This Month in Boxing History
Hello folks, this here is Idaho Tom and I've decided to try and give you some highlites of what happened in a specific month in the 20th century. (1900-1999) As the months go on the names should change. I'm hoping that you'll have as much fun reading as I have had looking up this stuff. I'm starting in Febuary because...... I spaced off January. Some history you'll know, hopefully you'll learn more. So PLEASE enjoy and learn about my favorite sport........The Sweet Science of Boxing!
FEBRUARY---
25th, 1901
Joe Choynski knocks out Jack Johnson in 3 rds.
26th, 1903
Young Corbett II draws with Eddie Hamlon after 20 rounds. Corbett retains featherweight title.
1st, 1904
Abe Atell knocks out Harry Forbes in 5 rds.
28th, 1905
Battling Nelson stops Young Corbett II in 9 rounds.
23rd, 1906
Tommy Burns defeats Marvin Hart after 20 rds to win Heavyweight title.
19th, 1907
Jack Johnson knocks out Peter Felix in 1 rd. in Sydney Australia.
10th, 1908
Tommy Burns KO's Jack Palmer in 4rds.
11th, 1909
Max Baer is born in Omaha Nebraska
22nd, 1910
Ad Wolgast survives an early beating amd knockdown in the 23rd rd. to pound Battling Nelson into helplessness winning the lightweight title in the 40th rd. in Point Richmond, Calif.
29th, 1912
Georges Carpentier KO's Jim Sullivan in 2 rds. In Monte Carlo to win European middleweight title.
22nd, 1913
Ad Wolgast draws with Harlem Tommy Murphy after 20 rds.
20th, 1915
Sam McVey beats Battling Jim Johnson after 20 rds in Havana Cuba
11th, 1916
Sam Langford KO's Harry Wills in 19 rds.
13th, 1917
Fireman Jim Flynn stops a 21 year old Jack Dempsey in the 1st round in Murray, Utah. It will be the only KO loss in Dempsey's career.
26th, 1918
Bantamweight and Featherweight champion Terry McGovern dies of pneumonia in Brooklyn, NY just 2 weeks shy of his 38th birthday.
7th, 1921
In their final fight of a 20 bout series, Jack Britton defeats Ted "Kid" Lewis in 15 rds. To retain welterweight title.
10th, 1922
Benny Leonard defeats Rocky Kansas in 15 rds.
23rd, 1923
Gene Tunney defeats Harry Greb in 15 rds. In NY to regain American light-heavyweight title.
8th, 1924
Pancho Villa defeats Georgie Marks in 15 rds to defend flyweight title.
26th, 1926
Tiger Flowers defeats Harry Greb in 15 rds to win middleweight title.
10th 1928
Tony Canzoneri defeats Barney Ross in 15 rds to win undesputed featherweight title.
27th, 1929
Jack Sharkey defeats Young Stribling in 10 rds.
18th, 1930
Jack "Kid" Berg stops Mushy Callahan in 11 rds to win jr welterweight title.
6th, 1931
Tommy Loughran gives Max Baer a boxing lesson for 10 rds in NY.
18th, 1933
James J. Corbett dies of cancer at age 66.
17th, 1934
Kid Chocolate gives up his NY version of the featherweight title.
17th, 1937
Joe Louis KO's Natie Brown in 4 rds.
20th, 1938
Sixto Escobar defeats Harry Jeffra in 15 rds. In San Juan to regain bantamweight title.
10th 1939
Billy Conn defeats Fred Apostol in 15 rds.
28th, 1941
Lew Jenkins stops Lou Ambers in 7 rds.
13th 1942
Billy Conn defeats Tony Zale in 12 rds.
5th, 1943
Jake LaMotta defeats Sugar Ray Robinson in 10 rds. It was Robinson's 1st loss in 40 professional fights.
18th, 1944
Al "Bummy" Davis shocks Bob Montgomery by stopping him in the 1st.
19th, 1945
Willie Pep defeats Phil Terranova in 15 rds to defend featherweight title.
25th, 1946
Manuel Ortiz knocks out Luis Castillo in the 13th rd to retain bantamweight title.
2nd, 1947
Marcel Cerdan KO's Leon Foquet in the 1st to win European middleweight title.
20th, 1948
Ezzard Charles KO's Sam Baroudi in 10 rds. Baroudi dies the next morning from cerebrall hemorrhage.
11th, 1949
In what could be considered his finest performance, Willie Pep defeats Sandy Saddler in 15 rds to regain featherweight title.
8th, 1950
Jersey Joe Walcott KO's Harold Johnson in 3 rds in Philadelphia. In 1936 Walcott KO'd Phil Johnson in 3 rds in the same city. Phil is Harold's father!!
14th, 1951
Sugar Ray Robinson stops Jake LaMotta who absorbs a terrible beating but somehow remains on his feet. Ray wins middleweight title and this will be their 6th and final meeting.
4th, 1952
Kid Gavilan defeats Bobby Dykes in 15 rds to retain welterweight title.
4th, 1953
Ezzard Charles KO's Tommy Harrison in 9rds.
26th, 1954
Luis Perez KO's Willie Pep in 2rds. Rumors fly that the fight was fixed.
16th, 1955
Bobo Olson defeats Ralph "Tiger" Jones in 10rds.
24th, 1956
Ingemar Johannson defeats Joe Bygraves in 10rds.
21st, 1957
Carmen Basilio KO's Johnny Saxton in 2rds to retain welterweight title.
25th, 1958
Willie Pastrano defeats Brian London in 10 rds.
18th, 1959
Sonny Liston stops Mike Dejohn in 6rds.
4th, 1960
Carlos Ortiz KO's Battling Torres in 10rds to retain jr. welterweight title. On the same card, Jose Becerra KO'd Alphonse Halimi in 9rds to retain bantamweight title.
3rd, 1963
Emile Griffith KO's Chris Christensen in 9rds.
25th, 1964
Cassius Clay shocks the world by stopping Sonny Liston in 7rds to win the heavyweight title! Soon afretwards he changes his name twice from Cassius X then to Muhammad Ali.
1st, 1965
Floyd Patterson defeats George Chuvalo in 12 rds.
4th, 1966
Nino Benvenuti defeats Don Fullmer in 12rds.
21st, 1967
Joe Frazier KO's Doug Jones in 6rds.
26th, 1968
Lionel Rose subsituting for a sick Jesus Pimentel, defeats Fighting Harada in 15rds to win bantamweight title. Rose only 19 years old is the first boxer of Aborigine heritage to win a world title.
18th, 1969
Mando Ramos stops Carlos Cruz in 11rds to win lightweight title.
16th, 1970
Joe Frazier unifies the heavyweight title when Jimmy Ellis is floored twice in the 4th and is unable to answer the bell for the 5th round.
13th, 1971
Ken Buchanan defeats Ruben Navarro in 15rds to retain lightweight title.
11th, 1972
Floyd Patterson defeats Oscar Bonavena in 10rds
Muhammad Ali defeats Joe Bugner in 12rds.
16th, 1974
Ernesto Marcel defeats Alexis Arguello in 15rds to retain featherweight title. He soon retires vacating the title.
27th, 1975
Ishimatsu Suzuki defeats Ken Buchanan in 15 rds to retain lightweight title.
17th, 1976
Koichi Wajima KO's Jae-Do Yuh in the 15th rd to win jr middleweight title for the 3rd time.
15th, 1977
Marvelous Marvin Hagler KO's Willie "The Worm" Monroe in 12 rds in Boston to avenge a previous hometown loss.
15th, 1978
In a stunning upset, Leon Spinks (a 10-1 underdog) with only 7 pro fights defeats Muhammad Ali to win the heavyweight title.
1st, 1979
Lightweight champion Roberto Duran gives up his title to fight as a welterweight.
2nd, 1980
Salvador Sanchez stops Danny Lopez in 13rds to win featherweight title.
22nd, 1981
Lupe Pintor defeats Jose Uziga in 15 rds to retain bantamweight title.
2nd, 1982
Davey Moore stops Tadashi Mibara in 6rds to win Jr. middleweight title.
13th, 1983
Donald Curry defeats Jun Sok Hwangin 15 rds to win vacant welterweight title.
26th, 1984
Rocky Lockridge KO's Roger Mayweather in 1 rd to win jr. lightweight title.
16th, 1985
Livingston Bramble defeats Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini in 15rds to retain lightweight title.
16th, 1986
Mike Tyson stops Jesse Ferguson in 6rds.
28th, 1987
Khaosai Galaxy KO's Elly Pical in 14rds to retain jr bamtanweight title.
6th, 1988
Greg Haugen defeats Vinny Pazienza in 15rds to retain lightweight title.
24th, 1989
Roberto Duran defeats Iran Barkley in 12rds to win middleweight title. (his 4th division title)
10th, 1990
42-1 underdog