This pretty much sums up why boxing is my favorite sport, beautifully said by the great Sugar Ray Leonard.
“The sweet science of boxing is all about the most effective and economical means of defeating your opponent both physically and mentally. Boxing is one of the most, if not, the most challenging sport in the world because at your bleakest moment you ask yourself, can I go on - can I go any further? Ask yourself that question when one of your eyes is swollen, your hand is injured, and you've been knocked down for the first time. Boxing is one of the most primal sports, calling upon not only your physical strength but also your mental fortitude. People are amazed by boxers' ability to somehow go beyond what they see as possible when it comes to the body, mind and spirit.” - Sugar Ray Leonard
Leach Cross, aka "The Fighting Dentist", early 1900s lightweight. Cross was an actual dentist, and he once repaired an opponents teeth after knocking them out. Born Louis Wallach in 1905, he.turned to boxing as a way to pay for tuition to dentistry school at NYU. He adopted the name Leach Cross so his parents wouldn't find out he was boxing. Fascinating story.
A Look Back: Leach Cross
Leach Cross had one the most colorful nicknames in boxing history, "The Fighting Dentist." He actually was an accomplished professional boxer and a practicing dentist- hence the moniker. The lightweight never won a title, but was well respected in the ring. In fact, Cross was the great Benny Leonard's idol.
Born Louis Wallach on February 12, 1886, he was raised in New York's Lower East Side. Wallach's parents were from Vienna and his father became a successful businessman in New York. But Wallach grew up in a tough neighborhood and was often forced to fight in the streets. Because of his father's success, Wallach was able to go to NYU for college where he studied dentistry. He only began boxing while in school to pick up a few extra dollars. In 1905, he fought his first fight in which he earned $6.
As a boxer, Wallach took on the name Leach Cross in the hopes that his parents would not find out about his alternative career path. On January 13, 1908, he knocked out Joe Bernstein in the first round and earned $100. After the fight, Cross's father was offered congratulations by an acquaintance. Mr. Wallach was thoroughly confused until the acquaintance explained that his son Louis had won his last fight. Cross's father was not happy, but the purse from the fight helped sooth his anger.
For a guy who eventually graduated with a degree in dentistry, the 5'7" Cross was not a particularly intellectual fighter. He fought out of a crouch and threw powerful right crosses and uppercuts. Against the crafty Packey McFarland, who he fought twice, once on October 21, 1908 and the other on March 23, 1909, Cross was unable to adjust to McFarland’s style.
During Cross's era, a winner of a match could not be determined unless there was knockout or a disqualification. To get around this law, newspapers declared a winner. In one such eventual newspaper decision which took place in December of 1911, Cross knocked out KO Brown's teeth. Brown then went to get his teeth repaired by Dr. Louis Wallach, aka Leach Cross himself.
On November 10, 1913, Cross faced the scientific boxer and lightweight champion Willie Ritchie. Cross was taught a boxing lesson. After a few more years of relative success, Cross retired in 1916. He briefly returned five years later, but retired for good on November 7, 1921. Through it all he continued his dental practice.
According to BoxRec.com, Cross's record was 33-10-4 with 21 KOs which doesn't include his newspaper record of 56-28-13. Cross died in New York, New York on September 7, 1957.
Here's an original program from the Leach Cross -"KO" Brown fight in 1912, it's a fascinating story, Cross knocking out Brown's teeth and then Brown having them repaired by Cross, the very man that knocked them out. It should be noted that George "KO" Brown is a legend in his own right, he was a murderous puncher, they didn't call him "KO" for nothing.
Leach Cross was one tough son of a gun, they were built different back then. Cross put on one of the gamest performances seen in boxing history when he took on "Fighting" Dick Hyland in California in 1909. Cross was floored 15 times + and even knocked into press row on one occasion, but refused to quit before finally being KO'd in round 41 of 45.
It should be noted that "Fighting" Dick Hyland was one of the toughest sons of bi..... to ever enter a boxing ring, he's the one on the right, in the White trunks, in this epic photo from 1913. The 1913 Dick Hyland vs. Ray Campbell bout went for 110 rounds, lasting for more than seven hours and ending in a draw (or no-contest) after both fighters were too exhausted to continue. The fight took place over the night into the morning and is a famous example of an exceptionally long bout from an era with different rules before modern safety measures were implemented. Like I said before, they were built different back then.
Leach Cross (on the right) with Jimmy Clabby, Clabby was a world welterweight champion nicknamed "The Indiana Wasp", Clabby had a chin made of pure granite, he was never knocked down or out in his entire career.
Al "Bummy" Davis, legendary welterweight that fought from 1937 to 1945. Davis was an exciting and controversial fighter who made up for his lack of finesse with a huge heart and one of the most dangerous left hooks ever seen in a boxing ring. He was a left hook artist, his left hook is legendary in boxing lore, he took quite a few guys out with that left hook, including the great fighters Tony Canzoneri and Bob "Bobcat" Montgomery. I have to say, I love his nickname. Where do I even begin with Bummy Davis, well for starters he was as fearless as it gets, he grew up on the mean streets of Brownsville New York during the time that Murder Inc. was operating there, in fact, two of Bummy's brothers actually worked for Murder Inc. as debt collectors. If you're not familiar with Murder Inc., they were a group of stone cold killers, hitmen, that killed for profit, they were literally like a murder company, hence the name Murder Inc. They were connected to the Mafia or La Cosa Nostra as it's called. They killed thousands of victims during their reign of terror, and they used guns, knives, icepicks, strangulation, you name it. Bummy Davis was a tough guy, he had a temper, and he didn't take crap from anyone, in the ring or outside of it, and he didn't even take crap from Murder Inc. There's a famous story about Bummy Davis having a run-in with one of the hitmen that worked for Murder Inc. on the streets of Brownsville. Bummy Davis would eventually meet his end at the hands of four gunmen, but he went down fighting, literally.
Tough Bummy Davis, by Jeffrey Sussman
Bummy Davis was shot four times. He was only 26 years old. A lot of people thought he could have become a welterweight champ. His manager and trainer, Johnny Attell, thought that Bummy could have gone right to the top.
One of my mother’s cousins grew up next door to Bummy in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn in the 1920s. I quizzed cousin Joe about his memories of Bummy Davis, for I have been a boxing fan since age 12 and have been a sponge when it comes to soaking up boxing information. My knowledge of Bummy had been, at best, sketchy, and I wanted to learn from an actual witness. Here’s what I was told:
“Bummy’s real name was Avrum Davidoff, but he was known to the kids in the neighborhood as Al. His dad owned one of those old-fashioned candy stores; you know, ones with soda fountains and a row of twirling stools and racks of comic books. You’d buy an egg cream or a cherry Coke and thumb your way through some comics. Old man Davidoff never made us pay for the comics, unless we didn’t put them back on the racks. He really didn’t need the money from comics: He had better sources of income.”
“It was during Prohibition, and Davidoff was selling bootleg booze out of the back of the store. Little Bummy was his lookout. If a cop was passing by or coming in for a pack of cigarettes, the kid alerted his dad, who would shut down the back of the store. Old man Davidoff never got caught, and, though all the neighbors knew what he was doing, no one ever squealed on him.”
“Al had two older brothers, and it was thought that they might have been working for Murder Inc., not as killers, but as debt collectors. Of course, if they came calling, debtors knew who backed them up, and so they always paid up. The collectors got a percentage, just like collection agencies do.”
“Bummy never had anything to do with that mob, was never interested in joining them. He always wanted to be a fighter. One day, when I was a teenager, I saw Bummy actually bump against Abe Reles on the street. You know who Reles was? He was known as Kid Twist for the way he killed people for Murder Inc. Well, Reles cursed at the kid, and Bummy told him to fuck off. Reles knew that Bummy was a tough kid, on his way to becoming a professional boxer, and so he just walked away. You can imagine what that encounter did for Bummy’s reputation with us kids!”
“Eventually, my dad moved us to the suburbs, where he had bought a nice house. Though I didn’t see Bummy in Brownsville anymore, I would go to his fights. The most amazing was against Fritzie Zivic. Right away, Zivic thumbed Bummy in one eye, then the other. And the ref did nothing. Bummy complained about it, but still the ref did nothing. Bummy said the hell with it and went after Zivic, pounding him with several low blows. This time the ref stepped in and wanted to give the fight to Zivic. That infuriated Bummy, so he kicked the ref, and all hell broke loose. Fans were screaming and throwing objects into the ring. Cops were called. Bummy was fined and his boxing license was revoked. He eventually got it back, but his career had its highs and lows. In 1945, after he got out of the Army, he fought Rocky Graziano and suffered a technical knockout. He had one more fight, then quit the ring.”
“Bummy had wanted to retire for a few years, but his manager always convinced him to continue. Bummy was tired of fighting, but he wanted to build up a nest egg. He always felt the crowds were against him, especially after he knocked out Tony Canzoneri. He was ready to hang up his gloves and he did. He bought a bar; I think it was called Dudy’s.”
“Well, one night he’s sitting in the back room of the bar with some old pals, including an off-duty cop. I think they were playing cards and just bullshitting, when four holdup punks came into the bar. Bummy saw what was going on and confronted them. You know he was the kind of guy who would punch first and not bother asking questions. He knocked one guy to the floor, and a second guy shot him in the neck. The holdup guys took off, and Bummy put a napkin or handkerchief to his wound and ran after his attackers. He was gaining on them, when one of the thieves turned around and fired three more bullets into Bummy. He died on the sidewalk and became a hero in all the news stories. The off-duty cop ran out of the bar and wounded one of the punks, but he could not stop them. They got away, but not for long. The cop was a good friend of Bummy and he tracked down the killers.”
“How did Al get the name Bummy?” I asked, changing the subject.
“I’m not sure, but I heard that Johnny Attell told him that Avrum Davidoff didn’t sound like a tough guy fighter and so no one would come to see him box. He renamed him Al (Bummy) Davis. And you know what? Bummy, regardless of his name, was a genuine tough guy, and not just in the ring and when facing down Abe Reles, but especially when he chased those punks who tried to stick up his bar.”
“After the cop tracked down the killers were they tried and sentenced?”
“Yup. They all did major time in prisons and never forgot that they had made a big mistake when taking on one of the toughest young fighters who came out of Brownsville, which you know produced a number of tough boxers. But of them all, Bummy was unique, a true original.”
It should be noted that Abe "Kid Twist" Release, the Murder Inc. hitman that Bummy Davis had a run-in with on the streets of Brownsville, actually met his end when he was thrown out of a sixth story hotel window in New York because he was suspected of being a rat. Abe Reles was a scary guy, he had a menacing presence. He was nicknamed "Kid Twist" because his specialty as a hitman, he killed his victims by twisting a rope around their neck. Reles had these big powerful hands which undoubtedly helped him perform better in his profession. Anyway, a book was written about Abe Reles and his murder.
Anyway, back to Bummy Davis, like I said before, his left hook was absolutely lethal if he landed it, and on February 18, 1944, he took Bob "Bobcat" Montgomery out with it. Bob Montgomery is an all-time great, he was nicknamed "Bobcat" because his fighting style reminded people of a Bobcat attacking, wildly slashing and tearing into it's prey. In one of the most startling upsets in boxing history, Montgomery was knocked down twice, a left hook finishing him off just over a minute into the first round. Davis, a 10-to-1 underdog, scored the fastest knockout in a main event at Madison Square Garden since it had opened in 1925.
On November 1, 1939, Bummy Davis knocked out the legendary Tony Canzoneri in the third round of their bout. Although the aging Canzoneri was a crowd favorite, Davis, then a 19-year-old up-and-comer, won decisively, ending Canzoneri's career and earning the booing of the adoring fans. Canzoneri was riding a six fight winning streak against mediocre opposition but was clearly past his prime. He took on a 19-year old brutal Jewish puncher who was unbeaten in 35 fights and it didn't end well. Canzoneri, a former three division World's Champion (nearly four), wanted to show he was still of Championship caliber material. This time Tony's 170 fight career would finally catch up with him and come to an end. The fight was thought to be competitive instead turned lopsided. Davis started out fast landing nearly at will on the former champion. Tony never got set. Two solid lefts, followed by thunderous left floored Canzoneri in the third, when Canzoneri arose he was met by a flurry of punches knocking him down again. The crowd roared in anger watching their hero get stopped as referee Arthur Donovan waved it off, making it the only time Tony Canzoneri was knocked out in his illustrious career and he never fought again.
Davis crammed a lot into a short space of time, every fight he had seemed to be a war. His most notorious war took place on November 14, 1940, Davis faced the hugely experienced Fritzie Zivic, "The Croat Comet", and enraged by Zivic’s foul tactics, in particular thumbing Davis' eyes, (for which Zivic was very well known), Davis launched into a furious attack upon Zivic’s nether regions in the second round, which prompted the referee to disqualify him. After being disqualified, Davis kicked the referee by accident, he was trying to kick Zivic, and then continued to go after Zivic. This incident resulted in Davis having his boxing license revoked for a time, and he did not fight again until July 1941, when he faced Zivic again in the ring. This time around the match passed without controversy with Davis being stopped in the 10th after a bruising contest. Davis gave all his purse from thr rematch to the army relief fund. Below are actual images of the fight, on the top is a photo of Bummy Davis teeing off on Zivic below the belt.
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This pretty much sums up why boxing is my favorite sport, beautifully said by the great Sugar Ray Leonard.
“The sweet science of boxing is all about the most effective and economical means of defeating your opponent both physically and mentally. Boxing is one of the most, if not, the most challenging sport in the world because at your bleakest moment you ask yourself, can I go on - can I go any further? Ask yourself that question when one of your eyes is swollen, your hand is injured, and you've been knocked down for the first time. Boxing is one of the most primal sports, calling upon not only your physical strength but also your mental fortitude. People are amazed by boxers' ability to somehow go beyond what they see as possible when it comes to the body, mind and spirit.” - Sugar Ray Leonard
Leach Cross, aka "The Fighting Dentist", early 1900s lightweight. Cross was an actual dentist, and he once repaired an opponents teeth after knocking them out. Born Louis Wallach in 1905, he.turned to boxing as a way to pay for tuition to dentistry school at NYU. He adopted the name Leach Cross so his parents wouldn't find out he was boxing. Fascinating story.
A Look Back: Leach Cross
Leach Cross had one the most colorful nicknames in boxing history, "The Fighting Dentist." He actually was an accomplished professional boxer and a practicing dentist- hence the moniker. The lightweight never won a title, but was well respected in the ring. In fact, Cross was the great Benny Leonard's idol.
Born Louis Wallach on February 12, 1886, he was raised in New York's Lower East Side. Wallach's parents were from Vienna and his father became a successful businessman in New York. But Wallach grew up in a tough neighborhood and was often forced to fight in the streets. Because of his father's success, Wallach was able to go to NYU for college where he studied dentistry. He only began boxing while in school to pick up a few extra dollars. In 1905, he fought his first fight in which he earned $6.
As a boxer, Wallach took on the name Leach Cross in the hopes that his parents would not find out about his alternative career path. On January 13, 1908, he knocked out Joe Bernstein in the first round and earned $100. After the fight, Cross's father was offered congratulations by an acquaintance. Mr. Wallach was thoroughly confused until the acquaintance explained that his son Louis had won his last fight. Cross's father was not happy, but the purse from the fight helped sooth his anger.
For a guy who eventually graduated with a degree in dentistry, the 5'7" Cross was not a particularly intellectual fighter. He fought out of a crouch and threw powerful right crosses and uppercuts. Against the crafty Packey McFarland, who he fought twice, once on October 21, 1908 and the other on March 23, 1909, Cross was unable to adjust to McFarland’s style.
During Cross's era, a winner of a match could not be determined unless there was knockout or a disqualification. To get around this law, newspapers declared a winner. In one such eventual newspaper decision which took place in December of 1911, Cross knocked out KO Brown's teeth. Brown then went to get his teeth repaired by Dr. Louis Wallach, aka Leach Cross himself.
On November 10, 1913, Cross faced the scientific boxer and lightweight champion Willie Ritchie. Cross was taught a boxing lesson. After a few more years of relative success, Cross retired in 1916. He briefly returned five years later, but retired for good on November 7, 1921. Through it all he continued his dental practice.
According to BoxRec.com, Cross's record was 33-10-4 with 21 KOs which doesn't include his newspaper record of 56-28-13. Cross died in New York, New York on September 7, 1957.
Here's an original program from the Leach Cross -"KO" Brown fight in 1912, it's a fascinating story, Cross knocking out Brown's teeth and then Brown having them repaired by Cross, the very man that knocked them out. It should be noted that George "KO" Brown is a legend in his own right, he was a murderous puncher, they didn't call him "KO" for nothing.
Leach Cross was one tough son of a gun, they were built different back then. Cross put on one of the gamest performances seen in boxing history when he took on "Fighting" Dick Hyland in California in 1909. Cross was floored 15 times + and even knocked into press row on one occasion, but refused to quit before finally being KO'd in round 41 of 45.
It should be noted that "Fighting" Dick Hyland was one of the toughest sons of bi..... to ever enter a boxing ring, he's the one on the right, in the White trunks, in this epic photo from 1913. The 1913 Dick Hyland vs. Ray Campbell bout went for 110 rounds, lasting for more than seven hours and ending in a draw (or no-contest) after both fighters were too exhausted to continue. The fight took place over the night into the morning and is a famous example of an exceptionally long bout from an era with different rules before modern safety measures were implemented. Like I said before, they were built different back then.
Another good shot of the Dick Hyland-Ray Campbell bout.
Back to Leach Cross, it's a fascinating story, being a licensed, practicing dentist, and a pretty darn good prizefighter at the same time.
Leach Cross (on the right) with Jimmy Clabby, Clabby was a world welterweight champion nicknamed "The Indiana Wasp", Clabby had a chin made of pure granite, he was never knocked down or out in his entire career.
Sick 1910-11 T9 Turkey Red Cabinet card of Leach Cross, love the SGC holder.
Of course a legend like Leach Cross has a book written about him.
Al "Bummy" Davis, legendary welterweight that fought from 1937 to 1945. Davis was an exciting and controversial fighter who made up for his lack of finesse with a huge heart and one of the most dangerous left hooks ever seen in a boxing ring. He was a left hook artist, his left hook is legendary in boxing lore, he took quite a few guys out with that left hook, including the great fighters Tony Canzoneri and Bob "Bobcat" Montgomery. I have to say, I love his nickname. Where do I even begin with Bummy Davis, well for starters he was as fearless as it gets, he grew up on the mean streets of Brownsville New York during the time that Murder Inc. was operating there, in fact, two of Bummy's brothers actually worked for Murder Inc. as debt collectors. If you're not familiar with Murder Inc., they were a group of stone cold killers, hitmen, that killed for profit, they were literally like a murder company, hence the name Murder Inc. They were connected to the Mafia or La Cosa Nostra as it's called. They killed thousands of victims during their reign of terror, and they used guns, knives, icepicks, strangulation, you name it. Bummy Davis was a tough guy, he had a temper, and he didn't take crap from anyone, in the ring or outside of it, and he didn't even take crap from Murder Inc. There's a famous story about Bummy Davis having a run-in with one of the hitmen that worked for Murder Inc. on the streets of Brownsville. Bummy Davis would eventually meet his end at the hands of four gunmen, but he went down fighting, literally.
Tough Bummy Davis, by Jeffrey Sussman
Bummy Davis was shot four times. He was only 26 years old. A lot of people thought he could have become a welterweight champ. His manager and trainer, Johnny Attell, thought that Bummy could have gone right to the top.
One of my mother’s cousins grew up next door to Bummy in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn in the 1920s. I quizzed cousin Joe about his memories of Bummy Davis, for I have been a boxing fan since age 12 and have been a sponge when it comes to soaking up boxing information. My knowledge of Bummy had been, at best, sketchy, and I wanted to learn from an actual witness. Here’s what I was told:
“Bummy’s real name was Avrum Davidoff, but he was known to the kids in the neighborhood as Al. His dad owned one of those old-fashioned candy stores; you know, ones with soda fountains and a row of twirling stools and racks of comic books. You’d buy an egg cream or a cherry Coke and thumb your way through some comics. Old man Davidoff never made us pay for the comics, unless we didn’t put them back on the racks. He really didn’t need the money from comics: He had better sources of income.”
“It was during Prohibition, and Davidoff was selling bootleg booze out of the back of the store. Little Bummy was his lookout. If a cop was passing by or coming in for a pack of cigarettes, the kid alerted his dad, who would shut down the back of the store. Old man Davidoff never got caught, and, though all the neighbors knew what he was doing, no one ever squealed on him.”
“Al had two older brothers, and it was thought that they might have been working for Murder Inc., not as killers, but as debt collectors. Of course, if they came calling, debtors knew who backed them up, and so they always paid up. The collectors got a percentage, just like collection agencies do.”
“Bummy never had anything to do with that mob, was never interested in joining them. He always wanted to be a fighter. One day, when I was a teenager, I saw Bummy actually bump against Abe Reles on the street. You know who Reles was? He was known as Kid Twist for the way he killed people for Murder Inc. Well, Reles cursed at the kid, and Bummy told him to fuck off. Reles knew that Bummy was a tough kid, on his way to becoming a professional boxer, and so he just walked away. You can imagine what that encounter did for Bummy’s reputation with us kids!”
“Eventually, my dad moved us to the suburbs, where he had bought a nice house. Though I didn’t see Bummy in Brownsville anymore, I would go to his fights. The most amazing was against Fritzie Zivic. Right away, Zivic thumbed Bummy in one eye, then the other. And the ref did nothing. Bummy complained about it, but still the ref did nothing. Bummy said the hell with it and went after Zivic, pounding him with several low blows. This time the ref stepped in and wanted to give the fight to Zivic. That infuriated Bummy, so he kicked the ref, and all hell broke loose. Fans were screaming and throwing objects into the ring. Cops were called. Bummy was fined and his boxing license was revoked. He eventually got it back, but his career had its highs and lows. In 1945, after he got out of the Army, he fought Rocky Graziano and suffered a technical knockout. He had one more fight, then quit the ring.”
“Bummy had wanted to retire for a few years, but his manager always convinced him to continue. Bummy was tired of fighting, but he wanted to build up a nest egg. He always felt the crowds were against him, especially after he knocked out Tony Canzoneri. He was ready to hang up his gloves and he did. He bought a bar; I think it was called Dudy’s.”
“Well, one night he’s sitting in the back room of the bar with some old pals, including an off-duty cop. I think they were playing cards and just bullshitting, when four holdup punks came into the bar. Bummy saw what was going on and confronted them. You know he was the kind of guy who would punch first and not bother asking questions. He knocked one guy to the floor, and a second guy shot him in the neck. The holdup guys took off, and Bummy put a napkin or handkerchief to his wound and ran after his attackers. He was gaining on them, when one of the thieves turned around and fired three more bullets into Bummy. He died on the sidewalk and became a hero in all the news stories. The off-duty cop ran out of the bar and wounded one of the punks, but he could not stop them. They got away, but not for long. The cop was a good friend of Bummy and he tracked down the killers.”
“How did Al get the name Bummy?” I asked, changing the subject.
“I’m not sure, but I heard that Johnny Attell told him that Avrum Davidoff didn’t sound like a tough guy fighter and so no one would come to see him box. He renamed him Al (Bummy) Davis. And you know what? Bummy, regardless of his name, was a genuine tough guy, and not just in the ring and when facing down Abe Reles, but especially when he chased those punks who tried to stick up his bar.”
“After the cop tracked down the killers were they tried and sentenced?”
“Yup. They all did major time in prisons and never forgot that they had made a big mistake when taking on one of the toughest young fighters who came out of Brownsville, which you know produced a number of tough boxers. But of them all, Bummy was unique, a true original.”
It should be noted that Abe "Kid Twist" Release, the Murder Inc. hitman that Bummy Davis had a run-in with on the streets of Brownsville, actually met his end when he was thrown out of a sixth story hotel window in New York because he was suspected of being a rat. Abe Reles was a scary guy, he had a menacing presence. He was nicknamed "Kid Twist" because his specialty as a hitman, he killed his victims by twisting a rope around their neck. Reles had these big powerful hands which undoubtedly helped him perform better in his profession. Anyway, a book was written about Abe Reles and his murder.
Here's a couple of better photos of Abe "Kid Twist" Reles.
Anyway, back to Bummy Davis, like I said before, his left hook was absolutely lethal if he landed it, and on February 18, 1944, he took Bob "Bobcat" Montgomery out with it. Bob Montgomery is an all-time great, he was nicknamed "Bobcat" because his fighting style reminded people of a Bobcat attacking, wildly slashing and tearing into it's prey. In one of the most startling upsets in boxing history, Montgomery was knocked down twice, a left hook finishing him off just over a minute into the first round. Davis, a 10-to-1 underdog, scored the fastest knockout in a main event at Madison Square Garden since it had opened in 1925.
On November 1, 1939, Bummy Davis knocked out the legendary Tony Canzoneri in the third round of their bout. Although the aging Canzoneri was a crowd favorite, Davis, then a 19-year-old up-and-comer, won decisively, ending Canzoneri's career and earning the booing of the adoring fans. Canzoneri was riding a six fight winning streak against mediocre opposition but was clearly past his prime. He took on a 19-year old brutal Jewish puncher who was unbeaten in 35 fights and it didn't end well. Canzoneri, a former three division World's Champion (nearly four), wanted to show he was still of Championship caliber material. This time Tony's 170 fight career would finally catch up with him and come to an end. The fight was thought to be competitive instead turned lopsided. Davis started out fast landing nearly at will on the former champion. Tony never got set. Two solid lefts, followed by thunderous left floored Canzoneri in the third, when Canzoneri arose he was met by a flurry of punches knocking him down again. The crowd roared in anger watching their hero get stopped as referee Arthur Donovan waved it off, making it the only time Tony Canzoneri was knocked out in his illustrious career and he never fought again.
Davis crammed a lot into a short space of time, every fight he had seemed to be a war. His most notorious war took place on November 14, 1940, Davis faced the hugely experienced Fritzie Zivic, "The Croat Comet", and enraged by Zivic’s foul tactics, in particular thumbing Davis' eyes, (for which Zivic was very well known), Davis launched into a furious attack upon Zivic’s nether regions in the second round, which prompted the referee to disqualify him. After being disqualified, Davis kicked the referee by accident, he was trying to kick Zivic, and then continued to go after Zivic. This incident resulted in Davis having his boxing license revoked for a time, and he did not fight again until July 1941, when he faced Zivic again in the ring. This time around the match passed without controversy with Davis being stopped in the 10th after a bruising contest. Davis gave all his purse from thr rematch to the army relief fund. Below are actual images of the fight, on the top is a photo of Bummy Davis teeing off on Zivic below the belt.