Another video for fun!

https://ruiksport.com/artificial-intelligence-has-picked-the-winner-of-the-potential-muhammad-ali-vs-mike-tyson-fight-do-you-agree-with-her-opinion/

See a story that reminds us how far human determination can go on the journey towards a legacy of immortality...

https://ruiksport.com/remembering-the-manila-horror-the-fight-for-life-and-glory-or-the-story-of-the-most-famous-fight-in-boxing-history-starring-muhammad-ali-and-joe-frazier/

According to Wikipedia, a typical lunch consisted of 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) of bread, 25 eggs, 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) of fried chicken, two litres of milk, 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) of sweets, a litre of Å£uică and half a litre of wine. Wine too? Sadly, at the tender age of 22 Mitu died of tuberculosis in 1936.

He then broke Ali's record the same year! 

Incredibly, he managed to fight fifteen times a year during those years! 

https://ruiksport.com/crazy-ko-37-years-ago-mike-tyson-knocked-the-son-of-the-famous-joe-frazier-unconscious-in-just-30-seconds-that-year-he-broke-alis-record/

I looked at the build up to this a few days back and I had forgot how much of an Arse Mayorga was in the prefight press conferences; pleasing result in the end this one for me!

Amassing a career record of 50 wins and 4 losses with 39 knockouts, Liston was the quintessential anti-hero America loved to hate. The fighter, who some called the "Bad Negro," was also a barroom brawler with ties to the Lucchese crime family and over 20 arrests. After consecutive losses to Muhammad Ali in the mid-60s, his reign as a top heavyweight was effectively over. But Liston subsequently capitalized on his notoriety in Las Vegas, spending his days at the casinos shaking hands and doing public appearances. At night, however, Liston reverted to form. The one-time boxing talent would drive around the strip in his pink Cadillac, dealing drugs, womanizing, and working for the crime syndicates he'd known since his youth as a leg breaker. In 1971, he was found dead from an apparent heroin overdose, but no one believed his death was accidental.

In his new book, The Murder of Sonny Liston: Las Vegas, Heroin, and Heavyweights, out October 18, ESPN journalist Shaun Assael treats the boxer's death as a cold case and investigates the circumstances that led to Liston's early exit from life. As the story unfolds, readers get a light into not just the seedy underworld of professional boxing, but also 1970s Las Vegas—a world of glitz and glamour, grit and crime. Assael found that Liston straddled the line between two worlds, walking in the limelight with celebrities like Elvis, but at the same time consorting with criminals, big players in the mob, and dirty cops. VICE chatted with Assael to find out what happened to Sonny Liston, a man who many wanted to silence.

http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/who-killed-former-heavyweight-champion-sonny-liston

Interesting fight for those who havent seen it.....enjoy!!

Colin Hart (British boxing journalist): I first heard about the fight seven months before it happened. I was in Caracas, Venezuela covering Foreman's world title defence against Ken Norton  and before the fight a press conference was called by [fledgling boxing promoter] Don King. His hair was standing on end as if he'd seen a ghost, I'd never seen anything like it. He announced that the winner would fight Ali in Kinshasa, Zaire [now the Democratic Republic of the Congo]. I'd never even heard of Kinshasa. When King went on to say the fight would take place at 4am, I nearly fell off my chair laughing. I was thinking: 'Who is this clown?' Seven months later and there I was, ringside in Kinshasa, at 4 o'clock in the morning.

Gene Kilroy (Ali's business manager): President Mobutu [of Zaire] came up with the idea of staging the fight to show off his country and promote tourism. He put up a big amount of money and King went to Seattle, met George and told him how easy a fight it was going to be. And Foreman went for it.

George Foreman: To me, it was like a charity fight. I'd heard Ali was desperately broke, so I thought I'd do him a favour. I got $5m and I was willing to let him have $5m.

I said I was going to go out there and kill him and people said: 'Please, don't say you're going to kill Muhammad.' So I said: 'OK, I'll just beat him down to the

ground.' That's how easy I thought the fight would be.

Gene Kilroy: I remember a press conference at Jack Dempsey's restaurant  [the 1920s heavyweight legend owned a notorious boxing hangout on New York's Broadway] and George walked in.

Ali looked him straight in the eye and said: 'Sonny Liston [whom Ali beat to win the world heavyweight crown for the first time in 1964] pulled this stuff when you were a little boy, you think I'm scared of you? I'll whip you right here.' George walked away and Ali sat down and said: 'Mr Dempsey, I just won round one…'

Jerry Izenberg (American boxing journalist): I went out to Deer Lake [Ali's training camp in Pennsylvania] shortly before Ali left for Africa. I walked in the gym and couldn't believe what I was seeing - Ali was hitting the heavy bag, and he hadn't hit the heavy bag for about a year and a half.

Gene Kilroy had taken him to a doctor in Philadelphia, who'd told him to forget injections for arthritis and to bathe both hands in hot paraffin three times a day instead. And as he was banging this bag, he looked over his shoulder and said: 'I'm gonna knock the sucker out!'

Roy Foreman (Foreman's younger brother): At 13-years-old, George was about 6ft 2in, 200lb and the terrorist in the neighbourhood. And when you're bigger and stronger and think you're better than everyone else, you take things.

He might take your bicycle, not because he liked riding but because he could; he might take your cigarettes; the only reason he wouldn't take your clothes was because he was so big. He carried that fierceness all the way to the ring. He always said he wanted to kill somebody in the ring. And I believed him.

George Foreman: Sonny Liston  was the first fighter I'd met who'd been heavyweight champion and I figured I was going to copy his behaviour. But Liston was nice compared to me.

Jim Brown: "I was supposed to do a news piece with George, where I would put some gloves on and get in the ring with him. But I saw him hitting the heavy bag and said: 'I'm not getting in the ring with that.'"

After becoming heavyweight champion of the world, I'd sacrificed so much and was so lonely that I actually became mean - I became that person. There was a viciousness that a boxer should never have. I didn't like boxing, I hated it, it was just something I could do - I could hit a guy anywhere and they'd go down.

Even after I suffered the cut [the fight was originally set for 25 September but Foreman injured his right eye in sparring and the date was pushed back to 30 October], I felt such superiority. Even with only one good eye I felt like I could knock him out in three rounds at the most. I had no fear.

J

im Brown (NFL legend and fight co-commentator for US TV): When George arrived in Zaire, the people really gave him a hard time. But they loved what Muhammad stood for and he loved them.

Sometimes he'd say: 'Let's go walking.' I'd say: 'Walking where?!' He'd say: 'Let's just go walking and talk to the people.' I'd say: 'What are we going to talk to them about?!' He was never too big for the people. Whoever you were, to Muhammad you were a human being and he'd treat you correctly.

George Foreman: It's history being rewritten again. Those African people treated me as kindly as I'd ever been treated - they just treated Muhammad Ali extra kind. They never made me feel as though they didn't like me. As a matter of fact, some would come to me before the fight and say: 'Please win.'

Jim Brown: Before the fight, I was supposed to do a news piece with George, where I would put some gloves on and get in the ring with him. But I saw George hitting the heavy bag and said: 'Nope, I'm not getting in the ring with that.'

When I got to Ali's camp I said: 'Hey, you're my friend and I love you but I don't think you can beat that guy.' Ali and Angelo Dundee [Ali's trainer] looked at me and said: 'You're crazy, we're gonna knock him out!'

Gene Kilroy: We'd watched all of Foreman's fights. When we watched Frazier get knocked down  [Frazier was floored six times in losing the world heavyweight crown to Foreman in 1973], Ali would say: 'Play it back, play it back, watch him lean on the ropes when he gets back to the neutral corner - no stamina!

'Wait until he hears "round three… round four… round five…" Big George is gonna be out of gas and there are no gas stations out here!'

George Foreman: We hardly saw one another before the fight and I never saw any of his interviews that were being fed back to America and Europe. So he never said anything that got under my skin - until we got in the ring…

Ali and promoter Don King meet with Mobutu Sese Seko, the corrupt president of what was then Zaire

Gene Kilroy: I went into George's dressing room and I could smell death in the air. I went back to Ali and he said: 'What's he saying?' I said: 'They're talking about putting your kids into an orphanage.' Ali said: 'I can't wait to get him.'

Right before the fight, Ali got a phone call from Elijah Muhammad  [leader of the Nation of Islam, of which Ali was a member], who said: 'How can Foreman beat you? You've got Allah on your side!' That was Ali's booster rocket, that's why he had no fear.

Cus D'Amato [who trained heavyweight world champions Floyd Patterson and Mike Tyson] told Ali: 'Fear is like fire - it can burn your house down or it can cook for you. Foreman is a bully - you must throw the first punch.'

Foreman came out after the first bell with his fists clenched and Ali hit him so hard in the jaw, it turned the lights out for four minutes. Foreman thought: 'What is this?' He couldn't intimidate Ali and Ali became the bully.

George Foreman: He threw the first shot, but after that he was clever enough to hold. I kept hitting him, and hitting him hard, and he kept holding and holding. I hit him with some amazing punches that would have sent most guys to sleep. But when the bell went and he went back to his corner, he was like: 'My God, I did it.' "No-one practices missing punches on a punch bag - you're not conditioned to miss, you're conditioned to land. So when someone makes you miss, you're running out of steam and you're getting disheartened because you can't land. So then you try to shorten your punches or punch in a different way and it messes up your game."

Jim Brown: After the first round, Ali came over and said: 'Hey big fella, what do you think now?!'

Colin Hart: The vast majority of boxing writers thought that not only would Ali be beaten, but there was every chance he would end up in hospital. I was the only British writer to pick Ali to win, because I'd been told Foreman had no stamina.

This fight was played out in 80 degree heat, with a great deal of humidity. And nobody had ever knocked Ali out. So I fathomed that he would dance and let Foreman tire himself out. I got the result right, the tactics wrong.

George Foreman: Muhammad Ali didn't have the best punch, he wasn't the strongest, but he was the toughest human being I ever had an encounter with. This I'm certain of.He wasn't saying a lot but in round three I hit him with a hard shot to the side and he fell on me and said: 'That all you got, George?!' That scared me, I knew there was going to be trouble then.

Gene Kilroy: "Anybody can beat a heavy bag but when you're getting hit back, frustrated and abused, it takes your heart away. Ali came to the corner after round six and said: 'I got him now, I got him now…'"

He had weathered the biggest storm I could have put on him and after the fourth round it was like I'd stepped into a bucket of concrete. I was all spent, I didn't know what I was doing out there.

Roy Foreman: From the fourth round, it was like looking at a 100m runner in a 400m race. The punches got a little bit slower and you could see Ali's confidence increase. I'd never seen George intimidated by anyone before, except his mother maybe.

Gene Kilroy: When we put the ring together we made sure the ropes were tight but they expanded in the heat. When he started leaning back on the ropes [Ali's so-called 'rope-a-dope' tactics,  whereby Foreman was invited to pound away at him], we were afraid Ali would fall out of the ring.

So between rounds five and six, Pat Patterson [Ali's bodyguard] got in the ring and tightened the ropes. Later George said we tried to loosen them so Ali could have more room, but that's a misconception.

Colin Hart: Watching the fifth and sixth rounds, you could see Foreman clearly getting weaker and weaker. He was still punching but the punches weren't hurting Ali like they were in the earlier rounds, he was running out of gas very fast indeed.And Ali was capitalising on it, as only he could, with brilliant counter-punching. It was around this time I thought: 'There's going to be a major upset here, my man's going to do it.' Foreman had shot his bolt by then, he had no strength left.

Gene Kilroy: I knew we had it after round six. Anybody can beat a heavy bag but when you're getting hit back, being frustrated and abused, it takes your heart away. Ali came to the corner after round six and said: 'I got him now, I got him now…'

When the end came [Ali floored Foreman with a devastating combination at the end of round eight], Ali didn't hit him as he was falling. I asked him afterwards: 'Why didn't you hit him on the way down?' Ali said: 'He'd had enough.'

Colin Hart: After the knockout, I did something that I was a bit ashamed of, because it was unprofessional. I tell young sportswriters: 'No cheering in the press box.' But when Ali won that fight I leapt out of my seat and punched the air.

Jim Brown: After the fight I went to Ali's dressing room and there were all these people in there, you couldn't move. I went to George's dressing room and it was George, [light-heavyweight legend] Archie Moore  and George's dog.

The bout was the first heavyweight world title fight to be held in Africa. Most Zaireans wanted an Ali win

Roy Foreman: Back then, being the heavyweight champion of the world was like being the president of the United States. Now George was the former president of the United States. Everyone from your girlfriend to your brothers and sisters don't look at you the same, now you've got 'ex' in front of your name.

It took him eight to 10 years to get over the devastation. He'd made $5m, a lot back then, so he was buying this and buying that - another house, another car, getting this girl, getting that girl, trying to show everybody he was still the champ. But he wasn't the champ, he was the chump now.

George Foreman: I just couldn't believe I'd lost the world title. This was supposed to be an easy boxing match but it was the most embarrassing moment of my life. It went from pride to pity. That's devastating.

I'd be ashamed to be alone with girls in a room. I'd think: 'They know I'm not the man I was supposed to be.' You think you're going to walk away with $5m and everything is going to be OK. But you can't buy back your pride. All you want is the chance to be champion of the world again.

I've watched the fight back a few times and sometimes I think: 'I'm gonna win this time!' Or I might wake up and think: 'If only I'd done this or done that.' But only once did I win the fight in my dreams…

Jerry Izenberg: About an hour after the fight finished we had such a torrential downpour. Then, suddenly, the sun came up - one of those big African sunrises - and we all jumped on a bus and went back to the military compound where all the journalists were staying.

Three of us went to look for Ali and found him staring out at the river. Just staring. For once, three sportswriters had the good sense and brains not to open their damn mouths. We let him drink it in.Eventually he turned around, walked towards us, raised his arms in the air and said: 'You fellas will never know how much this means to me.' At that moment, he truly was the king of the world.

http://www.belovedonslaught.com/2012/05/random-classics-aaron-davis-vs-mark.html

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=3586234

Volume 9 – No 5 - 6  September ,  2013

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http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/6578288/boxing-biographies-newsletter-vol-9-no-5-pdf-1-2-meg?da=y

Volume 9 – No 10  June ,  2013

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Name: Vince Dundee
Career Record: click
Alias: Vincenzo Lazzaro
Nationality: US American
Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Born: 1907-10-22
Died: 1949-07-27
Age at Death: 41
Height: 5′ 8″
Trainer: Heinie Blaustein
Manager: Max Waxman
Photo #2
Vince Dundee grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. He was the brother of World Welterweight Champion Joe Dundee. He was stricken with multiple sclerosis in 1942, and died at a Glendale, California sanitarium in 1949. He was survived by his wife, Connie; son, Vince Jr.; and father, Louis Lazzara of Boston.

Trivia: He survived a collision with a train that hurled his automobile several hundred feet not long after his boxing career had ended.

IT was a month or so ago that Vincent Dundee of Newark stepped into the resin pit at the Boston Garden to face Lefty Louis Brouillard, sawed-off southpaw slugger then generally recognized in the East as middleweight champion.

The sad-eyed Newark Italian was a 1 to 2 underdog in the betting, with few takers at any price. The experts wore unanimous in picking the pudgy Brouillard to retain his title, some going so far as to predict that the rather shop-worn Mister Dundee would be gazing up at the arena's ceiling from a horizontal position before the final bell clanged. But the melancholy Vincent, unmindful of such hostile critics, proceeded to pour about five million straight lefts into Brouillard's scowling pan, taking practically every round, to win the bout and the title by a ridiculously wide margin.

By JACK CUDDY

New York, March 18

Boxing world today tried to piece together the middleweight championship jig-saw puzzle handed out by two judges and a referee in Madison Square Garden last night. All of the newspapermen and apparently most of the 12.000 fans who saw the 15-round title bout between New York state's world champion Ben Jeby, and Vince Dundee, Baltimore, thought they saw a decisive victory by Dundee, but the crown still rested on Jeby's head.

Name: Joe Dundee
Birth Name: Samuel Lazzaro
Born: 1903-08-16
Birthplace: Rome, Lazio, Italy
Died: 1982-03-31 (Age:78)
Nationality: US American
Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Stance: Orthodox
Height: 5′ 7″   /   170cm
Boxing Record: click

Trainer: Heinie Blaustein
Managers: Max Waxman; Charles Johnston

• Brother of fellow boxer Vince Dundee; father of Lou Dundee

Dundee is the new welterweight champion of the world

FIGHTS WAY TO TITLE IN 15 ROUNDS

Gallant Latzo Believed to Have Been Weakened as Result of Starvation Necessary to Cut Weight to the 147-Pound Limit and Fails to Hold Pace

 After almost a  year in the hard coal region of Pennsylvania the welterweight boxing champion of the world has shifted to Baltimore where Samuel Lazzaro learned to fight as an urchin.

Grown to rugged manhood and possessed of the fighting name Joe Dundee, he fought his way to the championship in fifteen furious rounds with Pete Latzo the title holder Friday night at Polo field. Thirty thousand persons whooped them on as the former breaker boy rallied to defense of his title against the ex champion.

The Ogden Standard Examiner

26 July 1929

Dundee Drops Welterweight Title To Coast Flash

Foul Blow To Baltimore Star

Championship contest at Detroit ends in second round; former champion goes down twice for count; gate receipts announced at $175,000

On the head of Jackie fields, product of Chicago's ghetto, the worlds welterweight crown rested today.  Jackie won undisputed claim to the title last night when he was fouled by two low punches in the second round of his title fight with Joe Dundee, Baltimore Italian, who has been dodging the foremost challengers of his division, with such consistency that he already had already had been deprived of his title by the National Boxing association.

Jackie started after Dundee in the initial round and was ahead on points when the bell sounded. He opened the second round by flooring Dundee, for a count of six. Joe came in gamely to take another solid smash on the jaw and went down for the count of seven. From that point on he was as good as beaten.

It’s Wednesday evening, June 22, 1938, 75 years ago today one of the great dramas of ring history exploded. On this Wednesday evening the world stood still for 2 minutes and 42 seconds. On that night, Joe Louis knocked out Max Schmeling. This was no ordinary title defense; this was no mere confrontation of white hope and black champion. The world took sides. It was a morality play.

On June 19, 1936, Max Schmeling, an experienced craftsman with a power packed right took on young Joe Louis, fast rising heavyweight who by all estimates was destined for greatness. Louis was thought to have everything, everything that is except the vital experience against a veteran master like Schmeling. In the pre-fight building, Schmeling, un-intimidated by the zealous publicity given Louis, said he saw something in Louis’ style that could be exploited. And indeed he did. In 12 grueling rounds, Louis took a decisive beating and learned his lesson. A lesson he was never to forget in a brilliant career.

Moorhead Daily News

18 March 1933

STAN KETCHELL, RING ADVENTURER

Bloody Fight with Philadelphia Jack 0’Brien Is Famous

From Start to finish Everything

About This Montana Cowpuncher Was Colorful

Stanley Ketchel’s name often appears on sport pages even now, although he died in 1910 at the age of 23. From start to finish everything about Ketchel was sensational. He never fought a colorless fight in his eight years in the ring, and he was as bold and reckless an adventurer as the ring ever knew.

Stan's real name was Stanislaus Kiecal At 16 he was a Montana cow-puncher with a reputation as a reckless fighter. A friend of mine, Armin Brand, came down from a Montana trip with an interesting story. "Saw a kid named Ketchel," he said. "Works on a ranch and comes to town to fight. He takes on other cowboys or any traveling fighter any size. Knocks them cold, and he isn't much more than a lightweight.

 A sporting saloon keeper took a liking to the kid and hired him as a bouncer. Three big tough guys came down to have some fun with him. Ketchell knocked them down and dragged them out, one after another. You'll hear about that fellow—he can fight."

A working cowboy, he did not begin boxing until he was almost thirty years old.

Despite his late start, Jess Willard proved successful as a boxer, defeating top-ranked opponents to earn a chance to fight for the championship. On April 5, 1915 in front of a huge crowd at the Vedado Racetrack in Havana, Cuba, in the 26th round he knocked out champion Jack Johnson to win the World Heavyweight Boxing Championship.

Johnson spread rumors that he took a dive , but Willard is widely regarded as winning fairly. Willard said, "If he was going to throw the fight, I wish he'd done it sooner. It was hotter than hell out there."

Johnson found that he could not knock out the giant Willard, who fought as a counterpuncher, making Johnson do all the leading. Johnson began to tire after the 20th round, and was visibly hurt by heavy body punches from Willard in rounds preceding the 26th round knockout. Following the fight, Willard was heralded as "The Great White Hope".

At 6' 6 1/2" (2 m) and 245 lbs (111 kg), Jess Willard was the tallest and the largest heavyweight champion in boxing history.

The 37-year-old champion lost his title to Jack Dempsey on July 4, 1919 in Toledo, Ohio. Dempsey knocked Willard down for the first time in his career with a left hook in the first round. Dempsey knocked Willard down 7 times in the first round, winning the title when Willard was unable to continue after the third round. In the fight Willard suffered a broken jaw, cheekbone, and ribs as well as losing several teeth. Rumors spread that Dempsey had plastered his hands to make them harder, but Dempsey swore he did not.

Willard parlayed his boxing fame into an acting career of a sort. He acted in a vaudeville show, had a role in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, and starred in a 1919 feature film The Challenge of Chance. In 1933, he appeared in a bit part in a boxing movie, The Prizefighter and the Lady, with Max Baer and Myrna Loy.

On his passing in 1968, Jess Willard was interred in the Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.

In 2003, he was inducted posthumously into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Sept 1923

Beaten to the floor nine times, after he had twice downed the -world's champion, and once knocked him entirely out of the ring, Luis Angel Firpo, the wild bull of Argentine, was counted out in the second round of the most sensational and most savagely fought heavyweight championship contest of all time at the Polo Grounds last night.

Between 85,000 and 100,000 spectators saw the heavyweight crown topple three times from the scowling brow of Jack Dempsey and they saw it grabbed back and set in place three times, because a champion with a champion's brain did not lose the instinct when his senses departed.

Perhaps no one will ever be able to explain accurately and consecutively what happened in the first round of that sensational fight. It was patterned after that famous first round at Toledo when Dempsey floored the giant Jess Willard seven times.

Willard did not fight back, but Firpo got up seven times and went back to the battle like the wild bull that he has been called. Willard struck hardy a blow in defense, but Firpo lashed out in a frenzy of anger and desperation and three times he did what no other fighter has been able to do since Jack Dempsey became champion. He felled he champion three times.

Three times Firpo was within one punch of the title and its million dollars in assets. Three times he had the champion, punch drunk, weaving around on the ropes, groggy and almost defenseless. Three times with the crown right in his hands, Firpo lacked the technique. to finish it .He lashed out wildly and missed

Those misses cost him the championship.

Dempsey was never nearer to being knocked out in his life He never can come closer than he did and escape.The very first punch of the fight a staggering right that seemed to come up from the floor caught Dempsey on the jaw after he missed a left hook and the champion went to one knee.

Dempsey came up dizzy and he fought the rest of the round as though he were out of his head. He threw cautions to the winds, he abandoned all ideas of defense and tore wildly into the south American . The round developed into the most savage of free handed hitting that has ever been seen.

SHOWS GREAT STAMINA

Showing great stamina and a heart stouter than He had even been thought to posses Dempsey Tore in and turned the tide of battle when 85,000 wild, yelling fans jumped to their feet and prepared to acclaim a new champion.

Under short left and right hooks to the jaw And right hands that threatened to tear his Heart out of his side Firpo went down Seven times in that first round. He came Up each time not covered in defense but lashing Like a wild beast in a jungle fury.

Another tremendous right hand swing caught Dempsey on the jaw and hurled him bodily clear out Of the ring. Dempsey landed on the shoulders Of one of the judges down in the press box. The count went to nine before the champion Was able to pull himself back into the ring.

Dempsey flung out a crashing left hook and Firpo Went to the floor .the South American rose and flung himself Into the battle and dropped Dempsey to one knee With another right that was flying around like The flanges on a giant fan.

Dempsey was weak kneed and groggy , his corner was panic stricken and from the other side of the ring frenzied instructions were being been hurled at Firpo in Spanish. But if Firpo heard he failed to respond.

Jimmy DeForest who trained Dempsey into the title and started Firpo said the the south American could have Won with one short punch while Dempsey was on the ropes, but Firpo, as experts had predicted, lost his head in the heat of battle and did not know how to get over the one punch. '

DEMPSEY FIGHTS WILD

Dempsey was so obviously fighting out of his head that he Firpo twice on the jaw with short right hooks after the bell rang. He seemed to know that the round had ended only when the referee across the ring in his corner.

The champion always has shown great powers of recuperation and has revived under the treatment of his seconds. He came out cool headed and savage in the second and in 57 seconds of fighting he battered Firpo twice to the floor with a left hook and a right to the jaw that landed almost simultaneously on the target.

The second time Firpo went down he stayed. He was counted out not because his heart failed him, but because he was physically, unable to follow his desire to get up and resume fighting.

Firpo was dragged back to his corner and it was almost a minute before he seemed to realize that the fight was over.

A SENSATIONAL FIGHT

No more sensational fight was ever staged. No two heavyweights crowded into less than a round and a third more real fighting than Dempsey and Firpo displayed.

Dempsey was thrown clear off the fight that he had planned when he was cracked on the jaw and dropped to his knees by very first punch of the fight, boxing left him, his ideas of science were forgotten and he became a wild fighting man just like Firpo.

The champion beat Firpo at his own game and he retained his title because he punched shorter, more frequently and with more accuracy than the South American.

Firpo's dream of becoming the heavyweight champion was only for the time shattered. The huge South American showed that he was almost an even match for the champion and they are sure to meet again.Tex Rickard said he would like to match them again next summer, it would be a great fight.

There was nothing in last night’s fight designed so produce another million dollar gate. Given one more year and better instructions and Firpo will take the title from Dempsey just as surely as he failed last night.

Firpo showed beyond doubt that he was game. He has a great fighting heart And it is only the lack of experience that caused him to lose. No doubt Dempsey chills a little When he thinks of what might have happened if Firpo had Lasted thru the second round.

Because he had never been called upon to show it before, Dempsey also manifested for the first the ability to "take it" and he took it as no other champion ever did. No other fighter in the world could have stood up under the punishment delivered by Firpo.

This article was published the day following the Dempsey Firpo fight of Sept 1923 and I am sure many members of the forum, and sports fans everywhere, will find it of some considerable interest and so very relevant to what we have at the present in all sports. I do not think the writer

of the article could have possibly envisaged that the concerns he expressed all those years ago could have actually grown into what we have today.

Sport and High Finance Incongruous

All sport must necessarily be overshadowed when high finance is reckoned.

To fight for such enormous sums of money as Dempsey and Firpo do battle for Leaves sports in the darkened background and profits in the limelight. Honest Sport and high finance are incongruous; to weld the two is impossible.

As this match is put over, money and the gambling element must of necessity predominate .It is doubtful if there can ever be a reformation, so far as sport is concerned, But there can be an elimination of the gambling, that’s as certain as rent day.No line of human behavior is worth what these two fighters are battling for.If it is allowed to continue it will certainly kill the game.

Lincoln, Nebraska

24 Aug 1924

Methods of Negro Boxer Are

Totally Opposite From Wild

Bull's Ideas—He Weighs 224.

At Harry Wills' camp at Rose Point, a beautiful spot on Peconic Bay, Southampton, L. I., we learned that Wills' training methods are almost totally opposite from Luis Firpo's. Whereas Luis takes his steak and meat daily, Harry's special training dish is cream cheese of his own making. Harry eats little meat and no steaks or beef until the day of a fight.

Firpo is taking his training fairly easy just now, working gradually more and more up to the fight, he says. Wills has done thirty-three days of hard work until he has got himself in shape to enter a ring today, so has let up in order not to go stale.

Wills eats only two meals a day. Firpo the regulation three. Wills jogs eight miles a day thru heavy sand along the beach. Firpo does but five miles of road work and not much running to it. Instead of punching a heavy bag Wills pulls on a rowing machine.

Can You Answer This?

And while Firpo is losing weight Wills finds the harder he works the more he gains! Luis has lost eight pounds, Harry has gained fourteen, now weighing 224, one pound more than Firpo says he weighs. In one respect only does Wills training idea agree with Firpo's. Harry thinks that every man should train himself according to "his own individual requirements. (This is the idea which the Finnish athletes who proved so redoubtable in the Olympics have given to our own Olympic athletes.) Therefore, both Wills and Firpo are their own trainers.

"Of course these big professional trainers know their business and more about training athletes than I do," Wills admitted. "But I figure I've been in the game long enough now to know just what it takes to get me In condition. I don't think they could help me any. While a trainer can tell a man's condition on the outside by looking at him, he don't know how the man feels on the inside. Some days that eight miles along the beach doesn't bother me at all and I can box five or six rounds and work all afternoon and never feel It. But other times I know that I'm just wearing out my energy inside, and nobody but me knows it."

Wills' boxing arena is indoors, on the former dance floor of Jones casino, a hotel restaurant owned and operated by a well known Southampton character, William H. Jones. Wills lives in a cottage furnished by Jones, a few feet down the beach from the Casino, with his wife, two

sparring partners and a cook. Harry says he chose this place to train in order to avoid big crowds of spectators. He says he can't train playing to the gallery. And yet from twenty to thirty persons a day, many of them fashionable and wealthy people from the Southampton summer resort,

visit him daily.

When we dropped in at Wills cottage we found him and two negro sparring partners, Jeff Clark, the "Joplin ghost," and "Battling" Owens, sitting idle at a time of the afternoon when we expected they' be working in the ring.

"First afternoon off in thirty-three days.'" Wills explained with a contented look. "I'm trained down now to the point where I'm liable to go stale. So I'm giving myself a vacation for a few days. I mean, I'm trained up so fine, for I weigh more now than I did when I started." Wills looked in better condition than we ever saw him, much better than before the Madden fight.

He said he gets up at six every morning for his road work, and doesn't eat till ten. Then it's fruit, or cereal of some kind, ham and eggs and whole wheat bread without butter most of the time, accompanied by his favorite dish, cream cheese with sugar and sweets cream over it.

His work in the ring comes from three to four, shadow boxing, rope jumping, five or six rounds with his two sparring partners, and gymnastic exercises afterward on the mat. At 5:30 p. tn. he eats his big meal, lamb or pork with plenty of vegetables and whole wheat bread. We asked him about the cream cheese dish.

"It's the best training stuff in the world. I learned that from my mother in New Orleans. She sends me the cheese mold and I make my own. I get the best cream from Mr. Jones; let it stand until it gets thick, then pour It in the perforated mold so that the whey runs off and leave the cheese. Let me show you," and Harry got up to get the mold. At this point his wife came in and nothing would do but she should prepare a dish of it to prove its merits. And it was good! But we made a mistake by saying so, for in their good natured hospitality we almost had to fight Wills and the whole camp to keep from eating three or four more platefuls.

There is an air of good natured jollity about Wills' camp that we missed in the Argentine outfit. When "Battling" Owens—he insisted on the "Battling"— gave his weight as two hundred and forty, Wills and Clark laughed him down. "Two hundred and sixty, you mean."

To settle the argument they insisted on taking the barrel-chested giant to the scales, tho he didn't want to go. Behind his back Harry put his foot on the scales, so that the weight went up to 294. "Battling" let out a roar, declaring that the scales were wrong or else he'd never eat again. The rafters shook for ten minutes as they laughed at "Battling's" bewildered expression, but they never told him what was the matter.

End

the land of down under in search of championship honors and American gold.

During the decade from 1880 to, 1890 an apparently endless stream of good fighters — and many of them were fully entitled to be called great — poured into America from the country of the kangaroo. It was a subject of wonder how a small a land, in point of population could produce so large a pugilistic output.

Peter Jackson, the only man John L Sullivan ever declined to meet, Robert Fitzsimmons at his weight probably the greatest fighter who ever lived; "Young" Griffo and "Gentleman George" Dawson — all champions of their classes in Australia — headed the list.

On nothing Heeney has shown in his meteoric rush to the front in fistic circles does he measure up to the standard of Fitzsimmons and Jackson, for they were diamonds of the first water, but at least he is the best heavyweight that has come from the land of down under since those giants passed away.

Four-fifths of the fighters who came from Australia in the heyday of boxing in that country were graduates of Larry Foley's Gymnasium — Foley's "Iron Pot"—an annex of that ex-pugilist's White Horse Saloon in Pitt street, Sydney.

A millionaire backer gave it to Foley when he won the championship of Australia from Abe Hicken one-time lightweight champion of England and middleweight champion of America. Soon the "Iron Pot" became the Mecca of aspiring fighters from all parts of Australia and New Zealand.

The presiding genius and influence at Foley's "Iron Pot," the man to whom a great many of these Australian fighters owe at least the completion of their fistic education was an American, Jack Thompson the bookmaker, an uncommonly clever boxer and fighter. As a boy of sixteen he had fought for the preservation of the Union. Later after he had won two bare-knuckle fights in America, he sailed for the Antipodes to join his two older brothers. Joe and Barney, who had established themselves as leaders in the Australian betting ring.

It was to Thompson that Jem Mace sent Bob Fitzsimmons after the latter won the amateur championship of New Zealand, beating Mace's protégé, Herbert Slade, the Maori fighter.

It was on Thompson's advice that Peter Jackson made his first tour of America under the management of Sam Fitzpatrick and it was the same Thompson who after two ineffectual attempts finally got "Young" Griffo to make the voyage to San Francisco.

Bob Fitzsimmons was not overburdened with this world's goods when he arrived in Sydney, and it was Jack Thompson who slipped him a ten pound note and gave him his first showing at the "Iron Pot." It was at Foley's too, that Bob Fitzsimmons met his first really good opponent — Jim Hall. For Hall was a good man at that time, a very different Hall from the man Bob beat so easily at New Orleans three years later.

The idea widely prevails that in the fight at Sydney. Fitzsimmons "lay down." And he is reported to have admitted tacitly, by his silence, that he did so. But as a ringside spectator, we are not inclined to believe that Bob "threw" this fight. Rather we are perfectly certain that the New Orleans affair was simply a frame-up, with Fitz, of course, no party to it.

AT THE "IRON POT

At the time of their first battle in Sydney, Hall was physically perfect, a very clever boxer with a powerful, straight left that carried the kick of a mule. He was unbeaten at the time he knocked out Fitz.

Griffo. probably the greatest defensive fighter that ever drew on a glove, made his first appearance at Larry Foley's "Iron Pot" as a graduate of the "Rocks Push." a gang which had its headquarters in the highest and rockiest part of the old City of Sydney, known as Millers point From their rocky fastnesses the "Rocks Push" used to descend on Sunday mornings, for some of them were guilty of working occasionally during the week, and meet the "Haymarket" gang in battle array. The selected representatives of the rival gangs, the bantams, lightweights or heavies, would divest themselves of everything except their pants.

The gangs fought fairly. It was their code of honor to do so — about the only one they had. The stakes were far from large, ranging from “half a quid," or $2.50 a side to somewhat larger amounts if some members of the gang had been lucky in finding work or money.

The stakes were placed in a hat or cap in public view in the charge of a sentry, who was armed with a bottle often a broken one to protect himself and the coveted treasure. Gloves were not used, but the fighters were required to show their hands, palms up, to make sure they were not carrying a piece of lead to add weight to their blow this was the environment in which which Griffo learned the manly art of self defense. He was the undisputed lightweight champion of the “Rocky Push" when he made his first public appearance at Larry Foley's "Iron Pot." I saw that debut.

It was a markedly successful one. Before he had gone to his corner at the end of the first round Jack Thompson pronounced judgment on the newcomer. His verdict was brief and convincing. "He'll do," was the emphatic assertion of that master picker of fighting prospects. Griffo became part and parcel of the "Iron Pot." There he had all he wanted to eat and drink and every opportunity for a scrap. There was nothing more wanting in the world, in Griffo's philosophy. Ambition? He had none, unless it was to beat any one that was put in front of him in the ring.

Strict training was abhorrent to Griffo. Road work was simply scoffed at, and yet he was always fit and could fight all day. On one occasion we saw him take on four opponents in succession, boxing a quarter of an hour with each — and stopping only long enough to consume four quarts of beer, one for each opponent.

Jack Thompson thought that a view of the world might infuse some ideas into this little fighting animal. So he arranged with Captain Morse to take Griffo to America. Thompson had undertaken a task. It was not until the third attempt that Griffo finally left for these shores. On the first occasion he simply run away and hid until the Alameda had departed. On the liner's next trip Griffo stayed on board until the Alameda had sheered off from the wharf. Then suddenly he hopped off the rail and, without waiting to take off his coat, took a flying dive into the water and swam ashore.

The third time was attended with success, and Griffo reached .San Francisco.

Peter Jackson in the writer’s opinion , the best heavyweight That ever drew on a glove, was a longshoreman working on the Sydney wharves before he took up the fighting game and became a regular at the "Iron Pot" and a good friend of Jack Thompson. Peter had many personal qualities besides his fighting ability that made him the most popular pugilist that ever showed at Foley's. Poor Peter! He was everybody's friend but his own.

In the first year of his fighting career Jackson carried all before him, but the following year he met with an unexpected setback at the lands of Bill Farnan, a Melbourne blacksmith. Farnan had no particular ability as a boxer, rushing in wide open and relying on a pile driving right hand

which he used a la Firpo. The fight took place at Williamstown, a harbor suburb of Melbourne. For the first two rounds Jackson made Farnan look like a novice; but in the third Peter got a little careless and the big blacksmith got in a crushing right which broke two of Jackson's ribs and settled the fight.

Fifteen years elapsed from that day before Jackson, then thirty seven years old and simply a shell, suffered the only defeat in his life, when Jim Jeffries knocked him out in San Francisco. That rib cracking wallop made Peter particularly careful, and when he met Farnun for the second time he gave the blacksmith very little chance to repeat the operation, getting there first with a powerful left that would have knocked the head of any one less sturdy than Farnan. Jackson was a sure winner when the police interfered.

It was after he had beaten everybody who cared to face him in Australia that Jackson, on the advice of Thompson, came to America and fought many battles over a period of three years under the management of Fitzpatrick. All his fights were either victories for him or draws. It

was the disappointment of Jackson's life when John L. Sullivan stubbornly drew the color line and refused to meet him. He had looked forward eagerly to the chance of meeting Sullivan confident of his ability to cope with the rushing tactics of the “Boston Boyâ€.

There was nothing to do but return to Australia. The fighting game was beginning to fall off there and, after a draw bout with Joe Goddard, Jackson returned to San Francisco where his memorable sixty one round draw with Corbett took place. A lot has been written about this fight, most of it praising Corbett’s ability in standing off so formidable opponent, and some of it declaring Jackson an over rated fighter. But here is the story that was told to me by Eddie Graney.

About a week before tile fight Jackson was thrown out of a buggy. His ankle was sprained so badly that it appeared impossible to avoid a postponement. That would have meant a forfeit. There was a good deal of betting on the match and Jackson's friends were anxious for several days, but kept the news of the accident quiet so as to give the bigger bettors a chance to lay off some of their money. However, drastic remedies brought about sufficient recovery to avoid the postponement. Orders were issued to Jackson to save the injured ankle as much as he could

and not to go after Corbett. Everybody knows that his speedy footwork was always one of Corbett's chief assets. He was a very fast man. so Jackson's handicap, under the circumstances, may be easily imagined.

With the exception of a couple of minor battles in Chicago, both of which he won, Jackson had no big engagement from the time of the Corbett draw until he met Frank (Paddy) Slavin at the National Sporting club in London. This bout presented the peculiar spectacle of two Australians fighting in London for the championship of England. Slavin had earned that title by beating the muscle bound English champion Jim Smith at Bruges, in Belgium.

We remember the fight well and can visualize it now. When the two men entered the ring their appearance gave every indication that they were going to put up a fight that was to be a. pippin. It was. Despite long lay-offs, both were in the pink of condition. Each had formulated his plan of battle. Jackson was to follow the precept of his friend and adviser Jack Thompson:

"Keep your right till your opponent is groggy." Slavin was to try to drive home the one murderous punch that was his best asset, a right hand, half swing, half uppercut, that started from his hip. He knew Jackson's weakness, the ribs that were broken by Billy Farnnn years before, and he was determined to break them again. But Jackson relied on his accurate and powerful left to get there first.

Nearly a minute of the first round went by, the fighters creeping near, breaking a bit. and then getting nearer again, fiddling for an opening, when bang! Jackson's left shot out with a force that rocked Slavin to his heels. Another murderous smash as Slavin attempted to rush to close quarters, and the fight was on in earnest.

For nine rounds it was fast fighting, action all the time, Slavin gamely trying to get past the Negro's cruel left that never missed its mark, taking his punishment without flinching and boring in again. Only once did the punch drunk Slavin attempt to fall into a clinch. Then the big Negro pushed him away with the same ease with which Jack Johnson handled Jim Jeffries at Reno and sent him to the canvas with a right hand smash. Not until the ninth round did Jackson begin to use his right. And in the tenth, propping his man into position with his left Jackson shot over a right that finished the fight.

Jackson took no chances and gave his opponent no openings. It was a triumph of scientific boxing, a combination of accuracy, judgment of distance and correct timing over brute force and power.

It was not until six years after his victory over Slavin that Peter Jackson, enfeebled by fast living and the inroads of the tuberculosis to which he eventually succumbed, was knocked out by Jeffries . Ruined financially and physically, he was assisted back to Australia.

end

The Syracuse Herald

8 August 1913

JIM CORBETT TELLS RIPLEY

To-day we have the pleasure of telling you not only about the hardest battle, but one of the greatest and most wonderful in the annals of the game. So great and wonderful, in fact, that you ail probably have heard of it before—that famous battle on the barge when Jim Corbett fought

Joe Choynski. It was the hardest battle Corbett ever had, or ever saw, he says—or ever heard of. Choynski says the same.

That battle which the twenty eighth round brought to a close that hot and sultry July day in 1889 really started five years before. For five years this fight raged like a volcano in. the breasts of these two San Francisco lads, erupting now and then and spreading ruin in the form of flying

fists. Five times they fought desperately, viciously, and unsatisfactorily, and, although the fifth and deciding battle, the battle of the barge, is regarded as the hardest, yet the hardest battle should comprise all five of them.

Corbett and Choynski were born and raised in San Francisco, within a few block of one another, in that section of the city known as Hayes Valley. Both Corbett's brother and Choynski's brother worked in the City Hall One day an argument arose between the brothers. It seemed that Choynski was telling about the prowess of his young brother Joe as a boxer, and Corbett was speaking of his kid brother Jim, who, he allowed, was some scrapper himself.

Anyway, the discussion grew so warm that the next night all concerned met in the Corbett barn,where young Joe and Jim were to settle their brothers dispute It was to be merely a boxing match, but you know how such affairs are — it was soon a fight, and a hard one too. It was the first time that the two lads had ever seen each other; strangely too, as they had both grown up to their present ages of fifteen and sixteen, respectively, in a five block radius from Laguna and Hayes streets.

Jim backed up his brother's boast in good style, whipping Joe in six rounds after a terrible tussle. The boys, now bitter enemies, never met again for about a year. One day with a party of friends they came across each other while strolling about the sand hills out toward the Cliff house.Again they fought, and again Corbett won, but not without a mighty struggle.

Again the period of a year rolled By. In the meantime the boys had joined athletic clubs; Corbett was a member of the Olympic club and Choynski belonged to the Golden Gate A. C . The Olympic club gave an amateur boxing show, and Corbett their star member, was matched to meet the champion of the Golden Gate A. C, Joe Choynski, in the star bout.

This was their first ring battle, and as before, Corbett won — won in the third round of the best fight the club ever saw.

Then Joe turned professional. His success was astounding, and he won victory after victory from the best men they had on the coast with ridiculous ease. Corbett was urged to turn professional also, but as his father protested. so strenuously, and because that he had a nice position in

the bank. Jim remained obdurate. Even the newspapers took up the cry, and soon hot words were passing between Jim and Joe via the sporting pages. Joe threatened to lick Jim on sight, if not otherwise.

These taunts were too much for the elder Corbett, and one day he told Jim to turn professional or anything else he liked so long as he gave Joe a whipping. They were matched and the boys were happy Jim was glad of the chance to vindicate himself, and Joe was even more joyous over the opportunity to avenge himself of his past defeats at his rival's hand. You must remember that although Joe had lost to Corbett several times he had always come close to winning at some time during the battle as to leave him with the inlaid impression that he could whip Jim if ever given

another chance.

The boys were given their chance in an old barn across the bay about half -way between Sausalito and San Rafael, far away from police interference ( they, thought) as boxing had been ruled against in California at that time. Those in the "know attended the battle in carriages, and what a crowd "knew"!

The promoters of the contest talked it over and decided that the safest and sanest plan would be to collect all the handy hardware that was concealed around the back pockets of that very self-confident audience. They did. Corbett. dressing in a nearby farmhouse, was surprised to see a man with his two arms stacked to his eyebrows, with guns, dirks, and daggers, stagger into his dressing room and throw them on the bed. It was quite a shock to his already taut nerves, but it did not affect his fighting qualities, for he was giving Joe a lacing when the police, who in some way became wise to the affair, broke into the barn and stopped the fight in the sixth round.

Corbett and Choynski escaped with their lives and gloves, and it was arranged that they meet again six days later and finish it out. Just six days hence they all met at the little town of Benicia, about an hour's ride from Frisco. At this city the trains to S. F. are ferried across the Sacramento

river on barges. One of these barges was chartered, and with everyone on board It moved out to the center of the river. (Business of snapping fingers at the police.)

When Referee Patsy Hagen brought them to the center of the ring Choynski wore no gloves.

"Where are your gloves?" said Corbett. "I don't know," replied Joe. They were lost in escaping the police in the barn."

But let Gentleman Jim tell It himself:

It made me angry — I saw through it all, now. You see, I had severely hurt the knuckles of my right hand in the fight in the barn, and some way Choynski's seconds had found out and, thinking to make it a bare knuckle fight had tied Choynski's gloves to a stone and tossed them overboard.

"I’ll fight you wearing gloves, and allow you your bare knuckles. I said. This sounded as though I was giving Joe the best of it but in reality I was not. I would not have been able to use my right hand at all if It was not incased in a glove.

Then someone in the crowd gave Joe a pair of riding gloves — to comply with the law he said. Choynski drew them on and the battle started.

"We started fast - furious it was - and I had all the best of it. I was hurting him badly when I injured my already broken knuckles in the fourth round. This gave me only one hand – my left - . I jabbed and jabbed as he came in wickedly and defiantly. He was stronger than I was and could hit harder. I was a little taller and he was a little the heavier. We were both in the prime of youth, at the age that meant as much to both of us – the turning point in life. We were rival, enemies and intensely ambitious. Throbbing courage and defiance. Such a thing asbacking up or giving in couldn’t enter our minds. And here we were in a great struggle. We both realized it, it was a battle to a finish – to death if needs be – and we knew it.

My broken hand made it even able to reach me with those buckskin gloves of his that left three long parallel marks every time they landed. We were a horrible sight. My jabbing cut him terribly and he kept me bleeding profusely always.

In the fourteenth round I hit him a straight left that landed on his head. It broke my thumb, and the pain was excruciating. At the same time Joe caught me a wicked left on my eye that cut and closed it. Everything turned black—I thought I was gone. Even my own brother, who was in my corner, saw me staggering around to what he thought was certain defeat- covering his face with his hands he broke through the mob and sobbingly sought a corner of the barge.

Discovering my brother gone my other brother was frantic. Catching sight of him at a far corner of the boat he ran over to him and, grabbing him roughly, wanted to know what the matter was.

'I can't stand to see him lose,' he sobbed. My other brother was furious." 'That's the time you ought to be here if he is going to lose.' He shrieked and walloped him on the eye "Then there were two fights raging at once.â€

Well I managed to last the round out by stalling, and as my scattered senses came straggling back. I was conscious of a murmured prayer. At first I thought it was myself; then as my gear grew clearer I could hear someone in the audience repeating the Lord's prayer over and over again, I looked and saw a little Irishman, with eyes closed tight praying for me as hard as he could. Tom Riley, I hope you are doing well.

"With both hands gone, all I could do was to hit with my wrists and forearms. I fought the last half of the battle in this fashion. 'It was in this manner that I crashed against his jaw in the agonizing twenty-eighth round, and it was over at last. Along with the referee I counted him out. Joe Choynski the greatest fighter that ever became champion."

And we and all of us wonder to-day how much better fighters these two magnificent gladiators would have been if they had not fought each other

Career Record: click

Nationality: British

Hometown: St George's, London, United Kingdom

Born: 1913-01-22

Died: 1990-00-00

Age at Death: 76

As an amateur, he was the ABA bantamweight and gold medalist at the inaugural British Empire Games, in 1930. Mizler is the younger brother of fighter Moe Mizler. He also won the ABA Bantamweight championship in 1932 and the ABA Lightweight championship in 1933. Mizler represented Great Britain as a Lightweight at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympic games. Much of this record is taken from the 1942 Ring Record Book and Mizler's record compiled by Miles Templeton.

Name: Harry Mizler

Career Record: click

Nationality: British

Hometown: St George's, London, United Kingdom

Born: 1913-01-22

Died: 1990-00-00

Age at Death: 76

As an amateur, he was the ABA bantamweight and gold medalist at the inaugural British Empire Games, in 1930. Mizler is the younger brother of fighter Moe Mizler. He also won the ABA Bantamweight championship in 1932 and the ABA Lightweight championship in 1933. Mizler represented Great Britain as a Lightweight at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympic games. Much of this record is taken from the 1942 Ring Record Book and Mizler's record compiled by Miles Templeton.

Adaptation of article published 1952, Boxing News.

THE-Perfect Fighting Machine descends on us so very occasionally yet,when he does, the tendency is to take him for granted.

During the past half century who has there been worthy of that exalted title ?. In the United State Mickey Walker, Joe Louis, Henry Armstrong and Ray Robinsoon. Over here Jimmy Wilde, Jim Driscoll, Kid Lewis, Benny Lynch and Randolph Turpin, while the Continent has contributed the tragic Marcel Cerdan.

Yet one finds the task of selecting the greatest boxers, from a class field,comparable to finding the sweetest fruit in a box of fresh strawberries.There have been thousands of fighters from every weight division who have reached championship class. Men who have won titles, others who have never been given their deserved opportunity, and youngsters whom fate has, treated

cruelly.

CLASSIC STYLIST

And for every career, there is a story worthy of inclusion in the long history of boxing's annals.

The burning question that constantly remains unanswered is . . . What qualifications are required to raise the good boxer into the immortal class ?

Michaelangelo once wrote:

" Trifles make perfection, and Perfection is no trifle."

But surely that is a matter of opinion. The only answer that covers the whole question is —results !

For as I see it, there have been, and still are. many who possess the every attribute necessary to a champion's make-up, but lack that extra indefinable quality that bridges the difference between the forgotten man,and the name that springs at once to people's lips.

Harry Mizler, who won the British lightweight title in 1934 at the age f 21, and lost it two years later, was an outstanding example of an athlete once idolised and now remembered by only the few.

Mizler, champion in his 14th professional contest at a time when there was an abundance of class performers, and who retired from the ring as recently as 1945, was the last of a long succession of outstanding Jewish scrappers.

If you pin-point the essentials that constitute a great boxer, Harry had them all.

Boxing ability, punch and ability to take punishment. Mizler was a classic stylist who used with devastating effect the copybook English straight left which most present day fighters are taught, and so few perfect.

After he outpointed Johnny Cuthert, of Sheffield, to annex the Britishlightweight crown, Charlie Thomas the referee said that Mizler's left hand was the finest he had seen since the days of Driscoll.

Secondly, Harry was a boxer who used the heavy artillery in his right fist sparingly, but when he unleashed that weapon it usually spelt curtains for his opponent. His ability to spot the split-second opening in his opponent's defence, and at timing a blow were exceptional.

Always handicapped by weak hands. Mizler actually broke both knuckles when losing for the first time inside the distance — the first of his contests with Jack Kid Berg.

But in his initial year in the paid ranks he was undefeated in thirteen Marches — ten opponents were stopped decisively inside the distance. After Damaging his hands Mizler was often rather apprehensive about punching too hard, but even so his record was studded with knock-out victories.

Last but not least, while Mizler was no rugged two-fisted battler hewn from granite, his durability became legend.

His never-say-die performance against the iron-fisted Gustave Humery on an October night in 1935, is still considered today one of the finest displays of gallantry and sheer guts seen in this country.

CAME BACK TO WIN

He won that fight. but the manner in which he survived knockdown after knockdown for seven seemingly endless pain-filled rounds, and absorbed enough punishment for ten men, brought tears to the eyes of hardened fight fans.

The only comparison by present clay standards (for those who do not remember Humery) is to imagine any middleweight surviving all the punishment Randy Turpin could land out. Then coming back to stop the Leamington Licker with practically one punch in the eighth round. But that is what Mizler accompished. Even his corner team begged the East Ender to give up, while only his wonderful lighting spirit enabled him to keep getting up from the canvas where the Frenchman unceremoniously dumped him time and again.

The only man in that vast arena that night who had the same faith was referee Moss Deyong, who was condemned by many at the time for not stopping the unequal struggle to prevent Mizler from sustaining serious injury.

In fact, although Harry gained the decision and lots of glory, he was so badly mauled that he spent the two succeeding months recovering from the effects of the punishment.

If anyone is in a position to comment accurately on Mizler the fighter, it is his old trainer and inseparable companion Nat Seller. Nat, who has trained as many good boys as he has hairs on his head, supports the theory that Mizler had the ability of a great fighter, and adds " besides his qualities as a boxer he was a remarkably clean living and conscientious lad."

Why, then couldn't Harry go on to capture a World championship, or even retain his British title in that second defence in 1936 ? Perhaps after reading this story you will form your own conclusions.

OVERTAXED STRENGTH

Many factors have contributed to the issue. But even his intimate friends are divided in their opinions. Some say that Mizler's fate changed on the day his hands were seriously damaged, despite the fact that he went on in later years to win some of his greatest battles.

Others feel that the long, backbreaking hours of sweat and toil in the fish market, where he worked to assist his family, between fights, had a disastrous effect on his stamina. That, I feel, is the likelier explanation, although it is not the full

story by any means.

To say that Mizler's fighting days were tough in more senses than one,is a sweeping understatement. Frequently young Harry would tumble into bed shortly after a gruelling contest and be up at the crack of dawn to get to the market.

At a time when young fighters need all the rest they can get, the Londoner may well have overtaxed his strength. Some men prefer to throw their careers away, hitting the high spots and enjoying night life, and others . . .? Well, one man's meat is another's poison, or is it merely a vicious circle ?

For all that., the handsome Southerner's record bears close scrutiny. As an amateur he was in a class of his own. winning three A.B.A. titles from bantamweight to lightweight.

He upheld British prestige in international matches, including the 1930 Empire Games in Canada, and represented his country in the 1932 Olympics at Los Angeles. That year he did not bring back a title, but for a nineteen-year-old youngster — one of only three British representatives who all failed — his performance was none the less worthy.

On professional programmes. Mizler lost only sixteen fights in about eighty contests, against some of the best men in both the light and welterweight divisions, during eleven years of hectic competition. Harry fought regularly every year, but remember the war years severely handicapped all fighters who were eligible for military service. Mizler himself was an instructor in the Royal Air Force and had little time for fighting his own battles.

But the East End battler utilised his prize money sensibly. After seeing to the welfare of his family he left the fish trade and set himself up in a fashionable gown salon. Today he and his wife Betty have a flourishing concern at Golders Green.

COMPARED WITH DRISCOLL

Surely that is an object lesson to the young boxers of current times.Remember, fifteen years ago, promising talent or " big names " could not command the heavy purses that leading promoters can pay them today.It is perhaps easy to point here and there in Mizler's fine record and say " He was unbeatable that night," or " that was one long thrill." There was for example his contest with the American "midget bulldozer " Al Roth, in 1937, which John Harding of the National Sporting Club considers

His greatest promotion.

Harding proved his matchmaking ability that night by pairing two fine athletes with contrasting styles. Mizler's display in taming the tough Roth, who fought the World champion three times, was compared with Driscoll at his best, and the fight itself considered the most memorable since Driscoll v. Charles Ledoux.

Then there was his points victory over Alby Day, one of the most stirring battles ever promoted at the -old Devonshire Club.His brilliant knock-out of Norman Snow, and the Gustave Humery epic.

COACHES YOUNGSTERS

Yet Harry, looking back, smiles and comments: " They all came the same to me. I didn't bother myself with reputations. I just trained hard, and dealt with each one according to his merits. After all, an opponent in the ring only has two arms and two legs, the same as you."

The former champion's boxing interests these days are limited because of business demands, but he still finds time to visit local youth clubs to show the lads the advantages of leading with an old English straight left, rather than the jaw first technique—and who better to teach them

One of Liverpool’s most popular boxers and a cartoonists dream, Ike Bradley was the first local fighter to compete for a world title in 1908. In fact Ike fought Digger Stanley twice for the World bantamweight crown, both times suffering defeat at the hands of the Kingston – on- Thames born gypsy.

He had around 400 contests, many in America, and once against the legendary black American George Dixon in Dublin. Although you will be hard pressed to find a reference for this fight – Dixon was drunk when he entered the ring – on Dixons record.

After retiring Ike became a familiar face in Liverpool city centre as a taxi driver and was also a second at the Stadium for many years.

Ike died in 1951 – aged 68 – and is buried in Anfield cemetery ( Liverpool ).

The following is an article published in the Liverpool Echo on 3rd November 1973 by Syd Dye.

Liverpool lost one her greatest fighting machines and one of her most loved characters with the death of Ike Bradley at the age of 68 in 1951. The battling bulldog of the British rings at the turn of the century. Ike virtually died in harness for he was sent home ill from his work as a second at the Liverpool Stadium and two days later the spark went out.

It was in 1911 that he met Digger Stanley for the latter’s World bantamweight title at the old Pudsey Street Stadium – Liverpool - . Stanley was offered £250 for the contest but before accepting wrote back offering to box anyone else for £100 less. In the event Stanley won on points over 20 rounds, but not before he had broken both hands and also been down for a long count in the 4th.

Bradley rose to the heights after starting his working life as a boy selling newspapers in the streets of Liverpool. He had a yearning to be a fighter and got his early breaks at a Dale Street (Liverpool) arena where the usual pay 5 shillings for a ten round sparring stint with experienced boxers years older than himself.

Crowds of around 50 watched thee sessions and if they liked what they saw threw pennies to the fighters .For extra entertainment they often wamed the coins on the gas flares used to illuminate the hall and pitched them red hot into the ring.

His most important early contest was with Willy Gill for the championship of Liverpool. Gill was saved by the bell in the 9th but went on to win on poins. Ike challenged him to a return and knocked him out in the first at New Brighton – Wallasey - . He also met Willy Collins of Manchester , unbeaten at the time and rated as good as Joe Bowker, then bantam champion of the world.

Ike’s backer for a £50 side stake was Mr Clarry Hayes, a solicitor and director of Everton Football Club. He told Ike, “ I am putting all my savings on you. If you lose I can’t get marriedâ€. Well Ike didn’t let him down and he also won a fortune for his many other Liverpool backersfor he was at long odds.

Collins had it all his own way for five rounds but Ike flattened him for the full count in the 6th.

In those days it was an honour for a fighter to box at the National Sporting Club ( NSC) . They had to box three round trials to satisfy the promoters that their standard was high enough, but Bradleys fame was such that the trial was waived in his case. Nevertheless Ike made a losingdebut there, going down on points over 15 rounds to Jim Kennedy.

Three nights later he fought London’s Johnny Hughes in a scheduled 15 rounds at Pudsey Street – Liverpool – and despite still being stiff and sore from his Kennedy defeat he kayoed Hughes in nine.

Ike went to Newcastle to box Harry Slough of West Hartlepool for the 8 stone championship of England and got £40 for knocking him out in four rounds. Slough demanded a return and three weeks later and Ike kayoed him in the first round.

Slough claimed it was a foul punch and it was agreed that after a rest of 15 minutes the fight should begin again. This time Ike found the going tougher and was all in at the end of the 15th round. A bottle of ammonia was placed under his nose and this did the trick. He came out revived and in the 18th round dropped Slough with a punch that put him out for half an hour.

Ike once stepped in as a last minute substitute for the top of the bill against Billy Lewis at the Adelphi Theatre , Christian Street. He lost on points but so pleased were two of the patrons that one gave him five gold sovereigns , bought him a new suit and took him to Liverpool races. The other took him to a pork shop and said “ Order what you likeâ€, Ike took him at his word, took one of everything in the shop staggered home under a load of parcels of meat.

Apart fro his world title clash with Digger Stanley in 1911 the pair had only met twice earlier- once at Newcastle and a return at the Adelphi Theatre. Stanley won them all although severely tested each time.

In 1906 Ike went to America hoping to meet Jimmy Wilde for the 8 stone championship . The bout fell through and instead he had to settle for a six rounder with Tommy O’Toole who held decisions over Abe Atell and Frankie Neil. He lost on points but stayed on to become highly popular with a “No decisions clash against Tommy Langdon, and points defeats at the hands of Harry Delmont and Freddie O’Brien.

Ike had not the best of luck with decisions or purse money in the states and as four more bouts he had lined up were with fighters about a stone heavier than himself he packed up and returned home to Britain.

He came back to draw with Tibby Watson of Australia then knocked him out in a return in Dublin. He also kayoed Jack Gyons of London twice and outpointed him – the same Gyons who was the first man to lower the colours of Joe Bowker who had been world champion.

Ike also went to Dublin and stopped George Dixon in three rounds. Dixon had been world bantam and feathers champion at the turn of the century and was idolised by Ike. He was a man who earned and gave away three ring fortunes and to whose memory a statue was erected in New York when he died. Ike confessed that in his opinion Dixon was “Blind Drunk†on the night of the fight.

Ike’s last contest was against Fred Anderson of London who outpointed him over ten rounds and after his ring retirement in 1917 Ike became a taxi driver and second at the Stadium.

His one regret was at failing to beat Digger Stanley in their world title clash. To the end he was convinced he won that fight for he felt Stanley was down for at least 14 seconds. Had he won he would have cleaned up on the American scene for that was were the real money was in those days.

The Liverpool Stadium Hero

His career was to last almost 20 years and result in a total of some 139 contests ( won 113, lost 23, drawn 3). He fought unsuccessfully for the world title, won a Lonsdale belt outright and missed a second, held the British titles at welterweight and middleweight, and was briefly the European welterweight champion.

A lesser known title was that of the 1946 Liverpool champion pigeon fancier which gained him a gold medal. He was one of the keenest and most knowledgeable livestock fancier in the country and at one time was the only male member of the Siamese Cat Club. He also had a keen interest in greyhounds.

On leaving school Ernie joined the St. Joseph’s amateur club ( Liverpool) run by Dom and Tony Vairo and was to turn professional in 1931 after winning the Lancashire and Cheshire title.

For the first 12 months his manager was Billy Metcalf of the Greenside gym and then the Londoner Ted Broadribb. They stayed together for the rest of his career but was handled by his brother in law and featherweight champion Nel Tarleton.

His debut pro fight was on 4th June 1931 against another Liverpool fighter Tony Butcher in a ten rounder which he won. His other early wins were against Tom Bailey and Jerry Smith. His first defeat was a points decision against Jimmy Stewart – which he was to later avenge.

In 1933, after some 16 fights, he went to Australia with Nel Tarleton and Johnny Peters “I was still really a raw kid but was matched over 15 rounds with Bobby Blay not long after getting of the boat. I reckon I beat him but only got a draw then lost to Bobby Delaney and Cyril Plutoâ€.

It was to take some 8 years and 100 fights later before he was to get his first title fight against Kilrain which he won with a 7th round KO in front of a 20,000 crowd at Anfield ( Liverpool). His next fight was against Henry Armstrong for the Americans World Title but lost on points after 15 rounds at Harringay. He was promised a quick return but delayed it for a week as he was married on 26 Aug and when the 2nd World War broke out it squashed his hopes.

He was convinced he would win in a return bout and said of Armstrong “ He was a slapper really and a good referee wouldn’t have given him any points. In addition when I boxed him I was suffering from a thyroid complaint “ …â€If I had been properly fit I could have beaten himâ€.

It was some 14 months ( 1940), due to the war, before he was able to make his first title defence, and retain, by outpointing Norman Snow. In 1941 he secured a Lonsdale belt by outscoring Arthur Danahar. He moved up to middleweight in 1945 and gained the vacant British title by outpointing Vince Hawkins at the Albert Hall and adding the European welterweight title in 1946 with a win over Omar Kondri at Harringay.

As triple champion he was one of Britain’s best paid fighters but within 5 months lost the British middleweight title to Vince Hawkins and later his European title to Robert Villemain in Paris. He still had his British title and put the first notch on a second Lonsdale belt when he outpointed Gwyn Williams. He followed this with another successful defence against Eric Boon.

Then came disappointment when he lost, in a hotly disputed points decision, to Henry Hall. He had one more try but lost to Eddie Thomas and decided to retire on 6th September 1949.

During his career he had an unusual trick for his opponents. He had a life long habit of grabbing a cigarette just before he went into the ring. He would fill his lungs with smoke and puff at his opponents when he ducked under the ropes !. What would they say today?.

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Of all the fighters Liverpool has produced the man with the biggest punch pound For pound was the lightweight Alf Howard. His reign during the 1920’s and early 1930’s saw him belt out a succession of thrilling quick victories .

The British title eluded him but in 1930 he became the first Liverpool boxer

to win a European title. Alf died in 1959, aged 53, but the legend of his

career lives on. He was without peer as a puncher and took part in some of the most thrilling of his, or any other era.

Probably the most sensational of all was his fight with the brilliant Londoner

Harry Fenn in 1929. Fenn was the proverbial mile ahead on points by the 12th round And the Hall was starting to slowly empty of disappointed fans. Howard was down for a count of six in the 12th but summoned all his strength in the 13th To drop Fenn with a right to the chin.

The roar from the crowd brought the crowds back in, many had been drowning Their sorrows in the local pub, but they missed one of the most dramatic victories In the long history of the Pudsey Street Stadium. Fenn was down for two more counts Before staggering to his corner to retire with just 10 seconds to go in the 13th.

It was 12 months later in January 1930 that Alf Howard met the Belgium

Francois Sybille for the European lightweight crown and though the ending

Was unsatisfactory Howard lifted the title following the disqualification

Of Sybille for a foul in the 8th round.

It was the only occasion a contest was run in the UK under the rules of the old IBU which called for a referee and two judges.

The referee was Count Volpi of Italy, who took no notice of Howards appeal

In the 3rd when he went down from a swing to the body. Sybille had the edge in science But when he had Howard wincing in the 8th from another left to the body Volpi Cautioned the Belgium. The blow was again repeated shortly after and he was disqualified .

Alf, who’s bother Mick was a second at the Liverpool stadium, started his pro career in 1923 and twice boxed in British title eliminators. In March 1930

, while reigning European champion, he met with the Londoner Harry Corbett

in an eliminator but failed to find his form and after taking three counts in

the 11th round he was stopped in the 12th when he has unable to defend himself.

An even greater shock came in October 1932 when he topped the bill on the

Opening night of the Liverpool Stadium – the Pudsey street stadium having

Been demolished - .This was a British welterweight title eliminator with Stoker Reynolds. Unbelievably for his legion of fans Alf was down 12 times in 4 rounds, including 6 visits to the canvas in the 4th when the ref called for a halt.

Alf decided to hang up his gloves after this shattering defeat but came back in July 1933 only to be stopped by Charlie Baxter in the 5th In 1937 he had two further contests losing them both to Charlie Parkin.

However it is for the victories he is remembered and the trusty left hand with Which he hammered his opponents.