Category Archives: Boxing Articles

Can Boxing Be Made Less Dangerous? Mike Silver Believes So And Proposes A Formula

Book Reviews, Boxing Articles, , ,

Review:

When In Doubt,

Stop The Bout

A Revolutionary Approach To

Boxing Safety And Reform

By Mike Silver 

Hamilcar Publications

Reviewed By Bobby Franklin, December 2, 2025

It has often been said that unlike other sports, you don’t play boxing. True. Boxing is a unique competition in many ways, but there is one primary aspect of it that makes it truly different from other athletic endeavors; the requirement that in order to be successful, a boxer most become proficient  at inflicting physical damage, even brain injuries, on his opponent. This some times leads to death, and more often, too often, to CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy).

While it is true that participants in other sports, most notably football, also risk severe brain damage from concussive trauma, boxing is the only sport where success is measured by how well a person is able to become in causing physical harm to the person with whom he is competing. There is no getting away from this.

Can boxing be made safe? Not unless it is banned. Can boxing be made less dangerous? That is the question boxing historian Mike Silver tackles in his deep dive into reforming this hazardous sport in When In Doubt, Stop The Bout A Revolutionary Approach To Boxing Safety And Reform.

Mike has done extensive research into the subject of boxing safety. He has  accumulated statistics dealing with the number of boxer deaths over the years as well as what effect the length of a fight has on increasing the risk of one or both of the participants being seriously injured. 

Mike Silver

Early in the book Mike comments on how the lack of regulation plays a role in putting the fighters at risk. He rightly observes that to become a boxing trainer in most locales around the world, all you have to do is walk into a gym, throw a towel over your shoulder and say you are a boxing coach. This is criminal. Young kids with an interest in boxing are put into a situation where when they first walk into a gym they are trusting someone who can get them killed. Where’s the oversight? There is none.

Mike spends time later in the book exposing the corruption higher up the ladder in the boxing world. From the alphabet soup organizations to promoters such as Don King. In 1997 King was inducted into the International Hall Of Fame, an action that speaks to just how low the standards are in boxing.

Reading about the sordidness and corruption in the sport may leave the reader with a terrible stench in his nostrils, but that is just one section of the book. Mike saves his best when offering up ways to mitigate the dangers faced by pugilists. They all have merit even though a few sound counterintuitive.

Take the case of the boxing glove. It has become dogma in the minds of most people that the padded covering for the hands prevents head injuries. Mike makes a strong case, one which I have long believed, that the glove actually makes the sport more dangerous and the blows more lethal. Once you read his argument you will see the boxing glove in a whole new light. Mike even quotes actor James Cagney on the subject. 

His chapter contrasting  MMA fighting with boxing is also an eye opener. Here is a sport that is perceived as more brutal than boxing, but, as the author points out, actually has many more safety measures built into it, and brain injuries are far fewer. Heavily padded boxing gloves are not used by the combatants, a point that bolsters Mike’s argument about the dangers of the boxing glove.

The most controversial, and most likely the change that would do the most good comes down to the author’s proposal to limit the rounds of fights. Many of us remember when title fights were scheduled for fifteen rounds. That was done away with after the death of Duk Koo Kim in a bout versus Ray Mancini in 1982. The fight was seen live on national TV. After that tragedy, title bouts were limited to twelve rounds. 

Mike contends, today even twelve rounds is unsafe for most boxers. In years past fighters would slowly work their way up to longer duration matches by starting out in four rounders, then moving up to six, eight, and finally ten round bouts if they showed they had the ability to handle the distance. This was done over time. It was a sort of an apprenticeship approach.

Now, it is not uncommon to see fighters in their ninth or tenth fight challenging for a world title in a twelve round fight. Mike points out that no matter their physical conditioning, and these fighters are athletes, they have nowhere near the experience to handle going that distance. And the lack of experience is most notable in their lack of defensive skills. Boxing today is mostly about exchanging punches, basically fighters taking turns hitting each other in the head. It is no longer the Manly Art Of Self-Defense. 

There is much more in this treatise on making such a dangerous sport less unsafe. Mike delves into training for referees, the role of the ringside doctors, when a fight be stopped (this is quite interesting), and the case for head guards. 

This is an important book, one that should be read by members of every boxing commission, referees, physicians, and those with influence over the rules of boxing. Will that happen? It is unlikely. 

Boxing has been around a long time, and while there have been some very decent people involved with the sort, it has also been a home to many lowlifes who don’t give a damn about the welfare of the men and women who step into the squared circle. 

The fact that Mike is able to come up with so many reforms for boxing shows just what a mess the sport is and the danger it poses for healthy young athletes. 

My take away from this book, one not intended by Mike, is the conclusion that reforming boxing is a lost cause. Not because his proposals aren’t valid, they certainly are, but rather because the swamp that is boxing will look to bury his work. I do urge people to delve into this highly readable work and draw their own conclusions. In a sane sport, Mike Silver would be garnering praise for his dedication and research into finding a way to fix boxing and protect the athletes. However, boxing is far from a sane sport, and a good man who truly cares for the welfare of it’s participants will most likely be shunned. 

I hope I am wrong, and maybe if enough people read When In Doubt, Stop The Bout, it will lead to a discussion that will lead to lessening the terrible injuries inflicted upon those who step into the ring.

A Double Tragedy: Two Boxing Fatalities on the Same Fight Card

Boxing Articles

What Went Wrong—And How to Fix It
By Mike Silver 10/22/2025

(Note: Some of the material in this article is excerpted from Mike Silver’s new book, When in Doubt, Stop the Bout: A Revolutionary Approach to Boxing Safety and Reform).

Never in the entire 133-year history of modern gloved boxing, have two fighters on the same card died from brain injuries sustained in separate bouts. Yet that unprecedented milestone was reached on August 2, 2025, in Tokyo, just nine weeks after another Japanese fighter collapsed into a coma after a bout in Osaka.

Yes, boxing is a dangerous sport but what happened in Japan was not unavoidable. These tragedies were the foreseeable result of negligence, incompetence, and corruption—resulting in a form of legalized manslaughter. 

The Warning Sign: Ginjiro Shigeoka

The chain of events leading to the Tokyo double fatality began months earlier. On May 24 in Osaka, former IBF light flyweight champion Ginjiro Shigeoka (11-1) lost a punishing 12-round decision to Pedro Tadura (17-4-1). Video of the fight shows Shigeoka absorbing a sustained head beating, especially in the final three rounds. Moments after the bell, he collapsed. Surgeons removed a subdural hematoma from the right side of his brain. He remains in a coma.

That fight should never have taken place. Ten months earlier, Tadura had taken the title from Shigeoka in a savage ninth-round stoppage. Twice the referee nearly halted it before finally stepping in. Shigeoka collapsed unconscious in his corner and required surgery for a fractured orbital bone. He had suffered a severe concussion.

The Japanese boxing commission should not have allowed him back into the ring for another fight against the same opponent. Considering the crude style and limited experience of both fighters, a repeat of their first slugfest was inevitable. The rematch would almost certainly guarantee another head beating for the doomed fighter. Which is exactly what happened. The only difference between the first and second fight was this fight went the full 12 rounds. It is a medical fact that a brain rendered fragile by a previous concussion is more vulnerable to catastrophic damage from a second concussion.

Shigeoka was cleared by the boxing commission to fight, but he was “damaged goods”—an accident waiting to happen. His best chance for survival would have been for the commission to limit the scheduled distance to not more than eight rounds—a distance more suitable to his limited experience and defenseless style of fighting. 

The boxing commission’s failure to protect its fighters is not unique to Japan—it is an international problem, repeated too many times with too many fatal consequences.

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Fight One 

On August 2, super featherweight champion Yamato Hata (17-2) defended his Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation title against Shigetishi Kotari (8-2-1). Both men weighed 130 pounds. 

Shigetoshi Kotari (right) trading punches with Yamato Hata.

Kotari had just 11 professional bouts. In an earlier era, he would have been a six-round preliminary fighter—not a title challenger. Yet today’s alphabet soup of sanctioning bodies routinely crowns champions with 10 to 15 fights, giving promoters a belt to market and fighters a dangerous distance to endure.

Kotari fought evenly for eight rounds, but fatigue and punishment mounted. Judges’ scorecards reflected the shift—he lost nearly every round from the ninth through twelfth. The heaviest damage came in those “championship rounds.” He collapsed in the dressing room, underwent brain surgery, and died a week later.

Had the fight been capped at eight rounds, Kotari would have likely survived. 

Fight Two: A Rock ’Em, Sock ’Em Slugfest

The same card’s preliminary bout was just as deadly. Lightweights Yoji Saito (8-4-2) and Hiromasa Urakawa (10-3) fought toe-to-toe for eight brutal rounds, trading nonstop headshots like mindless robots. Defensive skills were virtually absent, including very little body punching, no footwork, and no slipping or parrying of punches. The strategy (or lack thereof) was basically “you hit me, now it’s my turn to hit you”. 

Both men took an inordinate amount of punishment, absorbing hundreds of blows to the head. But no doctor entered the ring between rounds to examine the fighters. 

In the closing seconds, Urakawa was knocked out and became unconscious. Despite emergency brain surgery, the 28-year-old never regained consciousness. Once again, too many scheduled rounds killed a fighter. Had it been a four, or five-rounder, Urakawa would almost certainly be alive.

Systemic Failures

These tragedies are not isolated—they stem from the following systemic failures:

1. Too Many Rounds for Too Little Experience

Statistics compiled from the Manuel Velazquez Boxing Fatality Collection show bouts longer than five rounds increase fatality risk by 70 percent. The fifth round should be considered an important demarcation. Also, a third of all deaths since 2000 occurred in the final scheduled round. Yet inexperienced fighters are constantly thrust into 10- and 12-round “title” fights for the sake of marketing and to provide the nefarious “sanctioning organizations” with thousands of dollars in fees taken from the fighter’s earnings for the “privilege” of fighting for the organization’s title belt. 

2. Collapse of Standards and Skills

From the 1920s through the 1970s, fighters averaged 50–70 pro bouts before a title shot. Today’s champions often have fewer than 20. The problem is compounded by a lack of qualified trainers capable of teaching the finer points of boxing technique. With most of today’s pro fighters averaging only two to four fights a year, most never get the opportunity to develop and craft an effective defense on their own. Instead, fight after fight (and presumably when sparring in the gym) they engage in artless brawls devoid of strategy or adjustment. Every round looks exactly like the one that preceded it.

3. The Dehydration Madness

His swollen and battered face a testament to the beating he received, ill fated Shigetoshi Kotari leaves the ring after losing a 12 round decision. He collapsed in the dressing room shortly after this photo was taken.

Since weigh-ins moved to 24–36 hours before fights, too many boxers starve and dehydrate themselves to make weight, then binge to rehydrate. But the brain can’t rehydrate in a day. Dehydration reduces cerebrospinal fluid, the brain’s cushion against trauma, increasing the risk of catastrophic injury. In addition, a dehydrated fighter cannot perform with the same quickness and precision and will tire in the later rounds, making it more difficult to avoid punches. It is not clear whether weight cutting was a factor in the bouts mentioned in this article.

Legendary referee Mills Lane once made this observation: “Have you ever heard of a heavyweight dying of a subdural hematoma? I haven’t. It’s always the little guys—the featherweights and lightweights—because their handlers dry them out, starve them, then pump them full of water and food. What they’re really doing is setting that fighter up for injury.”

Statistics back up Mill’s observation. A study published in the January 2022 issue of Combat Sports Medicine, published by the Association of Ringside Physicians, found that sixty-two (75 percent) of eighty-three fighters fatally injured between 2000 and 2019 weighed between 108 and 135 pounds. According to BoxRec.com, 43 percent of all known professional bouts at that time involved fighters in the lightweight class (135 pounds) or lower. 

The study offered no explanation for the disproportionally higher number of deaths in the lighter weight divisions, but it is possible that fighters weighing between 108 and 135 pounds average more punches per round than their heavier counterparts, resulting in more sustained and repetitive head punishment. The punches of lighter-weight fighters may not look as heavy or powerful as a middleweight’s or heavyweight’s, but they may be doing more damage because of their number. 

It is also important to consider the fact that boxers in lighter weight classes (108 to 135 pounds) generally cut a higher percentage of their total body weight than those in heavier divisions, such as middleweight and light heavyweight. While fighters across all weight classes may aim to cut a similar number of total pounds, that amount represents a larger percentage of body mass for smaller fighters.

Reform Is Possible—If There’s Will

To reduce deaths and brain trauma, boxing must adopt the following reforms now:

  • Eliminate 12-round fights. Restrict most matches to 4–6 rounds. Reserve 8–10 only for elite, well-matched fighters.
  • Restore same-day weigh-ins. Fighters must weigh in within 10 hours of fighting to end the dehydration cycle and be encouraged to fight at their natural weight.
  • Suspend defenseless fighters. Boxers who consistently absorb excessive head shots, win or lose, should be barred until demonstrating improved defense.
  • Improve education and oversight. Referees must be trained to recognize concussion and have greater confidence in knowing when to stop a fight. Every ringside doctor must also receive adequate neurological training and not hesitate to examine one or both fighters after a particularly punishing round.
  • Limit the authority of the sanctioning organizations. Commissions must stop ceding authority to alphabet groups that invent titles and sanction mismatches for profit. What must end is the proliferation of fake “titles” that lure inexperienced fighters into dangerous 10- and 12-round bouts.

The Historical Perspective

From the early 1900s to the 1960s, fighters like Kotari or Urakawa would have been considered promising prospects with much to learn. No competent manager or responsible boxing commission during that era would have agreed to a 10- or 12-rounder after just a handful of bouts. The proliferation of fabricated “world titles” has dangerously distorted matchmaking today, with often fatal consequences.

The evidence is overwhelming: shorter fights save lives. The Association of Ringside Physicians has confirmed it. The Velazquez Collection confirms it. The history of the sport confirms it. 

The Real Enemy

Boxing did not kill these men. Greed, negligence and incompetence did. The usual suspects are easy to identify. They include noxious sanctioning bodies that continually invent new titles to generate additional fees; promoters eager to sell them; incompetent referees and doctors who are slow to act; negligent boxing commissions incapable of enforcing effective safety measures. 

All the above created the circumstances that made these deaths inevitable. New reforms and stricter rules, including reducing the number of rounds, will not eliminate all risk—but they can dramatically reduce deaths and brain trauma.

The alternative is more of the same: more funerals, more shattered families, more empty words about “warriors who died doing what they loved.”

Enough is enough.

End

Mike Silver’s new book, When in Doubt, Stop the Bout: A Revolutionary Approach to Boxing Safety and Reform should be mandatory reading for everyone who cares about boxing and the fighters who put themselves at risk.

Was Banning Ali From Boxing Good For The Sport?

Boxing Articles, Uncategorized

A Silver Lining In The Cloud Over Ali’s Suspension

By Bobby Franklin

Muhammad Ali And Joe Frazier In 1967

With the recent passing of former heavyweight champion George Foreman, we are hearing much said again about the 1970s being the Golden Age of Heavyweight Boxing. To be sure, it was an exciting time for the division, and boxing fans have a lot of fond memories of that time. But how and why did it happen?

Muhammad Ali was back on the scene after having been banned from the sport in 1967 for refusing induction into the United States Army. He was sidelined for three years before returning in 1970. In 1971 he took on Joe Frazier who now was recognized as the champ. Their epic battle lived up to its billing as The Fight of The Century. This started a decade of very interesting and exciting fights.

At first it appeared that the ban on Ali performing in the ring would hurt boxing. In fact, in a backwards way, it was a shot in the arm for the heavyweight division. Before he was denied access to the ring, Ali had been cleaning out the ranks of top heavyweights. His blinding speed and phenomenal reflexes were too much for the slower moving contenders. There was really no one left who was considered a serious threat to the champion. 

Ali was a very active champ. After defeating Sonny Liston for the title in 1964, he didn’t remain idle. He put the championship on the line nine times. He had five defenses in 1966 alone, and started 1967 with two fights by March before being suspended.

Ali had finished off most of the old guard of the division with his wins over Sonny Liston, Floyd Patterson, Cleveland Williams, Ernie Terrell, and Zora Folley. He traveled to Europe where he took on the best that continent had to offer in Brian London, Henry Cooper, and Karl Mildenberger. He crossed the border to Canada to win over George Chuvalo. Who was left?

Promoters would have had to start rushing the younger contenders into challenging the champ. None were ready to go up against Ali.

There were a number of young contenders on the scene at this time. These included Jerry Quarry, Thad Spencer, Manuel Ramos, Oscar Bonavena, Leotis Martin, Jimmy Ellis, and 1964 Olympic Champion Joe Frazier. Floyd Patterson and Sonny Liston were still active but there was no interest in seeing Ali face these two former champs again. Ernie Terrell was a bridge from the older contenders to the current ones, but Ali had also beaten him in a one sided fight, so again, not much interest in seeing a rematch. Promoters would have had to start rushing the younger contenders into challenging the champ. None were ready to go up against Ali.

This is where the three year exile of Muhammad comes into play. It allowed these younger fighters to gain experience. While a Joe Frazier/Muhammad Ali fight would have been a draw in 1968 or 1969, it would not have been a fight where Frazier would have been considered to have had much of a chance. By 1971 when the two did finally meet, it was a different story. 

Another thing happened during this time. The WBA (World Boxing Association) held a tournament to find a successor to Ali. Joe Frazier refused to take part, but the other leading contenders did. They were Jimmy Ellis, Floyd Patterson, Thad Spencer, Leotis Martin, Ernie Terrell, Oscar Bonavena, Jerry Quarry, and Karl Mildenberger.

The three men who had challenged Ali didn’t make it out of the quarter finals. Patterson lost to Quarry, Terrell to Spencer, and Mildenburger to Bonavena. In the other quarter final match  between two younger fighters, Jimmy Ellis beat Leotis Martin. The semi-finals became a battle of the rising stars with Ellis beating Bonavena and Quarry stopping Spencer.

In the final, Jimmy Ellis won a close 15 round decision over Jerry Quarry. This gave him the WBA Heavyweight Crown. The tournament, which had been broadcast live on home TV, gave all of these young fighters much public exposure. None of them embarrassed themselves, and they all gained fans.

Meanwhile, Joe Frazier had taken on Buster Mathis in a fight that was recognized as being for the title by the commissions in New York and Massachusetts. Frazier proved to be as active a champ as Ali had been. Joe defended his piece of the title six times between June of 1968 and November of 1970. In his fifth defense he fought a unification fight with Jimmy Ellis, stopping the WBA Champ when Ellis couldn’t answer the bell for the fifth round. 

At this point, Ali had announced he was retiring and giving up the title since he wasn’t allowed to fight. Ring Magazine, which had stood by Ali, now recognized Frazier as champion. The public also now pretty much accepted Joe as the one champion. 

But as with Ali, Frazier was facing a dearth of suitable challengers. He had already beaten Chuvalo, Ellis, Quarry, and Bonavena. Young contenders such as George Foreman and Mac Foster were not considered ready for a shot at the hard punching champion. 

Fortunately, in 1970 Ali regained his license to box. He took on Quarry and Bonanvena, defeating both. This led to the showdown between two undefeated men, both of whom had legitimate claims to the title. This had never happened before. Both men also received 2.5 million dollars for the fight, an unheard of sum at the time. 

Boxing was now entering a new age of exciting fights and huge paydays. More young contenders joined the current crop. Those who had lost fights were able to reestablish themselves. Often they fought one another in competitive battles. One of the things that made this era so exciting was the fact that with so many of these matchups, no one could be sure who would win before hand. It was the fact that so many of the fighters from that period were on a par when it came to ability that made so many of these contests interesting. 

It was a new day for the heavyweight division, one that would last over a decade. But could this have happened if Ali had not been exiled? I very much doubt it.

While not allowing the champ to defend his title while his case was being heard was morally wrong, it did allow for a break in which the division was able to grow. Normally, it would have been seen as a blow to the game, but it turned out better for all involved. Fans got to see competitive fights, the fighters got much bigger paydays, and we still ended up with one recognized heavyweight champion even though the title changed hands a number of times. 

I certainly am not trying to justify the taking of the title from Ali, but rather just reflecting  on what happened back then to find a silver lining.

Bernard Hopkins’ Brutal Truth About A Brutal Sport

Boxing Articles

Former Champ Speaks Out About The Brain Damage Suffered By Ali

And Warns Against Choosing A Career In Boxing

By Bobby Franklin, March 9. 2025

“The price one pays for pursuing any profession, or calling, is an intimate knowledge of its ugly side.”  James Baldwin

Recently, I came across comments made by Bernard Hopkins in a 2014 interview with BBC Sport. I was surprised at what he said but also pleased to see how honest he was about the sport of boxing, and more so by his willingness to mention Muhammad Ali as an example of why young people should not take up boxing. 

Here’s what he said:

“I would never want anybody I care about to box. In fact, I would tell my worst enemy’s kids not to box. I don’t believe that the body, especially the head, was made to be hit. So if any of your kids or grandkids want to box, distract and discourage them early. You want to teach kids about the dangers of violence on the streets? Take them to the morgue, let them see the victims of gun crime. You want a kid not to smoke crack? Show him a crack-head. Your kid wants to box? Start off by showing him Muhammad Ali.”  Bernard Hopkins, BBC Sports, April 17, 2014

“You want a kid not to smoke crack? Show him a crack-head. Your kid wants to box? Start off by showing him Muhammad Ali.”

Hopkins spoke the truth. For too long boxing has been romanticized, and the damage it has done to those who participate in it has been downplayed. While studies have been done, books written, and documentaries made about the tragic fate that awaits the majority of boxers at the end of their careers, little if anything has been done to stop this carnage. 

I write about the history of the sport and those figures who became well known because of their careers in the ring. When doing research for each column I pen about these men who spent years in the ring I inevitably find that most ended up suffering from dementia caused by the punches they took during the time they spent in the ring. There is even a name for the affliction visited on them because of the sport: Dementia Pugilistica. Today it is more commonly referred to as CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy).

The condition also happens to those who are active in other sports, most notably football, but boxing is the only sport where the cause of CTE is the very object of the game. 

In boxing, the way to win is by inflicting head injures on the opponent.

In football where there is also a high rate of brain damage as a result of the hits the players take on the field, the point of the sport is to score more points than the opposing team in order to win. In boxing, the way to win is by inflicting head injures on the opponent. The ultimate victory comes via a knockout which is a concussion. A concussion is a brain injury, and brain injuries are cumulative and progressive. 

For an example of just how awful it is watch “Anyone Seriously Considering Being A Boxer Should See Jerry Quarry” and look at what happened to this once top rated heavyweight and how he ended up after a career in boxing. It’s both heartbreaking and sickening to see what happened to this highly intelligent man. It’s also infuriating to know that he got this way while being paid to entertain people.

There is another prime example of what this sport does to even the most gifted of its practitioners. I am, of course, speaking about Muhammad Ali. While in Jerry Quarry’s case his family wanted it to be known what happened to him in hopes it would discourage others from suffering the same fate. With Ali, excuses have been made for how he ended up. The most popular being that he suffered from Parkinson’s Disease which supposedly would have happened even if he had never boxed. To believe Ali’s brain was not damaged by the thousands of blows he took to the head is ridiculous. To try to hide it from the public is doing  a disservice to our youth who may be thinking of making a career in this cruel profession. 

Propagating this myth has done much damage. Instead of convincing people that the thousands of blows Ali took to the head had nothing to do with the horrible condition he ended up in, they could have been forthright and told the world that no matter how great you are in the ring, this is the fate that will likely await you from the damage you will receive when making a career out of boxing. This would have been the noble thing to do, and it would not have taken away from the champ’s accomplishments in the ring. In fact, it would have enhanced his reputation.

This is why I was pleased to read the quote from Bernard Hopkins. Sure, it can be said Hopkins owes everything he has to boxing. His life was tragic with years spent in prison, and boxing was his ticket out. But most young people who take up boxing aren’t in such dire straits. Also, what does it say about us as a society when we celebrate boxing as the best career choice for troubled youth? We really can’t come up with better options?

Bernard Hopkins so far seems to have come out of the sport with his faculties intact, though he remained active for way too long. But what of the Jerry Quarrys of the sport? Even worse, what of the thousands of fighters who never made any money but still suffered the same fate? I can name dozens of them. Was boxing their ticket to  a better life? 

Bernard Hopkins is right and his comments should be widely circulated. The time has come to stop encouraging young people to practice a sport that harms their brains. They have better choices. It’s really a shame the legacy of Ali hasn’t been used to help prevent the brain damage that happened to him from happening to others. We need more people like Bernard Hopkins speaking the truth about the dangers of the sport of boxing, and fewer people making excuses for the way Ali ended up.  It’s time to end the Myth of Ali.

 

 

James J. Braddock Vs Tommy Farr

Boxing Articles, ,

Was Braddock’s Last Fight About Protecting

His Investment?

By Bobby Franklin  2.16.2025

Braddock And Farr Weigh In

A few years ago I wrote about the career of Tommy Farr and speculated on the reasons he was never given a rematch with Joe Louis.Link Here Farr had been the first man to challenge the Brown Bomber, and he gave the champion a go of it, extending Joe the full fifteen rounds. While Tommy wasn’t robbed, the fight was closer than most expected. The fact that Farr was still standing at the final bell earned him the respect of the fans and a second fight would certainly have drawn a crowd.

Of course, in that era fighters weren’t automatically given a second shot at the title. They had to beat another contender to earn their chance. Even Jack Dempsey had to defeat Jack Sharkey before being allowed to fight Gene Tunney a second time.

At first glance it appears the choice of James J. Braddock for a matchup with Farr makes sense. In Braddock’s last fight he had lost the title to Louis. In Jimmy’s case he was kayoed, so it was pretty decisive and the public was not clamoring for a rematch. But the match was still logical. It could also be assumed by the Farr team that Tommy would beat Braddock and then move on to a fight with Louis.

Things didn’t turn out as planned, or did they?

As I pointed out in my earlier article, the Louis fight was Tommy’s first appearance in the States. He was a bit naive about how the boxing game worked in this country at that time. He also didn’t know that in order for Louis to get the shot at Braddock, Louis’s managers had to guarantee Jimmy 10% of future earnings should Joe win the title. It was in Jimmy’s interest to have Joe remain champion for as long as possible. Off of Farr’s performance against Louis, Joe Gould, Braddock’s manager, could have seen Farr as a threat to that income. While a Farr return fight with the champ would have drawn a decent gate, the huge money was in Joe’s rematch with Max Schmeling who had kayoed him before he won the title. That fight was being negotiated at this time.

You can see there were some extenuating factors involved in the Farr/Braddock fight. It’s quite possible Jimmy’s management wasn’t confident he could beat Farr. However, if Jimmy lost, Farr would most likely get his Louis rematch. Alternatively, they could refuse the match and Farr could go on to beat another contender and earn his title shot.

So what other choices were there? Joe Gould, Braddock’s manager always had something up his sleeve. Contrary to the nice guy image of Gould portrayed by Paul Giamatti  in the movie Cinderella Man, Gould was a shady character. He knew how to navigate the dark side of boxing. 

Recently, I watched the existing footage of the Braddock/Farr fight. All ten rounds are available but are truncated. You can see about one to two minutes of each round. While not an exciting fight, it is interesting to watch against the backdrop of all that was at stake then.

The fight took place on January 21, 1938 at Madison Square Garden before a little over 17,000 fans. This was about six months after Braddock lost the title to Louis, and five months since Farr fought the champ. It would be Braddock’s final appearance in a boxing ring. 

Braddock (Left) And Farr

At the opening bell both men came out using decent left jabs. Farr was faster on his feet and moved in and out. Jimmy was content to stay at long range and would grab and hold whenever the two got to close quarters. The fact that Braddock was content to stay at distance also meant that his right hands were falling short of their mark. Why didn’t he step in more when throwing those rights? Why was Jimmy reluctant to mix it up inside? Farr wasn’t known as a tremendous puncher. 

To me it looked like Braddock didn’t want to take any chances on getting kayoed. He was a man intent on going the distance. By grappling with Farr on the inside he turned this into a fairly boring fight, one that makes both fighters look bad. 

Braddock Parries A Left Thrown By Farr

At the final bell, Braddock’s hand was raised in victory, though the crowd did not approve. Tommy, who never complained when he came up short against Louis, was incensed over the verdict. He said  “I was bloody-well robbed. I’ll get him again and a decision won’t be necessary.”

Farr never did get a rematch with Braddock. Jimmy retired after the fight content to collect on the revenue from Joe Louis’s fights. Incredibly, Joe Gould took over as Tommy’s manager. As I said, Farr was very naive about the boxing business on this side of the pond. His career was all downhill in the hands of the ruthless Joe Gould. 

I believe the decision in the Farr/Braddock fight was preordained. It was the perfect outcome for Braddock. He and Gould threw a wrench into any chance of a Louis/Farr rematch, thus protecting their investment. Gould had the where withal to influence the judges.

It has to be remembered that this all took place during the Depression. Boxing was a rough business. Fighters were in the profession to make money. Winning fights and titles was secondary. Lots of deals were made during that period. Braddock had a family to feed and they came first.

It is interesting to note that while being managed by Joe Gould, Tommy Farr lost every fight he had. In fact, Farr never won a fight in the United States. He lost to Louis, and then was beaten by Max Baer a fighter he had handled easily a year earlier. He then went on to lose decisions to Lou Nova and Red Burman before returning home to Wales. 

Back with his original management, he now returned to his winning ways. He fought a rematch with Red Burman getting the nod over twelve rounds. He then went on to beat Larry Gains, Manuel Kid Abrew, and Zachary Nicholas. At this point with WWII raging in England, Tommy retired. He did make a comeback in 1950 but that didn’t go anywhere.

I don’t fault Jimmy Braddock for any of this. He was one of the few to come out of boxing with money and his brains intact. Joe Gould on the other hand was a real sleaze. 

While Tommy Farr was a stand up guy, his decision to leave his Welsh manager Joby Churchill and go with Joe Gould was a catastrophic mistake. For all I know, Churchill may have encouraged him to do this believing Gould would be able to open doors for him. Instead, he got the door slammed on his career. 

When Doug Jones Fought The Other Clay

Boxing Articles, ,

By Bobby Franklin

Jones Lands A Left Hook On Cassius Clay

Doug Jones is best remembered for his fight with Cassius Clay. The fight took place in 1963. It was young Clay’s 18th fight and the closest he would come to being defeated in his early career. 

At the time of the fight Doug Jones had an impressive record. While not undefeated, he had scored 21 wins in 25 contests. His losses were to Eddie Machen, HaroldJohnson (in a bid to win the World Light Heavyweight Title), and Zora Folley. He would avenge the loss to Folleywhen he kayoed him in 7 rounds. This was just before Jones took on Clay.

Jones also scored a kayo over a young Bob Foster. In another fight, he went to Europe, where he fought a draw with Erich Schoppner.

In total, Jones had 25 fights to Clay’s 18. Cassius had fought some decent opposition at this time as well, going up against Billy Daniels, Alejandro Lavorante, Charlie Powell, Archie Moore, Alex Miteff, and Sonny Banks. On paper, it appeared Jones had fought the better opponents and should have had the edge in experience on Clay.

Doug Jones

There was a difference, though. While Clay was fighting solid competition, he was being brought along thoughtfully. Yes, he was in with some tough guys, but they weren’t of the world-class status as Jones’s opponents were. In fact, if Jones had been guided in the same manner as Clay, his career might have ended up very differently.

In 1960 Doug Jones fought another fighter named Clay, Von Clay. This Clay was also an up-and-coming prospect. Jones had 13 fights at this point with 13 wins. Von Clay had a record of 11 wins, 1 loss, and 2 draws. The fight took place at St. Nicks Arena in New York with Jones winning a ten-round decision. The two were matched again three months later. This time it was a closer fight with Jones winning a split decision after ten rounds.

Von Clay

Here’s where it gets interesting for both fighters. Clay was still a good prospect but obviously not ready for the big time. However, after just two subsequent wins, his managers threw him into a title fight against the great Harold Johnson. Clay had only 18 fights at this point in his career, while Johnson had been to the post 71 times. Clay was dropped once in the first round and three times in the second, resulting in a knockout win for the champion.

After this loss, Clay was back in the ring just two months later. After being dropped in the first round, he kayoed Kirk Barrow in the sixth round. A month later, the two fought again, with Clay stopping Barrow in the fifth round.

Now, just a month after beating Barrow, and just three months after being kayoed by Johnson, Clay was matched once again with Doug Jones. This fight was scheduled for August 26, 1961 at Madison Square Garden. It would be Clay’s 6th fight in that year.

Meanwhile, since the second go-round with Clay, Jones had stayed busy and undefeated. He scored a kayo over former middleweight champ Bobo Olson, stopped Pete Rademacher, and kayoed Floyd McCoy.The third fight between Clay and Jones is available to watch on Youtube. It is an interesting fight in that you get to see two very good young prospects go at it. 

At the opening bell Jones came out, took control, and appeared on his way to a one-sided victory. Von Clay rallied in the 3rd and 4th rounds and evened the fight up. Jones regained control in the 5th round and began landing heavy shots on Clay, culminating in his knocking Von out in the 10th and final round. At this point Clay was an exhausted and beaten fighter.

Doug Jones Kayos Von Clay

It was not only the blows Clay took from Jones but also the toll that had been exacted on him in his fights leading up to this bout. He was a young fighter who was brought along much too fast and was already getting burnt out at this point in his career. In the final 17 fights of his career, he lost 10. A sad ending for a promising fighter.

Ironically, Jones’s career began to follow the same path as Clay’s after their third bout. In his very next fight he was put in with Eddie Machen. Interestingly, Jones was originally slated to fight Harold Johnson, but Johnson pulled out due to an injury. Machen won a one-sided decision in the fight.

Jones would then fight Johnson in his very next bout. This was for the title, with Jones losing a one-sided 15-round decision. You’d think Jones would be given a rest after all of these tough fights, but no. Just three months later, on August 8, 1962, he was facing top heavyweight contender Zora Folley. Once again, Jones lost though this fight was closer, with Zora winning a 10-round decision. Just a month later, Jones faced Erich Schoppner in Europe, resulting in a draw.

A month after that, he returned to New York and defeated the young Bob Foster. His intense schedule continued without pause. Two months later, he fought Zora Folley again and, in a surprising upset, knocked him out in the seventh round.

This led to his fight with Cassius Clay on March 13, 1963. Jones matched Clay’s speed and challenged him throughout most of the bout. However, Clay secured a close decision victory by finishing strong in the last two rounds.

At this point in his career, Doug Jones had only had 26 fights but was battle-scarred. He had been in with formidable opposition and taken quite a few punches. In the third fight with Von Clay you can see the great ability Jones had. He was an aggressive boxer-puncher with great head movement and terrific combinations. 

As good as he looked at that stage of his career, he was still developing and quite a ways away from being put in with the likes of Harold Johnson and Eddie Machen. If he had been guided more carefully, he very well might have beaten Cassius Clay in 1963. Alternatively, he also could have remained fighting as a light heavyweight and seen success in that division.

As good as he looked at that stage of his career, he was still developing and quite a ways away from being put in with the likes of Harold Johnson and Eddie Machen.

Unfortunately, Jones ended up becoming an opponent. He had name recognition because of the Clay fight, but he was pretty much through as a serious prospect. He had three wins after the bout with Cassius. In his fourth fight he lost a decision to Billy Daniels whom he had previously beaten. In his next fight he was kayoed by George Chuvalo.

The descent continued, with his only wins after that coming against second-raters. With losses to Ernie Terrell, Thad Spencer, Joe Frazier, and Boone Kirkman, Jones finally hung up the gloves in 1967.

Both Jones and Von Clay were talented and promising prospects. Their careers may very well have turned out quite differently if they had been managed better. Instead, they were thrown in for the quick money and never were able to fully develop. Unfortunately, their story was not an uncommon one in boxing.

Jimmy Ellis: Middleweight

Boxing Articles, Uncategorized

Heavyweight Champ Fought Top Middleweights In Early Years Of His Career

By Bobby Franklin

Jimmy Ellis Middleweight

Jimmy Ellis is best remembered for his career as a heavyweight. In 1968, he defeated Jerry Quarry in the final match of the WBA tournament to crown a successor to Muhammad Ali. Ali had been stripped of his title by the various boxing commissions and sanctioning organizations because of his refusal to join the military (Ring Magazine was the notable exception, continuing to list Ali as Champ in their ratings).

What is overlooked is Jimmy’s career as a middleweight. He began fighting professionally in the lighter division, debuting in 1961 when he kayoed Arley Seifer. That fight was the beginning of a 20-fight run as a middleweight, during which he fought many of the top contenders. 

Ellis was not managed very carefully during that time. He was put in with much more experienced pros early on. In just his fourth fight, he was matched with Wilf Greaves, a veteran who had 54 fights. Greaves had beaten Charley Cotten and Dick Tiger. He also broke Gene Fullmer’s jaw in a fight where he lost a very close decision. Ellis lost a majority decision in the fight. 

Just two fights later, he was tossed in with Holly Mims. With 84 fights under his belt at that time, Mims was a cagey fighter who outboxed Ellis over ten rounds.

Ellis’s opponents at that point had a total of 255 fights, while Jimmy had six or less. None had a losing record. This was all in his first year as a professional

Ellis’s opponents at that point had a total of 255 fights, while Jimmy had six or less. None had a losing record. This was all in his first year as a professional. At this point in his career, a talented young fighter should have been guided carefully to develop his skills and confidence. Instead, he was tossed in with whomever the promoters offered.

Ellis could have ended up ruined, but he was a survivor. In 1962, in his seventh fight, he beat Rory Calhoun, a fighter with a record of 45/14/2. That year would prove to be a good one for the young middleweight as he won seven fights, including a win in a rematch with Mims. His only loss was by decision to Henry Hank. 

After the loss to Hank, Jimmy laced together a few more wins before losing a one sided decision to Rubin Hurricane Carter. At this point, his career seemed to have peaked, and he was looking to be more on the road to being an opponent than a contender. Jimmy closed out 1964 with losses to Don Fullmer and George Benton. Both fights were close, but not the wins he needed to move forward. What happened next was surprising and life-changing for Ellis.

Jimmy Beefing Up

Jimmy had been plagued with chronic tonsillitis for years. In 1965 he had them removed. After the surgery he began to put on weight. He was not getting fat. For some reason the surgery had changed his metabolism and he began to build up muscle. For the Benton fight he had weighed 160 pounds. In his next fight, just five months later, Ellis was up to 176 pounds. By the start of 1966 he had grown into a heavyweight.

Not only had Jimmy Ellis gotten bigger, he also went on a winning streak that would lead him to the WBA Heavyweight title. In fact, he would remain undefeated for the next five years. It wasn’t until 1970 that he would lose, and that was to Joe Frazier. 

Jimmy was able to retain his middleweight boxing skills while facing the bigger men. He scored wins over Billy Daniels, Johnny Persol, Leotis Martin, Oscar Bonavena, Jerry Quarry, and Floyd Patterson. Ellis also retained his punching power. He was able to floor the rock-chinned Bonavena in their fight, something Joe Frazier couldn’t do in two fights against the Argentine.

Why was Ellis so much more successful as a heavyweight than he was when fighting in the middleweight division? The answer lies in his ability to retain his middleweight boxing skills. His speed and accuracy were not unusual when fighting the smaller men, so it was not a great advantage as his middleweight opponents possessed those same attributes. 

Ellis Land A Right On Leotis Martin

Jimmy’s weight gain while unusual was natural. He didn’t bulk up by lifting weights or using steroids. His body had a natural reaction to his tonsillectomy. Yes, Ellis would have slowed down a bit from his time as a middleweight, but he was still much faster and sharper than the vast majority of heavyweights. He had also honed his boxing skills against men like Benton and Mims.

The fact is, most heavyweights were not very good boxers. The best were the ones who started out in smaller weight divisions and never got really large. Ellis is a fine example of this. The most successful heavyweights were those who could fight with the skills of middleweights. Speed and accuracy are always important in a fighter. In a heavyweight those skills made an enormous difference. Dempsey, Tunney, Louis, and the young Ali dominated because they fought like middleweights. While Jimmy Ellis would not be considered an all-time great, he was still hugely successful. Had he stayed fighting as a middleweight he never would have gone to the top, but as a heavyweight he was a force to reckon with. 

Jerry Quarry Vs Jimmy Ellis

After his loss to Frazier, Ellis started working his way back to a title shot. He defeated Roberto Davila, Tony Doyle, and George Chuvalo before facing his old friend Muhammad Ali in 1971. Jimmy was stopped in the twelfth and final round of that fight.

Jimmy once again worked his way back into contention winning eight straight fights over the next two years. Most of these fights were against opponents and journeymen.

In 1973 he stepped in with Earnie Shavers at Madison Square Garden. A win would put him back into title contention. At the opening bell Ellis came out and took the fight to Shavers. Earnie was hurt, and it appeared he might be on the way to being kayoed when he caught Jimmy with a powerful right uppercut that put Ellis on the canvas for the ten count.

Jimmy Ellis would have another seven fights before calling it quits. Out of the seven, he had only one win. He retired in 1975 after losing the sight in one of his eyes. 

 Historically, Ellis is underrated. He was an outstanding boxer/puncher who went far. His career is all the more remarkable when considering that he was fading as a middleweight, yet he was able to resurrect his career and become a heavyweight champion. 

In his peak years in the heavyweight division his only losses were to Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali. As a middleweight Jimmy had 15 wins and five defeats. As a heavyweight, he went 24 and 7 with one draw. Most of his heavyweight losses were at the end of his career.

On May 6, 2014, suffering from dementia brought on by his years in the ring, Jimmy Ellis died at the age of 74. 

 

Red Burman Was Not Intimidated By Joe Louis

Boxing Articles

By Bobby Franklin

“I define fear as standing across the ring from Joe Louis and knowing he wants to go home early.” Max Baer

Red Burman And Trainer Eddie Ross

Those words rang true for many who challenged Joe Louis for the Heavyweight Championship. Louis was certainly a champion to be in awe of. He had lethal power in both hands, with blistering combinations and guided missile accuracy. For his challengers, it wasn’t just a matter of being in with a man who repeatedly reinforced his reputation for greatness; it was also a matter of surviving with their senses still in one
piece.

Joe was a machine of destruction in the ring, and that well earned reputation struck even the most professional of fighters with the jitters when the moment came they had to step into the ring to face him. It has been reported that Max Baer, a man whose courage was never questioned, hesitated when the call came to his dressing room that it was
time to fight Louis.

There had been many who had to deal with the Joe Louis Jitters. Some held up okay while others froze up when the bell rang. One man who did not let fear overcome him was Clarence “Red” Burman.

Red Burman was a protege of former champ Jack Dempsey. He was born in Baltimore and fought out of that city for his entire career. Burman began fighting as a professional in 1930. His early fights were in the middleweight division. He gradually put on weight and began competing as a heavyweight in the later 1930s, though he never weighed over 200 pounds.

Throughout the 1930s, he compiled a respectable record. Burman was on a 14-fight winning streak when, in 1936, he took on the great light heavyweight champion John Henry Lewis in a non-title fight. Lewis kayoed Burman in
the second round of a one-sided bout.

Burman came back from that devastating loss and, over the next four years, ran up a record of 27 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw. It was in 1939 that he began making waves as a serious contender for the world title. In a pair of fights against Tommy Farr he won and lost close decisions. After the loss to Farr, Red went on to win nine in a row. Wins over
Steve Dudas and Tony Musto earned him a shot at Joe Louis.

Red Burman On The Attack Against Louis

The Louis/Burman fight took place on January 31, 1941 at Madison Square Garden. It was not felt Red would be able to put up much of a battle against the Brown Bomber, but he surprised everyone, Louis included. Somehow Burman had not only managed to avoid being intimidated by Louis, but as the UP reported, “The big crowd in Madison Square Garden saw Burman light into Louis like he never heard of him, and continue to fight with everything he had until a final sickening right under the heart sent him down in 2:49 of the fifth round”. (

There is no film of the fight available, but I was able to find a recording of the radio broadcast of the bout. The UP description of the fight is certainly accurate. Joe had his hands full with Burman, who never took a backwards step
during the entire fight.

Louis Finishes Off Burman

Burman who weighed in at 188 pounds to Louis’s 203, looked to be emulating his mentor Jack Dempsey with his all out assault on the champion. He was unable to hurt the champion, but Louis, though landing solid shots to the head
was not able to shake Burman. (Final moments of Red’s fight with Joe Louis)
Going into the fifth round, Burman still appeared fresh though he was cut over the left eye. It was in this round that Louis shifted gears and began attacking the body. A hard right to the pit of the stomach was the beginning of the end. Joe followed this up with a devastating right hand to the heart that finished the job. The reporter at ringside wrote
“It landed over Burman’s heart, and Red crumbled like he had been shot”.

After the fight Louis said “He really came after me. I had to hit him the hardest I ever hit a man”. While Louis was never in danger of being beaten and was not hurt at anytime during the fight, he still had his work cut out for him with the relentless
challenger.

Robert Savon Pious: Joe Louis vs Red Burman

Red Burman was always proud of his effort against Joe Louis, as well he should have been. He gave it his all and then some. He stood up to the punches of the most lethal heavyweight champion in history. Burman was the personification of
courage that night in New York City.

Burman would continue fighting for a little under two more years. He retired in 1942 with a record of 78 wins (33 by knockout), 22 losses, and 3 draws. Later in his life he said “Without Joe giving me a chance at the title, the world would never have heard of me. I’m indebted to him, and in my nightly prayers I never forget to include his name”. That quote is not completely accurate, as Burman’s performance against Louis contributed greatly to the world knowing who he was.

Red Burman died in Baltimore on January 25, 1996 at the age of 80. His legacy lives on in his hometown where they are still proud of the man who took the fight to the Great
Joe Louis.

Max Schmeling Vs Young Stribling

Boxing Articles
By Bobby Franklin
Stribling And Schmeling

Max Schmeling is best remembered for his two fights with Joe Louis. Both were spectacular bouts. In their first encounter, which took place in 1936, Schmeling, considered past his prime, shocked the world when he kayoed Louis in the 12th round of a scheduled 15-round match. Max fought brilliantly that night, taking advantage of a flaw he saw in Joe’s defense. The two fought again, this time for the world heavyweight championship in 1938. In an event with repercussions beyond boxing, Louis destroyed Schmeling in the first round.

It was in 1930 that Max won the heavyweight crown. The German had arrived in the United States two years earlier and had become popular with the fans on this side of the ocean. His physical resemblance to Jack Dempsey was played up, and he was frequently seen in public with the Manassa Mauler.

After his arrival, Max ran off five straight wins from 1928 through 1929, including a decision over Paolino Uzcudun and a knockout victory of Johnny Risko. The Risko bout was named Fight of the Year by Ring Magazine.

It was at this time heavyweight champ Gene Tunney decided to retire from the ring. Schmeling and Jack Sharkey were picked to fight for the vacant title. Schmeling’s victories had earned him a shot, and Jack Sharkey’s recent decision win over Young Stripling put him into the other corner.

The fight took place on June 12, 1930 before a crowd of nearly 80,000 at Yankee Stadium. In the 4th round, Sharkey hit Schmeling with a low blow. Max sank to the canvas while his manager jumped into the ring yelling foul. The fight was awarded to the German. This was the only time in boxing history that a boxer won the heavyweight championship while on the canvas.

There were cries for a rematch, but Max had other ideas. He wanted to defend the title against another challenger first. No, he wasn’t looking for a soft touch, and this was proven when he agreed to take on Young Stribling.

Young Stribling

Since his loss to Sharkey in 1929, Stribling had fought 26 times, losing only twice, with both losses by disqualification. At the time of the Schmeling match, Stribling had a total of 267 fights with only 13 losses and 17 draws. 121 of those wins came via knockout. In that time, he had never been stopped, a remarkable feat.

The Schmeling/Stribling bout was scheduled for July 3, 1931 at Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio. A crowd of 35,000 attended, contributing a gate of $349,000. What they witnessed was a great contest between two boxer/punchers.

The fight was exciting and interesting. In the early rounds, it was close, but as it wore on, Max started pulling ahead. The champion was the aggressor and would work his way in behind a left jab, setting up his powerful right hand. Stribling also employed a sharp left hand, and the two exchanged left jabs on numerous occasions.

Young Stribling (left) And Max Schmeling

It is interesting to watch just how much Schmeling used his left hand in the fight. He became known for his lethal right hand, which certainly was one of the best ever seen, but Max was no one-handed fighter. In fact, he was a brilliant scientific boxer who calculated his every move using both hands.

In the fifteenth round, with the champion on his way to winning the decision and with just seconds remaining in the fight, Max landed a vicious right that put Stribling down for the count. Somehow, the challenger was able to drag himself to his feet but could hardly stand up. The referee wisely called a halt to the fight.

The Stribling/Schmeling fight is an overlooked bout in Max’s career. It is a terrific fight to watch as you get to see two fighters with dynamite in their fists box smartly, employing
ring savvy in trying to outfox one another.

Schmeling Stands Over Stripling In The 15th Round

Schmeling demonstrated that being a great puncher consists not only in having power, but in developing a delivery system for that force. Max did not waste motion or energy by just throwing lots of bombs, hoping for the best. He sized his opponent up, measured him, played physical chess, and then took advantage of the opportunity when it arose.

In a career that consisted of 253 fights, Stribling was only stopped once, and Max Schmeling was the man who did it. This was no fluke either. The punch that ended the fight was not a lucky shot. It was a perfectly executed right hand that did the job.
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Max Schmeling is rarely, if ever, mentioned in a discussion of the greatest heavyweight champions of all time, but he should be. Nat Fleischer, the publisher of Ring Magazine, ranked him 7th out of 10 in his best-of-all-time list in 1971.

Max would have been a handful for any of the champs in history, particularly those with a vulnerability to a right hand. He was deceptively fast and a superb ring mechanic. It is time for Max Schmeling to be reevaluated. A good place to start is with his fight against Young Stribling.

https://youtu.be/5WeLq5Xorjs?si=8Kc_DyPo81AGF73w

Dempsey Vs Firpo 100 Years Later: Was It Really A Legendary Fight?

Boxing Articles,

By Bobby Franklin

Dempsey Vs Firpo By George Bellows

On September 14, 1923 Jack Dempsey and Luis Angel Firpo stepped into the ring at the Polos Grounds in New York. What happened in the first round turned a one sided fight into the stuff of legend.

The previous July, Jack Dempsey had defended his title against Tommy Gibbons via a 15 round unanimous decision. The fight, held in Shelby, Montana became better known for bankrupting the town than it did for being an exciting fight. 

Since winning the title from Jess Willard in 1919, Dempsey had defended the title four times. He was fighting once or twice a year, which was fairly active for a heavyweight champion in that era. After Willard won the title from Jack Johnson in 1915, he only fought one time before facing Dempsey. 

In addition to beating Gibbons, Dempsey also defeated  Billy Miske (KO in 3 rounds), Bill Brennan (KO in 12 rounds), and Georges Carpentier (KO in 4 rounds). The Miske  and Brennan fights were financial flops, while the Carpentier fight drew the first million dollar gate. The fact was, Dempsey was not a big draw as champion. The fight against Carpentier drew a large crowd because the French Champion was promoted for his heroism during the Great War. This was contrasted with all of the negative publicity Dempsey had received when it was reported he avoided being drafted. The majority of people came to see Jack get beaten. 

During this time, Jess Willard was on the comeback trail. He was itching for a rematch with Dempsey. He believed there had been some monkey business with Jack’s gloves in their fight in Toledo, and he wanted to prove he was the better man. Jess was also still a huge draw,

In May of 1923, Willard took on Floyd Johnson in Yankee Stadium. The fight drew 65,000 spectators. Contrast this with the 13,000 who showed up for the Dempsey/Brennan fight or the approximately 11,000 who attended the Dempsey/Miske bout. It was clear Jack needed am opponent  who could draw if he wanted to make big money.

Firpo Landing A Right On Jess Willard

On July 12, 1923, Jess Willard took on Luis Angel Firpo of Argentina at Boyles Thirty Acres, the same site where Dempsey fought Carpentier. Billed as the Battle of the Giants, this fight actually drew a larger crowd than the Dempsey fight. The winner was to get a shot at the Heavyweight Championship. In front of 100,000 fans, Firpo stopped Willard in the 8th round.

While a Willard vs Dempsey rematch certainly would have been a huge attraction, Firpo now became quite an attraction himself with his display of raw punching power against Willard. Thus, promoter Tex Rickard had a drawing card to match against Dempsey.

Going into the fight with Dempsey, Firpo had fought 28 times losing just twice. He hadn’t lost a match in four years and had scored 22 knockouts. He was crude yet powerful with a devastating right hand. His free swinging style earned him the name Wild Bull Of The Pampas which was also a reference to his home of Argentina.

1923 was a busy year for Firpo. He fought eight times leading up to the Dempsey fight in September. Among his victims were Bill Brennan and Charley Weinert, both of whom he kayoed. 

Firpo And Dempsey

The Dempsey matchup against Firpo proved to be a fight the public wanted to see. 80,000 fans jammed the Polo Grounds on the night of September 14 to see the two fierce punchers go at it. They were not disappointed, though the match might not have become legend if something unusual hadn’t happened in the first round.

The champion weighed 192 pounds while Firpo tipped the scales at 216 pounds. Luis was also taller at 6′ 2½″ to Jack at 6’ 1”, and the size difference showed when the two men met mid ring for the preflight instructions. 

At the bell, Dempsey came out with fire in his eyes. It was clear he was looking to make an early night of it. In the first few seconds of the fight, In his haste to get to the challenger, Jack actually slipped to the canvas briefly. With under a minute gone Dempsey had decked Firpo four times. With the fourth knockdown it looked like the fight was over as the Argentinian was slow to arise, just beating the count. He was dropped again almost immediately. This was turning into a one sided match. 

Firpo was throwing haymaker rights hoping to connect. Dempsey was staying low and focusing on the body where he was doing serious damage to the challenger. After being down for the fifth time, Firpo went for broke throwing punch after punch while hurling himself forward. One of these punches grazed Jack and caused him to drop to a knee for less than a one count. Could Firpo get lucky?

Dempsey kept pounding the body and dropped Firpo again with a right hand and then a seventh time. The end appeared near. By now Firpo was throwing right hands almost exclusively. Big, strong and powerful, he remained dangerous.

Firpo Knocks Dempsey Out Of The Ring

It was at this point the fight turned from Pier Six Brawl to something else. Firpo was lunging at Dempsey throwing those rights. He backed Jack against the ropes where he caught the champion with a good right hand to the jaw. He followed this up with another right to the side of the face that was more of a push. This was enough to cause Dempsey to fall through the ropes and out of the ring. 

The crowd, which had been on its feet since the first knock down was going wild. Dempsey was back in the ring by the count of nine and the fight resumed. Firpo was going wild now and was all over the champion, but could not hurt Jack again. 

At the bell for the second round Dempsey was not wasting any time. He dropped Firpo for the eighth time, and then finished him off with a left and a right to the chin. The fight was over at 57 seconds of the round. 

Dempsey Stands Over Firpo

There was and still is controversy over the fight. When Jack was knocked out of the ring, the rules state he had to return under his own power. It has long been argued whether or not the sportswriters at ringside assisted him with getting back through the ropes. The referee, Johnny Gallagher was criticized by some for not disqualifying the champion. He was also called to task for not keeping Dempsey away from Firpo when the challenger was on the canvas. While there was no neutral corner rule at the time, the referee was supposed to prevent the fighter from scoring the knockdown from standing directly over his floored opponent. Gallagher was suspended from the sport after an investigation and never refereed again. In 1930 he was found dead in a New York City hotel room. The official cause of death was liver failure due to alcoholism. Many believed he committed suicide.

As for the fight. If you take out the moment Dempsey was knocked out of the ring and the controversy surrounding his getting back in, the fight would be looked back on as an exciting but one sided affair. It’s doubtful it would have become the thing of legend. For a century now the fight has stirred excitement in the hearts of boxing enthusiasts. It has been mentioned in movies and was the subject of a famous 1924 painting by George Bellows titled “Dempsey and Firpo”, but popularly known as “Dempsey Through The Ropes”.

Jack Dempsey would not fight again for three years, losing the title to Gene Tunney in 1926. Luis Firpo retired in 1926 but made a comeback ten years later. His last fight was a loss by stoppage to Arturo Godoy in 1936.

In his fight with Dempsey, Firpo was dropped nine times in less than four minutes. The fight was almost as one sided as the Dempsey/Willard fight, and in fact, Jess was still standing at the end of that fight while Luis was counted out against Jack. However, The Wild Bull did something Willard never came close to; he not only decked Jack, he knock him clear out of the ring. This eclipsed what was otherwise a very one sided fight. Firpo was always dangerous in there, but he did not have the skill to defeat Dempsey.

While the fight can be broken down and analyzed, it is better remembered for the emotional thrill it has given fight fans. The line from “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” seems appropriate here:”When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” I can go along with that!
https://youtu.be/ng3k1mmj2rE?si=wcgBy07gjrvwbrae