Harry Mizler by Rob Snell

[Mofo2]

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.

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