The Mighty Atoms - All time Flyweight Championship

[Tosti]

Newsboy Brown (USA)(#22) V German Torres (Mexico)(#43)

Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles.

The Russian born Brown (left) won the Californian version of the World Flyweight title after stopping Speedy Dado in 1928. He beat the likes of Midget Wolgast and Frankie Genaro before stepping up to Bantamweight.

Torres held both the domestic and WBC versions of the Light Flyweight titles. The Mexican had a decent dig, stopping Eleo Mercedes, Alfonso Lopez and Armado Ursua amongst others.

[Tosti]

Newsboy Brown (#22) UD10 German Torres (#43)

Brown totally outclassed Torres.

The only moment of hope for Torres came in the second round when he appeared to hurt Brown with a right hook. The American was pinned on the ropes for the last thirty seconds of the stanza.

For the remainder of the bout it was all Brown. He planted left jabs and right crosses to the chin of Torres at will. The generally light hitting Brown even managed to deck his man with a right hook halfway through the sixth.

Brown marches on, he will meet the winner of Saman Sorjaturong V Johnny Hill in the next round.

Next up ..........

[Tosti]

Humberto Gonzalez (Mexico)(#21) V Louis Skena (France)(#44)

Arean Mexico, Mexico City

'Chiquita' (left) held both the WBC and IBF belts at Light Flyweight. He was inducted into the IBHOF in 1996. He beat the like of Jung Koo Chang, Melchor Cob Castro and Michael Carbajal. He stopped 30 of his 46 opponents.

Skena was the French and European Flyweight Champion. He fought 56 times in an 8 year career, all in Europe. He won his European title in 1953 and retired as Champion.

[Tosti]

Louis Skena (#44) KO9 Humberto 'Chiquita' Gonzalez (#21)

Skena silences the Mexican crowd.

Louis Skena pulled off the biggest shock of the tourney thus far. The fight was a slugfest with neither man giving ground, at the end of the eighth round 'Chiquita' was ahead on all three scorecards by three points.

The Frenchman ignored his corner's advice to go easy in the ninth round as he and Gonzalez stood tote to toe in the centre of the ring. With a minute left in the stanza Skena exploded a right uppercut to the chin of Gonzalez knocking him cold.

The French Slugger will meet the winner of Santos Laciar V Peter Kane in the next round.

Coming up ........

[Tosti]

Benny Lynch (Scotland)(#20) V Yoshio Shirai (Japan)(#45)

Hampden Park, Scotland

The 'Kid from the Gorbals' held the Scottish, British, European and World Flyweight titles. He won World tilte bouts against Jackie Brown, Small Montana and Peter Kane before forfeiting the title due to weight. He died at the age of 33. Lynch (left) was inducted into the IBHOF in 1998.

Shirai was a domestic and World Champion at Flyweight. He won the World title after defeating Dado Marino in 1952. After initially drawing against Pascual Perez, the Argentinian got his measure in 1954.

[Mad Bomber]

Originally Posted by Tosti

Louis Skena (#44) KO9 Humberto 'Chiquita' Gonzalez (#21)

Skena silences the Mexican crowd.

Louis Skena pulled off the biggest shock of the tourney thus far. The fight was a slugfest with neither man giving ground, at the end of the eighth round 'Chiquita' was ahead on all three scorecards by three points.

The Frenchman ignored his corner's advice to go easy in the ninth round as he and Gonzalez stood tote to toe in the centre of the ring. With a minute left in the stanza Skena exploded a right uppercut to the chin of Gonzalez knocking him cold.

The French Slugger will meet the winner of Santos Laciar V Peter Kane in the next round.

Coming up ........

Boo. Great tournament

[Tosti]

Benny Lynch (#20) TKO8 (Cut) Yoshio Shirai (#45)

Shirai took a terrible beating.

The Scottish crowd went mad as their boy leapt on Shirai from the opening bell, landing hooks to both head and body. The Japanese fighter tried to mix it with Lynch but had no chance.

Shirai bravely stayed on his feet but must have been close to being stopped on numerous occasions from the fourth round onwards. Shirai was finally put out of his misery by the ringside doctor, his right eye was virtually shut and he had blood pouring down over his left eye.

Lynch will meet the winner of Yoko Gushiken V Pone Kingpetch in the next round.

Next up ..............

[Tosti]

Hilario Zapata (Panama)(#19) V Erbito Salavarria (Philippines)(#46)

Estadio Olimpico, Panama City

Zapata (left) was the WBC Light Flyweight Champion and WBA Flyweight Champion. He defended the former against the likes of Joey Olivo, Jung Koo Chang and German Torres. He made five successful defences at Flyweight before losing out to Fidel Bassa.

Salavarria held both WBC and WBA versions of the 'World Flyweight crown'. He took the WBC title from Chartchai Chionoi before being stripped by the organisation for use of amphetamines during the bout. Four years later he took the WBA version after outpointing Susumu Hanagata, thereafter he made one successful defence before being stopped by Alfonso Lopez.

[Tosti]

Erbito Salavarria (#46) UD10 Hilario Zapata (#19)

In another upset result, Salavarria coasted to a wide margin points victory.

There were some pre fight rumours that Zapata had taken a win for granted and had gone easy in the gym. His appearance on entering the ring seemed to confirm this. He paid a heavy price, with Salvarria peppering him with jabs and crosses with little coming back the other way.

Zapata looked lifeless as he trudged back to the corner at the end of the fourth round, from there on in Salavarria cruised home.

Salavarria will meet the winner of Frankie Genaro V Walter McGowan in the next round.

Next up ........

[Tosti]

Horacio Accavallo (Argentina)(#18) V Sin Sor Ploenjit (Thailand)(#47)

Estadio Luna Park, Buenos Aires

Accavallo (below) was the Argentinian, South American and WBA Champion at Flyweight. In an 11 year 83 fight career he only lost twice. He achieved against Salvatore Burruni, Effren Torres, Katsuyoshi Takayama and Hiroyuki Ebihara.

According to boxrec Ploenjit fought only seven pro contests. He went unbeaten, achieving all his victories on points.

[Tosti]

Horacio Accavallo (#18) UD10 Sin Sor Ploenjit (#47)

The Aregntinian slugger had far too much for Ploenjit.

It was a virtual shut out on the scorecards with Ploenjit struggling to see out of his right eye from early on. Accavallo had no trouble getting inside and pumelled away at his Thai opponent with little in the way of reply.

Accavallo will meet the winner of Elky Clark V Vuyani Nene in the next round.

Next up ........

[Tosti]

Cuban Black Bill (Cuba)(#17) V Jackie Paterson (Scotland)(#48)

Oriental Park, Havana

Cuban Black Bill fought 160 times and was never stopped. He defeated men such as Corporal Izzy Schwartz, Routier Parra and Eugene Huat before failing in his only attempt at the World crown when losing on points to Midget Wolgast in 1930.

Paterson was Scottish, British, Commonwealth and World Champion at Flyweight, he also held the European Bantmweight title. He won the World Flyweight belt when he knocked out Peter Kane in the first round at Hampden Park, the Scottish National Football Stadium.

[Tosti]

Jackie Paterson (#48) UD10 Black Bill (#17)

Paterson's journey to Cuba beared fruit as he outmuscled his defence minded opponent.

The Scot was the aggressor from the opening bell, working hard inside and finding his opponent to be a remarkably easy target. Although getting a point deducted in the second round round for kidney punching, Paterson was a unanimous points winner when the verdict was announced.

Paterson will meet the winner of the upcoming bout between Jung Koo Chang and Masao Ohba in the next round.

[Tosti]

Jung Koo Chang (South Korea)(#16) V Masao Ohba (Japan)(#49)

Chungmu Gymnasium, Daejon

Chang (left) failed in his first attempt to win the WBC Light Flyweight title after dropping a split decision to Hilario Zapata in 1982. He made amends a year later when stopping Zapata and went on to defend his title 15 times against the likes of German Torres, Sot Chitalada and Isidro Perez. He finally lost his crown to Humberto Gonzalez before making two unsuccessful attempts at the World Flyweight Title.

Tokyo based Ohba became the WBA Flyweight Champion in 1970 and defended the title five times. His last fight was a 12th round KO of Chartchai Chionoi. Ohba was tragically killed in a car accident two weeks later.

[Tosti]

Jung Koo Chang (#16) TKO10 Masao Ohba (#49)

Chang cruised past Ohba and into the next round where he will meet Scot Jackie Paterson.

Chang dominated the bout from the outset but waited until the tenth and final round to finish Ohba off. Chang landed a crisp right cross sending his fatigued opponent to the deck and although Ohba got to his feet it wasn't long until referee Vann had seen enough.

Next up ......

[CONN CHRIS]

Originally Posted by Tosti

Jackie Paterson (#48) UD10 Black Bill (#17)

Paterson's journey to Cuba beared fruit as he outmuscled his defence minded opponent.

The Scot was the aggressor from the opening bell, working hard inside and finding his opponent to be a remarkably easy target. Although getting a point deducted in the second round round for kidney punching, Paterson was a unanimous points winner when the verdict was announced.

Paterson will meet the winner of the upcoming bout between Jung Koo Chang and Masao Ohba in the next round.

I'd have picked Black Bill in that one.

Great tourney Tom!

[CONN CHRIS]

Originally Posted by Tosti

His last fight was a 12th round KO of Chartchai Chionoi.

There are 3-5 rounds of this fight on Youtube. Chionoi was old and still banging to the end - it was a heck of a fight.

[Tosti]

Elky Clark (Scotland)(#15) V Vuyani Nene (South Africa)(#50)

Hampden Park, Scotland

Clark (below) held the Scottish, British, European and Commonwealth Flyweight titles. Clark's only shot at a World crown was his last fight, he took on Fidel LaBarba at Madison Square Garden and "was battered from gong to gong of 12 merciless rounds."

Nene's career spanned 20 years, he was the domestic Light Flyweight Champion. He only fought outside of South Africa twice, he was hammered in three rounds by Robert Quiroga and dropped a points decision to Jesper Jensen, both bouts were for 'World' titles.

[Tosti]

Originally Posted by CONN CHRIS

I'd have picked Black Bill in that one.

Great tourney Tom!

Ta mate, makes a change from pioneer heavyweights!

[Piggy Lid]

Originally Posted by tosti

horacio accavallo (#18) ud10 sin sor ploenjit (#47)

the aregntinian slugger had far too much for ploenjit.

It was a virtual shut out on the scorecards with ploenjit struggling to see out of his right eye from early on. Accavallo had no trouble getting inside and pumelled away at his thai opponent with little in the way of reply.

Accavallo will meet the winner of elky clark v vuyani nene in the next round.

Next up ........

Sorry if this doesn't mean much to anyone on the other side of the Atlantic but Accavallo's a dead ringer for a young George Formby.