (+1)
4. Colin Bell 31-15-3 (14) (1132) (+6)
5. Sam McVey 52-14-2 (33) (1110) (-3)
6. Bill Brennan 28-9 (22) (1092) (+3)
7. Bob Devere 21-7-2 (14) (1050) (+16)
8. Sam Langford 67-12-1 (48) (996) (-5)
9. Fred Fulton 26-7 (19) (969) (+2)
10. Billy Miske 27-9-1 (17) (916) (-3)

Comments: All at Prime except Bell and Devere, who will join McVey and Langford at Post in 1921. Clarke reached the top after bouncing back from a KO loss to Bill Brennan with a UD over Frank Moran before taking the title from Devere. Wills was 4-0 in 1920 to run his win streak to six, aided by a KO over Pelkey and a UD over Miske in addition to his USBA title contest wins. Madden lost the title but won bouts with Samson-Korner (via KO) and Brennan (via MD) to remain a top contender. Dempsey suffered a second loss via cuts (this time to Wills) and his career path has stalled momentarily. Bell won the last four in a row to move into the top five for the first time. McVey won and lost the WBA title belt and is beginning to feel the effects of aging kick in. Brennan took four of five bouts in 1920, his only loss a MD to Madden. Devere was 3-1 for the year, which was a rollercoaster ride from the EBU title to the WBA belt before losing it. Another aging vet, Langford, won only once in 1920 (SD over Miske) but suffered a devastating KO loss to Fulton. Fulton re-established himself after an early season loss to Savage with successive KO wins over Willard, Carl Morris and Langford, before being blasted out in one by Wills. Miske rounds out the top group, suffering two SD losses but registering KOs over Savage and Burns.

Other Notables: Carl Morris slipped five spots to #11, going 1-3 for the year and suffering KO losses to the likes of Fulton, Dempsey and Brennan. Also falling out of contention, for the first time since 1903, was ex-Champ Tommy Burns, who fell all the way from #8 to #17 after KO losses to Pelkey and Miske, plus a UD loss to Charley Weinert. Weinert moved up to #12 by virtue of the win plus a KO over veteran Jim Savage. Next at #13 is German contender Paul Samson-Korner, who KO'd long-time EBU champ Otto Flint but lost to Madden; his career stats of 22-3 (19) are excellent. Top newcomer at #19 is Dutchmen Piet Van Der Veer, winner of all five contests in 1920 to run his record to 15-1-1 (11). Luis Firpo started out with 15 wins in a row but struggled with KO losses to Van Der Veer and Albert Pooley to wind up the year at 15-2 (12), ranked 23rd. Also at 15-2 (with 9 by KO) is Battling Jim McCreary, who debuts at #26. Nick Van den Bergh has gone 14-1 (7), all versus TC opposition, to debut at #29. No longer a factor down at #32 is aging vet Jess Willard, winless since 1917 and loser in his last nine fights. Jack Renault suffered his first career defeat, so he checks in at 15-1 (4) which is good for 39th. Newly-crowned EBU champ Jim Coffey checks in at #27 with a 25-15-2 (20) career mark, worth 453 PPs. Even further down the list is GBU titleholder Joe Beckett, at #37 with a 27-11 (22) mark and 337 PPs.

Prospects: George Godfrey remains unbeaten at 14-0 (12), sporting a KO win over Tiny Herman and a UD over Fighting Dick Gilbert after downing 12 TCs. Martin Burke at 13-0 (5) has been fed a steady diet of TC opposition. "Fainting Phil" Scott remains unbeaten at 11-0 (3), testing himself with wins over both Erminio and Giuseppe Spalla as well as Marcel Nilles. Both Erminio and Giuseppe beat Nilles as well, with the loss to Scott the only blemish in each of their records thus far. Fighting Bob Martin at 10-0 (9), Bob Roper at 10-0 (7), Hans Breitenstrater at 9-0 (8), Al Roberts at 8-0 (5) and Young Bob Fitzsimmons at 8-0 (1) all kept their records clean versus TC competition. Also off to good starts are Bearcat Wright, 6-0 (5); Sully Montgomery, 6-0 (2); Brad Simmons, 5-0 (2); and Tom Heeney, 5-0 (1). On the other hand, Jack Burke struggled to a loss and a draw versus a TC and now stands at 1-1-1 (1) after his initial season.

Retirements: One former WBA champ among this year's retirees.

Joe Jeannette (USA) 1905-1920 49-13-1 (35) WBA Champ
Battling Jim Johnson (USA) 1908-1920 26-22-2 (7) No Titles Highest Rank: 13

Looking Ahead: Dempsey suffered another loss on cuts and now Wills appears to be the top HW in line for a title shot. Bill Brennan also had a solid year, but Bell, McVey, Devere and Langford are likely headed out of the Top 10 before much longer. Fulton, Miske and Morris may have a few good years left, but none of the younger prospects appear to be likely to emerge as top-flight contenders with the possible exception of Godfrey, who will likely be tested for the first time in 1921. Van der Veer and Samson-Korner appear to be likely contenders for the EBU crown. Young Stribling tops the list of seven new additions to the HW ranks in 1921.

Predictions: A tough division to predict; I was only two-for-four in my 1920 forecasts as Dempsey did not regain the WBA title (even losing his USBA belt) and only two, not three new names on the Top 10 list. On the other hand, Wills did capture a lesser belt (albeit from Dempsey) and Bell retained the CBU title.
For 1921, I will predict a WBA title for Wills and a NABF belt for Dempsey. Four shifts in and out of the top 10 given the aging nature of the top group. Samson-Korner will take the EBU title from Coffey.

[JCWeb]

1920 LH Title Bouts

WBA

Gene Tunney CH (19-3-1) vs Battling Siki #7 (23-7-3)

First meeting of the two, as Tunney travels to London to meet the EBU Champ. Siki comes of a UD 10 win over Bogash after losing to Greb.

Surprise, there is an accidental clash of heads, and Tunney suffers a split lip in a bizarre opening round. Round two, Siki presses the action on the inside, but the Fighting Marine has the best of it, staying on the outside. Round three, both work inside, a close round. More action in rounds four and five, and a key moment of the bout occurs when Tunney slices open a gash above the left eye of the challenger in round five. Round six, Tunney spends most of his time targeting the cut, which is still bleeding. Siki tries to throw caution to the wind and go all out for the KO in round seven, but Tunney calmly picks off his best shots and then the cut worsens, leading to a stoppage. Tunney by TKO 7 (cuts).

Gene Tunney CH (20-3-1) vs Harry Greb #2 (29-4)

First career meeting of these two ring giants, for Tunney's WBA crown in St. Louis in September.

Greb gets off to a strong start in the opening round, countering well. Round two sees Greb forcing the action on the inside, nailing Tunney with a huge left, forcing Gene to cover up to survive the round. More of the same in round three, as Greb scores against the defensive-minded Tunney. A low-scoring round four as both men take a breather, slight edge for Tunney. Greb, "The Human Windmill," is back on the attack in round five, scoring well particularly with a huge uppercut that buckles Tunney's knees. Greb is looking to end it in round 6, and his repeated blows are causing swelling around the right eye of The Fighting Marine. More action in rounds 7-9, which are fairly even. Signs of swelling appear around Tunney's left eye now. Tunney surprises an overeager Greb with a strong shot to score the fight's first KD in round 10. Greb bounces back with a strong round 11. Tunney tries to get more aggressive in the later rounds, but Greb puts Gene on the canvas in the final round en route to an impressive UD 15 victory (142-140, 144-138, 143-139).

NABF: Greb began the year with the belt, defending against the overmatched Ted Jamieson, whom he blasts out with a TKO in round 3. Then Kid Norfolk proves to be a worthy challenger, pulling ahead on points and then pulling off the UD 12 upset as Greb is bothered by a cut above the eye late in the bout. Then, in a see-saw bout, Norfolk defends against Bob Sweeney, who drops Norfolk in the fourth with an uppercut, survives a cut eye and a late surge to take a SD 12 to gain the belt.

USBA: Battling Levinsky defends versus veteran Leo Houck, who opens an early cut above Levinksy's left eye and maintains the edge to score a SD 12 win. A cut also plays a major role in Houck's first defense versus Larry Williams, who cannot recover from the early cut as Houck wins by TKO 6 (cuts stoppage). Then some tougher competition as Tommy Gibbons takes on Houck, who tires badly in the late rounds as Gibbons has Houck down twice in the final stanza en route to a solid UD 12 win. Finally, late in the year, Gibbons defends versus Jack "The Giant Killer" Dillon, who survives despite a cut above the eye, then ekes out a UTD win when the bout is halted due to an unintentional butt in round 11.

CBU: No challengers for Harry Reeve's CBU belt in 1920.

GBU: Reeve faces one challenge from lightly regarded British LH Dick Smith, who is battered to a pulp, cut over the right eye and swollen around the left eye. Reeve by UD 12 to keep the belt he last defended in 1918.

EBU: Battling Siki keeps the crown for another year, due to lack of challengers.

[JCWeb]

Jan 1921 LH Division Profile

Total: 90 RL: 55 TC: 35

RL by Career Stage:
End - 2
Post - 3
Prime - 15
Pre - 21
Beginning - 14 (13 New)

Rated: 29
800+: 8
500+: 13
200+: 22

Jan 1921 Rankings (Perf Pts and Changes from Jan 1920 in Parens)

Champ: Harry Greb 30-4 (20) (1151) (+1)
1. Jack Dillon 43-6-4 (15) (1239) (NC)
2. Tommy Gibbons 29-9-2 (13) (941) (+2)
3. Kid Norfolk 27-4 (15) (930) (+2)
4. Battling Levinsky 36-13-1 (15) (891) (-1)
5. Gene Tunney 20-4-1 (16) (891) (-5)
6. Leo Houck 44-22-4 (13) (836) (+3)
7. Georges Carpentier 41-7-2 (27) (832) (-1)
8. Bob Sweeney 28-10-2 (20) (831) (+2)
9. Bob McAllister 36-13-1 (20) (738) (-2)
10. Battling Siki 23-9-3 (15) (690) (-2)

Comments: No movement in and out of the Top 10 from last year; in 1921, Sweeney will join McAllister at Post-Prime while the others are at Prime. Greb recovered from the loss to Norfolk with a KO 4 over Pat McCarthy before capturing the WBA crown. Dillon went undefeated (3-0) for the year, including UDs over Siki and McAllister before capturing the USBA belt. Gibbons was held to a draw by McTigue and went 1-1 in the USBA title tilts. Norfolk bounced back from the title loss with a KO 6 over Eddie Trembley to go 2-1 for the year. Levinsky registered wins over Kruvosky and Reeve after losing his USBA title. Tunney dropped to #5 after the title loss to Greb. Houck went 2-1 for the year, all in title bouts. Carpentier lost in a EBU HW title bout, but did well with three wins over LHs, the most prominent being a UD 10 over Sweeney. Sweeney had a 7-bout win streak snapped in the loss to the French ace. McAllister scored a UD 10 over Joe Lohman, but stuggled against top-notch opposition, dropping a UD to Dillon and a SD to Larry Williams. Siki decisioned Bogash, but failed in tests versus top-flight guys like Dillon and Tunney.

Other Notables: Larry Williams just missed the top ten, his SD win over McAllister outweighed by a loss to Houck. Charles Grande is ranked #12, winning three and drawing one versus lesser competition. Bogash, in his second year in the ratings, moved up with a SD 10 over McTigue, and his career totals to date are 16-5 (11). Joe Lohman debuts at #16 with a 13-4-1 (2) record after an up-and-down (2 wins, 2 losses) year; his wins came versus two Aussies, Dave Smith and Albert Lloyd. CBU and GBU Champ Harry Reeve checks in at #17 with a 22-15-1 (16) record worth 355 PPs, his only loss to Levinsky, who was his only Top 10 opponent in 1920.

Prospects: Three top prospects remained unbeaten, "Duluth Jimmy" Delaney at 13-0 (12), Canadian Jack "Bright Eyes" Delaney with 9 KOs in 9 bouts, and Tommy Loughran at 9-0 (5). Buck Holley stands at 12-0-1 (10), the only blemish being a draw with British prospect Jack Bloomfield. Bloomfield defeated fellow British prospect Tom Berry to wind up the year at 11-1-1 (9), losing an earlier bout on a foul to a TC. Berry's record dropped to 12-2 (6) after the loss. Jack Reeves won a SD 8 over Charlie Nashert; he has compiled a 8-1 (5) start to his career. Nashert scored two wins over Sergeant Jack Lynch en route to a 6-1 (2) start. Charles Baechli of Switzerland has won eight since an early loss to a TC to go 8-1 (3). Brit Gypsy Daniels is still unbeaten at 6-0 (5). Two Cuban LHs, Santiago Esparraguera (5 KO wins) and Roleaus Saguero are off to 5-0 starts. Lynch is 3-2 (3) after the two losses to Nashert. Finally, 13-year old Brit Len Harvey won his debut bout to go 1-0 (1 KO).

Retirements: None in 1920 (in fact, none since 1916).

Looking Ahead: Expect to see Dillon and Gibbons emerge as the next challengers for Greb's WBA belt. Tunney needs to regroup after the tough loss -- could he be headed for the HW division? Same for Carpentier, whose career seems to have stalled out. Look for the aging veterans like Sweeney and McAllister to fade from the top group, creating opportunities for guys like McTigue and Bogash to move up. Some great new blood in this once-thin division, represented by the Loughran and the two Delaneys. The ranks will swell by even more as Jimmy Slattery leads a record 13 (!) newcomers into the ranks in 1921.

Predictions: Again just two-for-four, correct on Greb vs Tunney and Carpentier continuing to struggle versus HWs. Wrong on McTigue reaching the top 10 and on Dillon taking the NABF title (instead he won the USBA belt).
For 1921, I will predict Greb will keep the WBA title for the full year, despite some stiff opposition. I will forecast McTigue and Bogash reaching the Top 10 group, and I will predict a new NABF champ as the now aging Sweeney will be dethroned and dropped from the Top 10.

[JCWeb]

1920 MW Title Bouts

WBA

Mike O'Dowd CH (27-5) vs Bryan Downey #8 (22-6-2)

Downey enters the bout having won his last two, a UD versus Al Grayber and a KO over George "KO" Brown. O'Dowd won a prior bout (UD 10) back in 1916 when both were at Pre-Prime. Downey's first shot at any title.

Round one, it's a great start for Downey as O'Dowd is cut above his left eye. O'Dowd gets busy in round two, but Downey maintains a slight edge while fighting from the outside. Downey moves inside for round three, which turns out to be an even round. Round four sees Downey dominate the action as both men stay outside. O'Dowd moves inside, pressuring his opponent in the fifth round, and there are signs of puffiness around Downey's right eye. Nonetheless, the unofficial scorer has Downey ahead (50-46) at this point. Round six, Downey walks into an O'Dowd cross and spends some time on the canvas. O'Dowd tries to follow up in round 7, but Downey's defense is solid. Round 8 is a close, even round. Downey takes round 9, O'Dowd takes round 10 and the unofficial card has it 96-95 for Downey, a close bout with five rounds left. At this point, O'Dowd gets busy, wearing down his game opponent, dominating the final few rounds to retain the title. O'Dowd by UD 15 (144-142, 145-141, 145-141).

Mike O'Dowd CH (28-5) vs Mike Gibbons #2 (36-6-2)

O'Dowd's fourth title defense is against ex-Champ Gibbons, who is coming off a draw in a USBA title bout. O'Dowd won a prior bout (UD 12) in 1918.

O'Dowd looks sharp early, taking the opening round and fighting inside effectively in round two. Both of Gibbons' eyes are starting to swell up after the opening two stanzas. O'Dowd continues to outbox his opponent and has a 49-46 lead, on the unoffical cards after five. Gibbons tries to get more aggressive in the middle rounds, taking rounds 7-9 to turn things around. Gibbons tires badly in the later rounds, however, and O'Dowd re-establishes control to retain the belt. O'Dowd by UD 15 (145-140 on all three cards, although the unofficial ringside scorer had it a bit closer).

NABF: Albert "Buck" Crouse began 1920 with the belt and defended it versus top contender, Jeff Smith. Crouse dropped Smith in round three, but put it on cruise control a bit too soon and Smith battled his way back to secure a 12-round draw. Crouse then defended versus Panama Joe Gans, in the first title bout in Panama, and Panama Joe performed well to register a UD 12 win to take the title. Panama Joe defended twice, versus Augie Ratner, whom he dominated in a UD 12, scoring a KD in the first to establish control early. Then Jeff Smith was given another title shot, and Gans gradually stepped up the pressure to pull away to a MD 12 win, avenging an earlier loss to Smith.

USBA: Mike Gibbons defended versus Johnny Wilson, surviving some difficult moments in round 3, when Wilson tatooed him with a good shot. Gibbons escaped with a MD 12 win, then took on Fighting Billy Murray who battled cuts throughout the bout and secured a draw with a late rally after Gibbons appeared to be dominating the action. Gibbons then defended against Jeff Smith, and the result was another draw after a tough, defensive struggle.

CBU: Jake Ahearn, the titleholder, did not defend this belt in 1920.

GBU: Ahearn defended versus Frank Moody, who was the aggressor throughout the bout. The two battled to a 12-round draw, and Ahearn kept the GBU belt.

EBU: Chic Nelson defended against the "Little Fox," Rene DeVos. Nelson got off to a strong start, but DeVos rallied in the second half of the fight to secure a draw. Nelson then took on Gus Platts, the "Sheffield Blade," sho suffered a cut above the right eye that led to an early stoppage. Nelson by TKO 5.

[mh2365]

Did Gibbons win a fight during the year?