My Universe

[JCWeb]

July 26, 1924 -- Uline Arena in Washington DC -- LH Prospect "Slapsie Maxie" Rosenbloom steps up to compete in his first 10-round bout, taking on TC Phil Beale, who enters the ring with a less than stellar 1-8-2 career mark.

Round one, Rosenbloom uses the jab to set up a cross that puts Beale on the defensive. Maxie doubles up on his left, landing to the head and body. He steps back, then tags Beale with a huge combination. Beale is up against the ropes, and Rosenbloom continues to apply pressure with a two-fisted attack. Huge opening round for Rosenbloom.

Second round sees Rosenbloom fight aggressively from the outside. Rosenbloom plants an uppercut on the chin of Beale, then follows with a second uppercut. A quick jab staggers Beale, who is now cut over the right eye. Another flurry from Maxie, and Beale is forced to retreat. Beale recovers to land a hook to the body of Rosenbloom, who flicks another jab. Some clinching and the round comes to the end.

Round three, Rosenbloom continues to opt for the outside approach. Beale's corner has the cut patched up, Rosenbloom is working the jab from long range. Beale darts in and out, but misses with a left-right combination. More clinching. Rosenbloom breaks free, and uses the jab to set up a hook. More clinching, more jabbing by Rosenbloom right before the bell.

Fourth round, Maxie elects to move inside to get more leverage on his punches. Rosenbloom unleashes a flurry and doubles up on his jab. Beale appears to be unhurt. Rozenbloom chases Beale into a neutral corner, connecting with another uppercut and firing two quick jabs. The cut over Beale's eye is reopened. The doctor is consulted, and the bout is allowed to continue. Beale responds by landing an uppercut, his best shot of the fight thus far. Beale smothers Rosenbloom's attack and connects with a hook to the head, making this his best round of the fight.

Round five, Rosenbloom continues to work inside, targeting the cut over Beale's eye which is still oozing blood. After some clinching, Rosenbloom lands to the head and body. He surprises Beale with an uppercut from way outside. Rosenbloom continues to use his jab to set up punches from the inside, but he is warned twice about head-butting. A point is deducted by the referee, so the unofficial card has him up 49-45 at this point.

Round six, Maxie is back on the outside. Beale's right eye is starting to swell up. Both men paw at each other with the jab, Rosenbloom follows up with a flurry. He is warned this time for rabbit punching. Another sharp exchange and the cut over Beale's eye is noticeably worse. This time the bout won't be allowed to continue.

Rosenbloom is declared the victor by a TKO at 2:53 of round six (cuts stoppage). The win lifts his record to 10-0 (6 KOs), woth 484 PPs. His next outing is expected in September 1924.

[Tommysixfingers]

Originally Posted by JCWeb

July 26, 1924 -- Uline Arena in Washington DC -- LH Prospect "Slapsie Maxie" Rosenbloom steps up to compete in his first 10-round bout, taking on TC Phil Beale, who enters the ring with a less than stellar 1-8-2 career mark.

Round one, Rosenbloom uses the jab to set up a cross that puts Beale on the defensive. Maxie doubles up on his left, landing to the head and body. He steps back, then tags Beale with a huge combination. Beale is up against the ropes, and Rosenbloom continues to apply pressure with a two-fisted attack. Huge opening round for Rosenbloom.

Second round sees Rosenbloom fight aggressively from the outside. Rosenbloom plants an uppercut on the chin of Beale, then follows with a second uppercut. A quick jab staggers Beale, who is now cut over the right eye. Another flurry from Maxie, and Beale is forced to retreat. Beale recovers to land a hook to the body of Rosenbloom, who flicks another jab. Some clinching and the round comes to the end.

Round three, Rosenbloom continues to opt for the outside approach. Beale's corner has the cut patched up, Rosenbloom is working the jab from long range. Beale darts in and out, but misses with a left-right combination. More clinching. Rosenbloom breaks free, and uses the jab to set up a hook. More clinching, more jabbing by Rosenbloom right before the bell.

Fourth round, Maxie elects to move inside to get more leverage on his punches. Rosenbloom unleashes a flurry and doubles up on his jab. Beale appears to be unhurt. Rozenbloom chases Beale into a neutral corner, connecting with another uppercut and firing two quick jabs. The cut over Beale's eye is reopened. The doctor is consulted, and the bout is allowed to continue. Beale responds by landing an uppercut, his best shot of the fight thus far. Beale smothers Rosenbloom's attack and connects with a hook to the head, making this his best round of the fight.

Round five, Rosenbloom continues to work inside, targeting the cut over Beale's eye which is still oozing blood. After some clinching, Rosenbloom lands to the head and body. He surprises Beale with an uppercut from way outside. Rosenbloom continues to use his jab to set up punches from the inside, but he is warned twice about head-butting. A point is deducted by the referee, so the unofficial card has him up 49-45 at this point.

Round six, Maxie is back on the outside. Beale's right eye is starting to swell up. Both men paw at each other with the jab, Rosenbloom follows up with a flurry. He is warned this time for rabbit punching. Another sharp exchange and the cut over Beale's eye is noticeably worse. This time the bout won't be allowed to continue.

Rosenbloom is declared the victor by a TKO at 2:53 of round six (cuts stoppage). The win lifts his record to 10-0 (6 KOs), woth 484 PPs. His next outing is expected in September 1924.

Good writeup.

[JCWeb]

Thanks, Tommy.

It's now Sept. 1924 in the Uni and we will pick up in the careers of Rosenbloom and McLarnin, plus follow a new HW whose career is just starting up.

Sept. 6, 1924 -- Edmonton Gardens, Alta., Canada -- Popular Canadian WW hopefully Jimmy "Baby Face" McLarnin steps into the ring for his first scheduled 8-round bout. Winless TC Bud Shore (0-5) is the opponent.

Round one: McLarnin lands a couple of shots, Shore responds with a combination. McLarnin splits the gloves with a jab. Both men retreat to the outside. McLarnin pops the jab, and then he blocks a straight left from Shore. McLarnin connects with a solid combination, then misses with a left and a right. Shore's left eye is already beginning to puff up from the accumulation of blows unleashed by McLarnin.

Round two: McLarnin fires and misses. A right cross gets through for McLarnin. Shore is trapped in the corner, and the Canadian hopeful sticks a jab to the chest, followed by a right cross. The swelling worsens, and Shore retreats. McLarnin unleashes a huge left, which Shore manages to avoid. Shore lands with a flurry, McLarnin doubles up on his hook. Shore connects with a jolting uppercut on the inside. McLarnin lands with an uppercut of his own. Great action, both men landing strongly. McLarnin connects with an uppercut to the chin right before the bell.

Third round, Shore lands a jab, and McLarnin is searching to find the range. A hook scores for "Baby Face," and then he follows with another hook to the midsection that sucks the air out of his opponent. A sharp combination has Shore in even more trouble. An uppercut from McLarnin rolls the eyes back in Shore's head. Shore tries to cover up, but McLarnin is swarming all over him. Finally, the ref decides Shore has taken enough punishment. It goes down as a TKO win for McLarnin at 2:45 of round three.

The win lifts McLarnin's record to 6-0 (all by KO) worth 408 PP. He is expected to return to the ring in October.

[JCWeb]

September 6, 1924 -- Detroit, Briggs Stadium: Unbeaten LH prospect "Slapsie Maxie" Rosenbloom takes a step forward tonight when he faces veteran TC Tim Law (1-14 in 15 career starts) in a scheduled 10-round affair.

Round one, Rosenbloom wings a left that is side-stepped by Law, who instead runs into a short hook to the ribs from Maxie. Then Rosenbloom follows up, nailing Law with a sharp combination. Law, staggered, is in full retreat. Rosenbloom blasts home a hook, shows good ring movement. Then he follows up with a left hand that snaps Law's head back with another strong shot. Rosenbloom wraps up a strong opening round with a final flurry right before the bell.

Having established control in a strong first round, Maxie is content to work outside in round two. Rosenbloom's left falls short, and Law smothers the follow up blows from Maxie. Rosenbloom works the head and body, but Law seems to be stronger than in the initial round. The pace slows noticeably, lots of clinching and grabbing, some probing jabs by both men. Law hangs on to last the round, slight edge to Rosenbloom.

Third round, Rosenbloom steps up the pace and moves inside, while Law stays outside. Rosenbloom connects with an uppercut, and he starts letting his hands go. A right from Law gets through, and Rosenbloom responds with an uppercut. Another pause in the action, then Maxie lands a left-right combination that rocks his opponent. A right hook drops Law briefly right before the bell sounds to save him from further punishment.

Round four, more of the same with Rosenbloom looking to force matters on the inside. Law is now sporting a cut over the left eye, and his right eye has started to puff up. Rosenbloom scores with an uppercut but Law moves out of range. Later in the round, the cut worsens and the ring physician is called in to have a look. The bout is allowed to continue, and a Rosenbloom unleashes a ferocious attack, nailing Law with a straight right. Law goes down, and this time he does not get up.

Rosenbloom by KO at 2:59 of round four, running his record to 11-0 (7 KOs), worth 492 PPs.

[JCWeb]

September 27, 1924: Amor Bahn, Munich Germany -- It's the pro debut for the Black Uhlan, a 19-year old HW prospect by the name of Max Schmeling. Schmeling's opponent for this four-rounder is another ring newcomer, German TC Fritz Anspach. It promises to be an entertaining affair for the 10,000 in attendance here tonight.

Round one, Schmeling moves inside in an effort to dictate the pace of the bout at the outset. Schmeling pops the jab, but it doesn't do any immediate damage. Anspach retreats to a neutral corner. Both men work on the inside, Max lands a hard shot off the top of Anspach's head. Anspach is stunned. Max scores with another jab, but a big left is sidestepped by his opponent. A quick exchange of blows favors Schmeling. Max unleashes a barrage of blows, punctuated by a hook to the body that sucks the air out of Anspach. Anspach hopes of lasting the round are dashed as Schmeling uses a quick jab to set up a solid combination. Anspach slumps to the canvas and is counted out at 2:56 of round one.

Great start to Schmeling's career, and the KO win gives him 244 PPs. His management, however, wants to keep him under wraps for awhile, so no new fights are expected until 1925.

[djday45]

great universe, maybe my favourite off all time! many kudos!

[JCWeb]

thanks, DJ.

October 11, 1924 -- Exhibition Gardens, Vancouver BC, Canada: Top WW prospect Jimmy McLarnin steps into the ring for his 7th pro bout, taking on winless TC Mel Dinkins (0-5) in a scheduled eight-rounder.

Round one, McLarnin starts out working on the outside. McLarnin splits the gloves with a straight right hand. Dinkins is warned for holding and hitting. McLarnin fires a lead right, but Dinkins slips the punch. McLarnin is off target again, and Dinkins retreats to the corner. McLarnin fires a left, the punch is side-stepped by Dinkins. A cross scores for McLarnin, who then continues with a strong finish to the round, landing a jab, a right cross and an uppercut in succession. No response from Dinkins, whose right starts to puff up. Strong round for McLarnin, although Dinkins displayed some good defense as well.

Second round, McLarnin tries to work his way inside, lands two quick blows that send his opponent reeling. The two fighters clinch on the inside. McLarnin rains blows to the head and neck of Dinkins. An uppercut from McLarnin finds its mark. A straight right hand gets through, and Dinkins is in full retreat. McLarnin scores with a huge left right before the bell, and Dinkins manages to survive round two.

Round three, and "Baby Face" McLarnin is looking to dish out more punishment on the inside. A short uppercut drops Dinkins to the canvas, but he pops up at the count of two. McLarnin swarms all over him, nailing Dinkins with a sharp combination and then putting Dinkins down a second time with a hook to the head. This time the count reaches seven, and a groggy Dinkins arises with plenty of time left in the round for McLarnin to finish matters. He does, scoring a third KD when the ref steps in to declare McLarnin the TKO winner at 2:07 of round three.

McLarnin has registered his seventh KO win in seven bouts, worth 433 PPs, and he plans to take the rest of 1924 off, returning to the ring in early 1925.

[JCWeb]

December 27, 1924 -- Atlantic City, Convention Hall -- Popular LH prospect Maxie Rosenbloom graduates from the TC opposition ranks by taking on his first RL opponent, Abie Bain, a 1-rated LH, who enters tonight's bout with a 9-1 (5) career mark, having lost his last bout by TKO to TC Marvin Ritter. The bout, scheduled for 10, is the main support to a JLW World title contest.

Round one, Rosenbloom establishes the jab but Bain uncorks a sharp combination that stops Rosenbloom in his tracks, a real wake-up call for Maxie. Rosenbloom clinches, then doubles up on his left and sticks a short hook to the ribs of Bain. Bain unloads with a huge left that is sidestepped by Rosenbloom. Maxie works the jab, but misses the follow-up. Good recovery by Rosenbloom after Bain landed some serious leather early on.

Second round, Rosenbloom stays outside while Bain works inside. Rosenbloom ties up Bain, alot of pushing and shoving, not much action. Rosenbloom uncorks a hook to the body, leans on his opponent and draws a caution from the referee. Rosenbloom forces Bain to retreat with a hook to the head, follows with an uppercut. What little action there was this round was all Rosenbloom.

Round three, both men elect to stay at long range. Rosenbloom fires an uppercut to the chin of Bain. Rosenbloom uses the jab to stick and move. Bain connects with a jab of his own but can't follow up. Rosenbloom scores with a jab and then an uppercut. There's a flurry of action right before the bell, and once again Rosenbloom has the upper hand.

Round four, Rosenbloom works inside while Bain stays on the outside. Rosenbloom lands a clean combination, then there's alot of clutching and grappling, then Maxie splits the gloves with a straight right. Bain misses. Rosenbloom scores with another jab, but can't follow up. Another strong round for Rosenbloom.

Fifth round sees some toe-to-toe action as both men elect to work the inside. Rosenbloom connects with an uppercut and pins Bain in the corner, pummeling him with a cross and an uppercut. Rosenbloom sticks out a jab. Bain sneaks through a straight right. A double hook to the body scores for Rosenbloom. Bain gets in an uppercut on the inside. More clinching, Rosenbloom nails Bain with two quick jabs on the break.

Midway through the scheduled 10-rounder, Rosenbloom is way ahead (50-45) on the unofficial card.

Round six, Bain tries to force action on the inside while Rosenbloom is content to stay outside. Bain's punches begin to lack sting now. Rosenbloom scores with an uppercut, follows with a right that lands. Bain suffers a cut lip. Rosenbloom connects with a jab and targets the cut. Bain is gradually worn down, throws a hook that is blocked. Rosenbloom follows with a hook of his own, then connects with another hook to the head right before the bell. Another big round for Maxie.

Seventh round, both work inside. Bain's left eye is starting to puff up. The cut around Bain's mouth is still bleeding. Rosenbloom unleashes a flurry of blows. More clutching and grabbing. Rosenbloom connects with a jab that causes the cut to worsen. Repeated jabs by Rosenbloom are wearing his opponent down.

Round eight, Bain is looking for a KO while Rosenbloom stays on the outside. The cut is patched up by Bain's corner, but the swelling is getting worse. An exchange of blows favors Bain. Rosenbloom unleashes a hook to the head. Bain can't find the range with his jab. Rosenbloom shows good side-to-side movement. A cross connects for Rosenbloom. Bain lands a cross but is warned for low blows. Close round, edge to Rosenbloom.

Round nine, Bain is all-out attack while Rosenbloom puts defense first. Bain is wild with a hook. Rosenbloom counters with an uppercut. Rosenbloom works the jab to set up a hook to the body. Bain swings and misses. Rosenbloom uncorks a hook to the body and draws a warning from the ref. A jab to the chest scores for Maxie. Bain connects with a jab, but otherwise it is all Rosenbloom.

Final round. A weary Bain presses the attack. A combination from Rosenbloom is off target. Bain fires and misses. Rosenbloom works the jab, Bain misses with the left. Rosenbloom lands an uppercut to the chest and neck of Bain. Bain is wild with a hook. More of the same, Rosenbloom works the head and body while Bain gamely hangs on. The bell sounds and the bout goes to the scorecards.

No surprise, a UD 10 for Rosenbloom (99-92, 98-92, 97-93) to move his record to 12-0 (7 KOs) worth 522 PPs.

A few more bouts before the year-end reports ...

[JCWeb]

OK, been busy the past couple of weeks away from TB but finally here's the first of the year-end reports.

1924 HW Title Bouts

WBA

Gene Tunney CH (30-6-2) vs Harry Wills #2 (43-5-1)

First meeting of the two. The Fighting Marine is riding a 6-bout unbeaten streak, winning all his bouts since moving up from LH. Wills is coming off a TKO over veteran Frank Moran.

After a close opening round, Tunney has the best of the outside exchanges in round two. Round three sees Wills as more aggressive, but Tunney's jabs are too effective. The Black Panther tries to work inside in the fourth, but it's another strong round for the Champ. The Fighting Marine moves inside in round five, another good round as Tunney is now ahead (49-46) on the unofficial card. Tunney backs up an aggressive Wills with a sharp combination to take round six. Wills has better results in round seven, and remains on the attack in rounds 8 and 9. Wills begins to tire, and Tunney remains on the defensive. (The unofficial scorer has it even, 95-all, after ten, although the punch count stats favor Tunney.) Tunney dominates the action in rounds 11 and 12, and an increasingly desperate Wills tries to lunge at a defensive-minded Tunney. Wills' fate is sealed when he is decked by a Tunney cross in round 14, and then there is a second KD late in the round. No cuts, and the bout goes the distance. Tunney keeps the belt, via a UD 15 (143-139, 145-137, 143-139).

Gene Tunney CH (31-6-2) vs Fred Fulton #6 (32-10)

First meeting, Fulton is fresh off wins over Miske and Fighting Bob Martin.

Tunney dominates the early action, and Fulton moves inside to press the action in round two, an even round. Both work outside in round three, and Tunney piles up an early lead. More good action in rounds four and five, favoring the Champ who rocks Fulton with some strong shots. After a lacklustre round six, Fulton seizes the initiative with a strong round seven, his best of the bout. But a Tunney cross finds its mark in round eight, and Fulton is down briefly. Tunney turns defense into offense, and after failing to convert his advantage in round nine, he lands repeated blows to the head of a defenseless Fulton that leads to a stoppage in round 10. Tunney by TKO 10 to keep the belt.

Gene Tunney CH (32-6-2) vs Bartley Madden #4 (40-10-3)

Irishman Madden, the reigning CBU titleholder, challenges Tunney for the title.

Action is slow to develop in round one, slight edge to the Champ. Tunney outhits Madden in a close round two, where both men elect to stay outside. Madden bounces back with a strong round three, taking away the inside from the Champ. Round four, another close round, sees Tunney work on the inside. Some exciting toe-to-toe action in round five results in a huge round for Tunney, who leads 49-47 on the unofficial card, and there is a mouse forming under Madden's left eye. After two more even rounds, Madden presses the attack in round eight, but the Champ's defense holds firm. After another strong round in the ninth, Tunney drops Madden for a 5-count in round 10; at this point it's a huge lead (98-92) for the Champ, with five rounds left. Madden tires badly in the final rounds, and a cautious Tunney does just enough to keep the belt. Tunney by UD 15 (146-138, 147-137, 148-136).

NABF: Ex-Champ Jack Dempsey retained the NABF belt with three successful defenses, while biding his time for another crack at Tunney. He turned in a strong round five performance for a TKO 5 over Martin Burke; then he handed Homer Smith a major beating, leading to another TKO win in seven; finally, Sully Montgomery was a four-round KO victim in another one-sided affair which saw two KDs in round three followed by the coup-de-grace in the fourth.

USBA: Fighting Bob Martin defended the belt with a six-round KO over Agile Andre Anderson, as a sharp combination ended the Swedish imigrant's title hopes. Then Martin met his match in veteran Fred Fulton, who reinvigorated his career with KDs in rounds three and four, followed by a KO when an uppercut put Martin down and out for good in the sixth.

CBU: Fred Storbeck made a defense versus the higher rated Madden, who dominated en route to a UD 12 to take the belt. Madden defended once, versus New Zealand's Albert Pooley, who was victim of an early cut that led to a TKO 4 win for Madden.

GBU: Long-time GBU Champ Joe Beckett defended versus lightly regarded Tom Cowler. Both men were down early in the bout, but Beckett connected with a big combination for the final hurrah as Cowler was counted out in round eight. Then "Fainting Phil" Scott got his first GBU title shot, and he made the most of it, recovering from a fifth-round knockdown but dominating the action the rest of the way for a UD 12 to take the crown.

EBU: German Paul Samson-Korner made two more title defenses, first versus Scott, who nailed the German with an 8th round KD but couldn't follow up as Samson-Korner escaped with a UD 12 win. Next, it was converted LH Georges Carpentier, who suffered an early cut and then two knockdowns before the ref called a halt in the fifth. But, Samson-Korner finally met his match late in the year, as Italian Erminio Spalla swarmed all over the German to register a surprising TKO 2 win to lift the belt.

[JCWeb]

Jan 1925 HW Division Profile

Total: 200 RL: 123 TCs: 77

RL by Career Stage:
End - 8
Post - 24
Prime - 39
Pre - 32
Beginning - 20 (13 New)

Rated: 70
800+ : 13
500+: 30
200+: 58

Jan 1925 Rankings (Perf Pts and Changes from Jan 1924 in Parens)

Champ: Gene Tunney 33-6-2 (21) (1647) (NC)
1. Jack Dempsey 44-4-1 (12) (1586) (NC)
2. Harry Wills 45-6-1 (37) (1455) (NC)
3. George Godfrey 26-3 (19) (1417) (NC)
4. Bartley Madden 40-11-3 (15) (1203) (NC)
5. Fred Fulton 32-11 (25) (1097) (+1)
6. Bob Roper 25-2-3 (15) (1024) (+2)
7. Erminio Spalla 24-6 (17) (972) (+12)
8. Paul Samson-Korner 31-7 (24) (971) (-3)
9. Young Stribling 18-1 (12) (969) (new)
10. Tom Heeney 21-2-1 (8) (850) (-1)

Comments: All are at Prime except Samson-Korner, who turns 38 to hit Post in 1925 and Stribling, who has one more bout at Pre. Not much changes at or near the top. Tunney remains unbeaten since moving up from LH, making it nine in a row and six successive WBA title bout wins. Dempsey has won his last five since losing the 1923 title clash with Tunney; he scored a UD 10 win over Heeney to go with his KO wins in 1924. Wills won three of four, including KOs over Moran and Martin and a UD versus Stribling to go with the title loss to Tunney. Godfrey won a TKO over Weinert and a technical win from Roper to bounce back from a NABF title loss to Dempsey. Madden went 2-2 for the year, suffering a KO loss to Brennan to go with the title bout clashes. Fulton moved up slightly by virtue of his winning the USBA title. Roper wrapped up a six-bout win streak with UDs over Miske and Clarke and a TKO over Beckett, but then lost to Godfrey, recovering with a TKO over Pooley to win four of five bouts in 1924. Spalla, the new EBU Champ, dropped a MD to Clarke but warmed up for the EBU title try with KOs versus Van Der Veer and Squires. Samson-Korner won three times but the loss to Spalla dropped him in the ranks. Stribling is the highest ranking newcomer since Dempsey, reeling off wins in his first 18 bouts (including a UD over Scott and a KO over Brennan in 1924) but was overmatched and suffered his first loss to Wills. Rounding out the top 10 is Heeney, who split four bouts, a UD loss to Dempsey and a MD loss to Weinert while managing wins versus Scott (SD) and Carl Morris (via a TKO).

Other Notables: Dropping out of the top ten from last year were Bill Brennan, who slid seven spots to #14 after tasting defeat at the hands of Stribling and another newcomer, Floyd Johnson. (KOs over Madden and Beckett were not enough to keep him in the top group.) Fighting Bob Martin dropped from #10 to #17, losing the USBA title and three straight, including disappointing TKO losses to Wills and Homer Smith. Just missing the Top 10 is Charley Weinert, who suffered a TKO loss to Godfrey but delivered with a MD win over Heeney and a UD over Floyd Johnson. Aging veteran Billy Miske ended the year at #12, going 2-1 with wins over Bell and M. Burke but dropping a UD to Roper. Joplin Ghost Jeff Clarke is next at #13, edging Spalla via MD to snap a three-bout losing streak. Floyd Johnson debuts at #18, compiling a 15-3 (15) career start, losing to Weinert but registering successive KOs over J. Burke, Bombadier Billy Wells and Brennan. Jack Doyle, still unbeaten at 13-0-2 (10), checks in at #23 while GBU Champ Phil Scott is ranked only #29, with a 18-8-2 (4) career mark worth 525 PPs as his GBU title win was his only win in last six. Chilean Quinton Romero Rojas is off to a 16-4 (10) start, good only for 36th spot.

Prospects: Pat Lester kept ran his record to 13-0 (12), scoring KOs over Mack House, James Jackson and Pierre Charles. Canadian Larry Gains kept his slate clean, handing Jack Dorval and Spark Plug Boyd their initial defeats to finish at 12-0 (10); Boyd and Dorval dropped to 12-1. Spaniard Paulino Uzcudan moved to 11-0 (6), all versus TCs; ditto for Holland's Jack DeMave, who is off to a 10-0 (7) career start. "Cleveland Rubber Man" Johnny Risko has kept his slate clean, now at 10-0 (1), as has Sweden Harry Person, now at 9-0 (7). Paul Cavalier at 10-0-1 (8) was held to a draw by Lanky Ralph Smith, but bounced back to defeat Smith late in the year. Goyito Rico (6-0, 3 KO), George Thompson (6-0, 3) and German Franz Diener (5-0, 3 KO) kept their unbeaten slates intact. Jimmy Byrne and Frankie Campbell are both 4-1 after suffering TC losses. Jack Sharkey at 3-0 (2) and Max Schmeling at 1-0 (1) are off to good starts.

Retirements: Six HWs left the ranks in 1924. Their career stats:

Tom McMahon (USA) 1909-24 26-21-5 (6) No Titles Highest Rank: 19
Jim Coffey (IRL) 1911-24 26-23-3 (21) EBU Champ Highest Rank: 13
Colin Bell (AUS) 1909-24 33-25-3 (14) CBU Champ Highest Rank: 4
Herbert Crossley (UK) 1917-24 19-11 (12) No Titles Highest Rank: 39
Joe Bonds (USA) 1912-24 28-19-2 (19) No Titles Highest Rank: 22
Albert Pooley (NZL) 1913-24 30-14 (24) No Titles Highest Rank: 11

Looking Ahead: Dempsey is itching for a rematch with Tunney; these two are the top two HWs at this time. Spalla emerged as the new talent, taking the EBU crown, and Young Stribling appears to be a strong future contender. Down the road, Lester and Gains could be future challengers. Thirteen newcomers are set to debut in 1925, paced by Tuffy Griffiths.

[JCWeb]

1924 was a landmark year as far as boxing was concerned because that was the first year, courtesy of the Bible of Boxing (Ring magazine) that the Ring rankings were published. With the help of a now very old Ring Record book, I am introducing a new feature, the rankings comparison where I take the Ring rankings for various fighters and compare that with the rankings for the same year in my Uni.

Starting with the HWs:

Ring #1 Jack Dempsey (RL Champ) -- rated #1 in my Uni (fairly consistent there)
Ring #2 Harry Wills -- also rated #2 in my Uni (another good match)
Ring #3 Tommy Gibbons -- still rated in LH in my Uni (perhaps I should move him up now?)
Ring #4 Charley Weinert - #11 in my Uni (not a perfect fit, but not far off, either)
Ring #5 Quinton Romero Rojas -- only #38 in my Uni (OK, not even close to a perfect match)
Ring #6 Jack Renault -- even worse, he's #64 in my Uni
Ring #7 Luis Firpo - #26 in my Uni (I actually think Firpo is somewhat underrated in TB, same for Jess Willard)
Ring #8 George Godfrey -- #3 in my Uni (not bad, nice to see two black HWs in the initial Ring HW rankings)
Ring #9 Jim Maloney -- still at Pre-Prime, 6-0 (4) record thus far
Ring #10 Erminio Spalla -- #7 and newly-crowned EBU Champ in my Uni, a good fit IMHO

On balance, fairly accurate recreations for all but Rojas, Renault and Maloney who probably had more bouts IRL by the end of 1924 than the Uni rules allow (no more than one bout per month, etc.)

Two of the top HWs in my Uni (Gene Tunney and Young Stribling) are still listed at LH in the Ring rankings for 1924, so I guess my Uni is a bit ahead of its times (particularly with Tunney already having defeated Dempsey once).

[JCWeb]

1924 LH Title Bouts

WBA

Jack Delaney CH (24-0) vs Harry Greb #1 (39-7)

Compelling matchup of the unbeaten, younger current Champ ("Bright Eyes" Delaney) and the higher rated, ex-Champ Greb.

After a close round one, both men come out swinging in round two, with a slight edge to Greb who forces the inside action. Round three, more of the same, with the more accurate punching by the Challenger making the difference. The "Human Windmill" keeps up the pressure in round four, and Delaney sustains a bad cut over the right eye. Greb targets the cut, which is patched up between rounds, but is reopened again in round 6, leading to a quick stoppage. Greb by TKO 6 (cuts) to regain the belt.

Harry Greb CH (40-7) vs Kid Norfolk #2 (33-7-2)

Greb defends versus Norfolk. who was the last man to defeat Greb (for the title) and who holds two UDs over the Champ. Revenge match, perhaps?

Greb comes on strongly to take round one. He moves inside to punish Norfolk with some strong shots to take the second as well. Norfolk bounces back, delivering some inside blows of his own with a strong round three. Round four sees some ferocious toe-to-toe action, and the results also favor the challenger. After an even round five, the unofficial card has it knotted up at 48-all. More toe-to-toe fighting inside by both men in round six, and this time Greb has the better of it. More of the same in round seven, and Norfolk's right eye starts to puff up as a result. Norfolk comes back to take round eight and, after an even round nine, Greb unleashes a barrage of blows that startles an overly-aggressive Norfolk. Thus, Greb carries a 97-94 edge into the final rounds, according to our ringside expert. Norfolk battles back strongly to take rounds 11 and 12. After an even round 13, Greb catches Norfolk with a hook and puts him down for a 4-count in round 14. Although Norfolk battles back in a close final round, the KD may have sealed his fate. Scorecards read 142-143, 144-141, 144-141, and Greb hangs on to the title via a SD 15.

Harry Greb CH (41-7) vs Kid Norfolk #3 (33-8-2)

Given the closeness of their prior fight, a rematch is arranged a few months later. This time Norfolk has the better start, taking round one and, after an even round two, he also takes the third. Greb dominates the inside action in round four, opening a gash over Norfolk's right eye. Good cornerwork and the cut is patched up, and it's 48-48 (another close bout) after five. Greb seizes the edge with an inside attack in round six. Norfolk is the aggressor in round seven, but Greb holds his own. The cut over Norfolk's eye is reopened in round eight, but again good cornerwork saves the day. It's still anyone's fight when Norfolk is called for a blatant low blow in round 10, and Greb is awarded the bout via a controversial DQ 10 call.

Harry Greb CH (42-7) vs Battling Siki #14 (30-14-3)

Having seen enough of Norfolk, Greb defends versus a familiar opponent, the Senegalese, who has slipped a bit in the rankings. Greb enters the bout with a 2-1 edge in three prior meetings. Siki, who has won his last four against lesser opponents, is probably fighting for the last time at Prime.

Great start by Greb, who dominates the action in the opening round. Greb presses the attack in round two, earning his moniker "Human Windmill" and putting Siki on the defensive. More of the same in round three, and Siki's right eye has started swelling but he battles back in the later stages of the round. A better round for the challenger in round four, as Siki is working his way back into the bout. Greb decks Siki with an uppercut in round five, and is ahead by two (48-46) on the unofficial card at this point. Another strong round for the Champ in round six, and Siki's eye looks dramatically worse in the seventh. Greb takes charge in the eighth, scoring another dramatic knockdown. Siki is up quickly -- perhaps too quickly -- and Greb puts him down again. Siki is willing to continue, but the ref has seen enough. Greb by TKO 8 to retain the belt, in what is probably Siki's last shot for the brass ring.

NABF: Greb defended early in the year against "Duluth" Jimmy Delaney, ripping open a cut early in the bout that led to a 7th round TKO stoppage. Greb then vacated the belt after winning the WBA crown, and Jeff Smith was matched with veteran Tommy Gibbons for the vacant belt. A late rally in the last three rounds gave Gibbons the nod via a MD 12. Gibbons defended last in the year against USBA titleholder, the smooth boxing Tommy Loughran. A late KD when a wild overhand right landed for Gibbons proved the difference, as Tommy eked out a SD 12 win over the impressive looking Loughran.

USBA: Loughran retained this belt with three successful defenses during the year. First up was Joe Lohman, whom Loughran totally outboxed and outclassed in a solid UD 12 win. Then, Mike McTigue offered a tougher challenge, particularly when he opened a split lip on Loughran early in the bout. But Tommy recovered, and the die was cast when McTigue suffered a cut over his left eye that eventually led to a cuts stoppage, TKO 8 for Loughran. Loughran finished the year out with another masterful performance against Ted Jamieson, with the result being another late cuts stoppage, TKO 9 for Loughran.

CBU, GBU: Both belts were at stake as GBU Champ Len Harvey was matched up with Tom Berry for both the GBU belt and the CBU title vacated by Jack Delaney when he annexed the WBA title in late 1923. A solid showing by Harvey won him the second belt, and the bout ended on a cuts stoppage, going down as a TKO 9 for Harvey. Harvey defended both title belts late in the year versus Gypsy Daniels, who was emerging as a top UK LH prospect and had just won the EBU title (see report below). Harvey dominated the early action, but Daniels did well to keep the bout close, losing by a MD 12 to Harvey, who kept both belts.

EBU: Swiss Charles Baechli defended versus Brit Jack Bloomfield, who survived an early cut to register a narrow SD 12 win. Later in the year, Bloomfield faced Daniels, who outboxed Bloomfield, sealing the win with a strong 11th round en route to a UD 12 triumph.

[JCWeb]

Jan 1925 LH Division Profile

Total: 122 RL: 76 TC: 46

RL by Career Stage:
End - 1
Post - 11
Prime - 27
Pre - 30
Beginning - 7 (5 New)

Rated: 52
800+: 7
500+: 21
200+: 40

Jan 1925 Rankings (Perf Pts and Changes from Jan 1924 in Parens):

Champ: Harry Greb 43-7 (24) (1566) (+1)
1. Tommy Gibbons 40-13-2 (16) (1292) (+3)
2. Jack Delaney 25-1 (18) (1161) (-2)
3. Jeff Smith 44-13-4 (18) (1144) (-1)
4. Kid Norfolk 33-9-2 (18) (1076) (-1)
5. Tommy Loughran 23-2-1 (10) (992) (NC)
6. Len Harvey 20-2 (11) (821) (+7)
7. Lou Bogash 27-9-1 (15) (793) (+8)
8. Mike McTigue 30-14-4 (21) (754) (-1)
9. Jimmy Delaney 23-4-1 (16) (757) (-1)
10. Jimmy Slattery 17-2-1 (8) (755) (new)

Comments: All at Prime except Gibbons, who hits Post in 1925. Greb has won his last eight in a row to re-establish himself at the top of the division. Gibbons has won his last six, his most recent win an impressive UD 10 over a top newcomer to the top 10, Brit Len Harvey. He struggled earlier in the year, however, managing only a MD over Jack Reeves. "Bright Eyes" Jack Delaney bounced back from the title loss to Greb with a UD 10 over Jeff Smith to re-establish his credentials as a top contender. Smith slipped only one spot despite no wins in 1924, suffering losses to Gibbons (a MD) and Delaney while being held to a draw with Norfolk. Norfolk was also winless, two draws with Smith and Bogash to go with the pair of title bout losses to Greb. Tommy Loughran, ranked #5, only lost that narrow split duke to Gibbons while winning three USBA title defenses to remain in contention. Harvey surged into the top group, riding a 9-bout win streak until his loss to Gibbons. Bogash advanced to the top 10 with three wins and a draw, impressing in a UD 10 over ex-Champ Dillon, drawing with Norfolk and taking a controversial DQ win over Jimmy Slattery. The still inconsistent McTigue scored two wins (one a KO, the other a SD) over Jack Reeves, but faltered in his third title try against Loughran. Duluth Jimmy Delaney, a Greb TKO victim, won his last two bouts via KO over Bob Sweeney and a SD versus Battling Levinsky to retain his top 10 spot. Rounding out the top group was newcomer Slattery, who held on despite the DQ loss to Bogash, with a UD 10 over Dillon representing his best performance to date.

Other Notables: Debuting just outside the top 10 was Ad Stone, whose perfect 15-0 (10) start included KOs over Art Weigand and Billy Vidabeck, in addition to a pair of wins (UD, MD) over Leo Lomski. Top 10 dropouts included Levinksy, who slid seven spots to #13 (losses to Jamieson, Dillon and Jimmy Delaney marred his year) and Dillon, who dropped five spots to #14 after two straight losses to Bogash and Slattery offset the win versus Levinsky. Finally, Bob Sweeney (#8 in the 1924 list) retired. Two more top newcomers to the rankings are George Nichols, whose 15-2 (7) career start places him 15th, based on UDs versus Bobby Brown and Eddie McGovern after suffering a second UD loss to Stone; and Bobby Brown, who checks in at #18 after a 14-2-1 (11) start, going unbeaten until his last two bouts when he lost to Slattery and Nichols but impressing with a pair of KOs over Hambone Kelly and a one-round blowout of Cuban LH Esparraguera. Young Tony Marullo, once a highly regarded prospect, took a nose dive after going 0-3 for the year, sliding all the way to #23. One spot behind is Leo Lomski, whose 12-3-1 (3) record includes recent successes versus Sergeant Jack Lynch (a UD) and Sunny Jim Williams (a SD) but stumbled with the pair of losses to the unbeaten Stone. Finally, EBU Champ Gypsy Daniels, who is off to a 18-6-1 (13) career start, is probably woefully underrated after compiling a five-bout unbeaten streak, then dropping a MD to the highly regarded Harvey, as he is mired in #29 spot with only 368 PPs.

Prospects: Maxie Rosenbloom's career has been well-documented, he is off to a 12-0 (7) start. Still unbeaten is Battling Slim Ryan, who has KO wins versus Earl Blue and veteran Charles Grande on his 11-0 (8) resume. Brit Charlie Tonner had won nine a row before suffering a stunning KO loss to a TC, Al Holloway, in his last bout to slide to 9-1 (8). The Astoria Assassin, Paul Berlenbach, has iced all nine of his opponents to date, including a KO 1 schellacking of previously unbeaten Eddie Huffman. Yale Okun has been carefully managed to this point, as he is 8-0 (7), all versus TCs. Also with a clean slate is Osk Till at 6-0 (2), same for Italian Rinaldo Palmucci at 5-0 (5). Young Firpo is off to a 3-0 (2) start but Cuban Martin Perez was held to a draw versus a TC and finishes the year at 4-0-1 (3).

Retirements: Two retirements in 1924.

Bob Sweeney (USA) 1911-24 31-17-2 (20) NABF Champ Highest Rank: 4
Clay Turner (USA) 1912-24 23-25 (5) No Titles Highest Rank: 14

Looking Ahead: With Gibbons hitting Post-Prime, Jack Delaney and Loughran are probably the top two potential challengers to Greb's throne. Harvey and Bogash rose rapidly in the rankings last year, and Slattery is an impressive newcomer to the top group. There may be a changing of the guard in the division as long-time contenders like Gibbons, Dillon, Levinsky, Siki, and Houck fade from the scene, with plenty of new talent, paced by Rosenbloom and Berlenbach, likely to fill the void. Lou Scozza, a 7-rated fighter, is the top rated of five new faces to the division in 1925.

[JCWeb]

Continuing with the new feature, here are the year-end 1924 Ring ratings compared to my Uni:

Ring #1 Gene Tunney -- already atop the HW division, a few years ahead of schedule
Ring #2 Young Stribling -- had him in HW from the beginning, though Ring has him rated at LH for the first four years through 1927
Ring #3 Kid Norfolk -- #4 right now in my Uni, but he held the Title
Ring #4 Mike McTigue, Champion -- #8 in my Uni, so far he has underperformed versus history
Ring #5 Ad Stone -- unbeaten in my Uni, ranked #11
Ring #6 Jeff Smith -- #3 in my Uni
Ring #7 Paul Berlenbach -- still a Prospect with a perfect 9-0 start in my Uni, probably fought many more bouts in RL to this point in his career
Ring #8 Young Marullo -- had a poor 1924, dropped to #23 after flirting with a top 10 ranking for awhile
Ring #9 Tommy Loughran -- #5 in my Uni
Ring #10 Jimmy Delaney -- Duluth Jimmy, #9 in my Uni

Missing but found in the MW list are three guys in my Top 10, including the Champ, Greb (MW Champ and #1 in the Ring ratings), Jack Delaney (#4 in the Ring MW list) and Jimmy Slattery (#3 Ring MW). The only guy in my LH Top 10 I can't find is Brit Len Harvey, who probably took a few more years to rise to prominence whereas in my Uni, the lack of other top British LHs probably accelerated his rise to the top group.

Overall, very pleased with how the LHs in the Uni are performing versus RL.

[JCWeb]

1924 MW Title Bouts

WBA

Mickey Walker CH (22-0) vs Al Grayber #7 (32-18-4)

Walker holds a prior win (UD 10) over Grayber, who has gone 6-2 since that loss back in 1921, including two wins in his last two outings.

After a strong opening round, Walker pounds away with a strong inside body attack to take the second as well. Grayber tries to work inside in round three, but it just makes for a more inviting target for the Toy Bulldog. The left eye of the challenger starts to swell in round four, and Walker is pitching a shutout (50-45) according to the unofficial scorecard. Walker continues as the aggressor, repeatedly finding the target. Grayber is literally out on his feet after round eight, and Walker connects for his first KD in round nine, following up with a right to deliver the coup-de-grace a round later. Walker wins via KO 10.

Mickey Walker CH (23-0) vs Rene DeVos #4 (26-3-2)

Walker puts his unbeaten record and WBA title on the line against the EBU Champ, DeVos. First meeting of the two.

After another strong start for the Champ, DeVos stays on the outside and takes round two. Walker rocks DeVos with an uppercut to take round three, although DeVos rallies late in the round to keep it close. Round four, huge surprise, Mickey Walker hurts his hand and cannot continue. Big surprise, huge upset, DeVos is declared the new Champ via TKO in the fourth.

Rene DeVos CH (27-3-2) vs Johnny Wilson #7 (32-15-1)

DeVos takes on a relatively "safe" opponent for his first defense, Wilson, whom he defeated previously. It's Wilson's second try for the WBA title, having lost to O'Dowd back in 1919.

Not much action in round one, the "Little Fox" (DeVos) moves inside and holds a slight edge for round two. Both stay on the outside for round three, another close round. Wilson switches to the inside in round four, and he causes bleeding from the mouth of the Champ. Wilson gets the best of it in round five, which sees both men pounding away on the inside. DeVos' right eye also starts to swell. Wilson follows up, pressing the Champ throughout the middle rounds. DeVos falls victim to a Wilson uppercut in round six, taking an 8-count before arising. Wilson follows with a second KD in the ninth, and he coasts the rest of the way as DeVos is unable to battle back in the later rounds. Wilson by UD 15 (145-140, 145-139, 146-138).

Johnny Wilson CH (33-15-1) vs Frankie Schoell #8 (21-5-3)

First meeting of the two; Schoell is coming off a UD versus Mike Gibbons.

Usual feeling out process in the opening round, edge to the Champ. Both fire away from long range in round two, and Schoell sustains a cut over the left eye. Wilson targets the cut in round three, but it is patched up by Schoell's corner between rounds. Schoell moves inside to take round four. Wilson puts Schoell on the defensive with a strong attack in round five. Wilson maintains control in round six, and the cut over Schoell's eye is reopened in round seven. The cut is patched up, reopened a second time in a round nine. And, in a familiar story, the third time the cut is reopened -- in round 11 -- leads to a stoppage. Wilson by TKO 11 (cut).

NABF: Mike O'Dowd starts the year off with this belt, but runs into Bryan Downey who consistently outboxes the aging St. Paul Cyclone to take a UD 12. Downey takes on USBA champ Joe Borrell, building an early lead before ending it with a KO in round eight. Then Panama Joe Gans is the challenger, and this time it's a controversial foul call -- DQ win for Downey in the seventh. A rematch occurs two months later, and in a very close bout the steady Gans lifts the belt via a UD 12. Finally, in the year's fifth NABF title bout, Gans defends versus Gordon McKay,who pulls off the TKO 8 upset as Gans suffers a broken jaw and is forced to abandon the bout.

USBA: By contrast, USBA Champ Joe Borrell defended the belt only once, taking on veteran Al McCoy. It was a good action bout, two sluggers pounding away at each other, and Borrell recovered from a cut lip in round one to deliver three KDs in round three, enough to result in a stoppage. Borrell by TKO 3.

CBU: Brit Frank Moody defended versus Canadian Eugene Brosseau, eking out a narrow SD 12 in what was frankly, a rather boring bout.

GBU: Moody also put his GBU belt on the line, versus newcomer Billy Bird, who put up a spirited challenger until being decked late in the bout by a Moody cross. This one also went the distance, UD 12 for Moody.

EBU: This title was vacated by DeVos when he won the WBA crown. Ted Moore of the UK and Italian Leone Jacovacci squared off for the vacant crown, and the result was a stalemate and the belt remained vacant.

[JCWeb]

Jan 1925 MW Division Profile

Total: 156 RL: 91 TCs: 65

RL by Career Stage:
End - 10
Post - 17
Prime - 37
Pre - 19
Beginning - 8 (3 New)

Rated: 68
800+: 11
500+: 39
200+: 61

Jan 1925 Rankings (Perf Pts and Changes from Jan 1924 in Parens):

Champ: Johnny Wilson 34-15-1 (12) (1088) (+17)
1. Bryan Downey 36-13-3 (15) (1364) (+3)
2. Mickey Walker 25-1 (19) (1339) (-2)
3. Mike O'Dowd 36-9 (15) (1274) (-2)
4. Gordon McKay 24-9 (13) (1115) (+8)
5. Panama Joe Gans 40-7 (18) (1114) (-3)
6. Joe Borrell 35-15-1 (22) (1051) (-1)
7. Tiger Flowers 27-7-1 (13) (941) (+2)
8. Rene DeVos 27-5-2 (14) (940) (-5)
9. Jock Malone 23-8-2 (8) (811) (-1)
10. Frankie Schoell 21-6-3 (9) (802) (NC)

Comments: All above at Prime, except for O'Dowd at Post and Borrell, who hits Post in 1925. Wilson, who made a dramatic surge, going 4-0 in 1924, still has four MWs with higher PP totals. Downey had a five-bout win streak snapped by the lost to Panama Joe Gans. Walker bounced back from his unfortunate title loss wiht a UD 10 over Jack McVey and KO 2 versus O'Dowd. McKay also made a surprising move by taking the NABF title, to go with a TKO over Oakland Jimmy Duffy while suffering a SD loss to aging veteran Al McCoy. Gans had a busy 1924, winning four of six contests, registering UDs over M. Gibbons, Schoell and Malone in addition to his title tilts. Borrell kept the USBA belt but lost to Downey, so no real progress this year. Flowers won three of four, but suffered a TKO loss to O'Dowd and did not progress further; he had an impressive UD 10 win over DeVos, the now ex-Champ. DeVos had won seven straight before dropping the title contest with Wilson and the UD loss to Flowers. Malone split two bouts in 1924, losing to Gans but stopping Phil Kaplan. Finally, Schoell clings to the #10 spot, going 2-2 for the year with wins over Rowland and Mike Gibbons but losses for the title and also to Gans.

Other Notables: Jack McCarron slid five spots to #11, losing both bouts during the year, a TKO loss to Mike Gibbons and a UD loss to Wilson. Taking an even steeper drop was Al Grayber, who went 0-4 for the year and dropped from #7 all the way down to #23. Moody, holder of the CBU and GBU titles, is ranked #20 with 29-10-3 (10) mark that is worth 661 PPs; he dropped a split duke to Battling Ortega that negated the positive impact of two successful title defenses. One spot below at #21 is Billy Bird, who impressed with a UD over Grayber and a TW 9 versus Jackie Clark. Billy Shade won four of five to finish the year at #22. Top newcomer to the rankings is Brit Tommy Milligan, who won 16 of his first 17 before dropping a TKO to George Robinson; his 16-2 (13) is good for 25th spot in the rankings. German Hein Domgorgen checks in one spot below, his best win a TKO 2 over Ted Moore.

Prospects: Cuban Kid Charol suffered his first loss (TKO at the hands of Domgorgen) but bounced back with a UD over Larry Estridge to finish the year at 13-1 (8). Estridge had been unbeaten until running into Charol and Domgorgen, plus he was held to a draw by Billy Angelo and slipped to 11-2-1 (10). Ace Hudkins is off to a 12-1 (10) career start, the only blemish a TKO loss to a TC. Likewise, Soldier Eddie Burnbrook sports an identical 12-1 (10) mark, his one defeat coming at the hands of Billy Angelo via a KO 7. Canada's George Fifield is 10-2 (6), suffering a UD 10 loss to Homer Robertson, who checks in at 10-2 (4). Still unbeaten at 9-0 (5) is Joe Roche, all versus TCs. Austria's Poldi Steinbach is 9-0 (7), including a UD 8 over Edouard Tenet for the Frenchman's first loss. Filipino Ceferino Garcia is off to a 6-0 (4) start; Vince Dundee won his first five to go 5-0 (2), and Gorilla Jones won his first two during the year.

Retirements: Four MWs left the ranks during 1924.

Gus Christie (USA) 30-19-3 (14) No Titles Highest Rank: 16
Silent Martin (USA) 26-21-1 (11) No Titles Highest Rank: 23
George Chip (USA) 32-26-4 (15) No Titles Highest Rank: 19
Gus Platts (USA) 26-27-4 (11) EBU, GBU Champ Highest Rank: 22

Chip's career was particularly disappointing. He never could seem to score that big win to set him up for a championship fight.

Looking Ahead: This division is getting tough to predict, with some surprises during 1924. With 10 fighters at End and many more at Post, it is also an aging division. Walker was expected to dominate, but he suffered a surprise loss due to the hand injury. DeVos is still a force, likely to recapture the EBU belt in 1925. None of the current crop of prospects is likely to make a huge immediate impact, and the best of the three newcomers slated to debut in 1925, Enzo Fiermonte of Italy, is only rated a 7.

[JCWeb]

Continuing with the new feature ...

Ring #1 rated MW Harry Greb is the LH Champ in my Uni.
Ring #2 Tiger Flowers is #7 in my Uni
Ring #3 Slattery and #4 Jack Delaney both appear in the LH top 10
Ring #5 Johnny Wilson is the current Champ in my Uni
Ring #6 Frankie Schoell is #10 in my Uni
Ring #7 Jock Malone is #9 in my Uni

so far, so good, right? Now for the last three...

Ring #8 Bert Colima -- #61 in my Uni
Ring #9 Allentown Joe Gans -- #42
and Ring #10 -- Ted Moore - #40

So, clearly some anomalous results in the MW class.

(BTW, Mickey Walker was listed as top WW by Ring and does not appear in this list.)

[JCWeb]

1924 WW Title Bouts

WBA

Ted Kid Lewis CH (39-13-4) vs Piet Hobin #15 (20-10-1)

First meeting of the two, as Lewis accepts a challenge from the newly-crowned EBU Champ.

Strong start in round one for Lewis, who works quickly to establish his jab. Edge to the Champ in round two, which sees both men work outside. Hobin moves inside for round three, which is a close, even round. Ted Kid Lewis tries to slug it out on the inside in round four, but Hobin holds his own. Round five, Hobin goes back to the inside, unofficial scores after five have Lewis ahead (49-46). Hobin's left eye starts swelling in round six, Lewis dominates through the middle rounds as the Belgian challenger starts to gradually weaken. No KDs, Lewis retreats into a defensive shell that Hobin can't penetrate to take the lopsided UD 15 (147-138, 146-139, 147-138).

Ted Kid Lewis CH (40-13-4) vs Pete Latzo #6 (18-2-1)

The reigning USBA Champ is next in line for a title shot. First meeting of the two, Latzo enters on a three-bout