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.
You know, fighters with granite chins have always fascinated me, it's a real badge of honor to be able to get into the ring knowing your opponent can't do anything with you, knowing you're going to finish on your feet regardless of what he throws at you. Pierre Coetzer had a chin like that, 1980s and 90s heavyweight contender from South Africa. He was a fascinating specimen, he had this deadpan stare and he was instantly recognizable because of his trademark mustache. You could beat the guy with a baseball bat, knock him down, but he was going to finish on his feet, he had an unbelievably stubborn will to leave it all in the ring.
Pierre Coetzer: The Teak-Tough South African Who Rumbled With Bowe, Bruno And Foreman
By James Slater - 01/16/2023
With the recent sad passing of former WBA heavyweight champion Gerrie Coetzee, South Africa lost the man who arguably stands out as its greatest ever heavyweight. Coetzee defeated names like Michael Dokes, Leon Spinks and Kallie Knoetze, while he also held Pinklon Thomas to a draw. Another South African heavyweight, who rose to prominence in the 1990s in rumbling with huge names like Riddick Bowe, George Foreman and Frank Bruno, is Pierre Coetzer. Coetzer never managed to win a world title the way Coetzee did, but he sure made his mark as a tough warrior, as a man who was blessed with some iron chin. Going pro in February of 1983, this after an amateur career that saw him engage in over 200 bouts, Coetzer, instantly recognizable due to his trademark moustache, worked his way up the rankings. It wasn’t until he’d had well over 20 pro fights that Coetzer fought in America, but he did engage in some big fights upon doing so. After decision losses to two crafty veterans in Bernard Benton and Ossie Ocasio (both defeats subsequently avenged), Coetzer defeated decent fighters like James Pritchard, Bigfoot Martin, Johnny du Plooy, J.B Williamson, and Jose Ribalta. Coetzer became the IBF number one contender in early 1992, and he very much wanted a shot at Evander Holyfield. Instead, Coetzer wound up fighting a WBA title eliminator with an unbeaten Riddick Bowe. Coetzer managed to hang tough in this, the biggest fight of his career, but he was stopped, controversially, in the 7th round. Bowe belted Coetzer low and the low blow victim turned away, thinking, he said later, that ref Mills Lane would call a time-out. Instead, Bowe unloaded some hefty shots on Coetzer’s exposed jaw, driving him into the ropes, with Lane then diving in to stop the fight with just one second remaining in the round. Coetzer was furious, saying the fight should never have been stopped. After the fight in Las Vegas, 30 year old Coetzer had just two more fights before retiring from the sport. Coetzer, now 39-3, made the trip to London to face British hero Frank Bruno, then in the midst of yet another comeback “Big Frank” hoped would lead to another world title shot. Coetzer again showed off his shock-absorber of a chin, yet he was again beaten, being stopped in the 8th. Coetzer’s chin and heart were undeniably first class, yet his other tools were somewhat lacking. The inability to slip or block a shot was one of Coetzer’s biggest flaws and, as in the Bowe fight, the South African’s nose paid the price against Bruno. In what turned out to be his final fight, Coetzer took on Comeback King George Foreman and the picture was pretty much the same as it had been in the Bowe and Bruno fights. Coetzer hung tough, he was never knocked unconscious (although Foreman did deck him twice), but he ate a ton of leather before being stopped, on his feet once again, in round eight. And then Coetzer disappeared, never to fight again. Just 31 years old, and with a good record of 39-5, Coetzer decided he’d had enough, remembering the wise words his father had told him: “You can have all the money in the bank but if you can’t write out the check for it, why stay in the business?” Coetzer was both happy and proud about the way he got out of the toughest sport on the planet while “100 percent; there’s nothing wrong with me.” Coetzer briefly served as a bodyguard for Nelson Mandela and F.W de Klerk. Today, 61 year old Coetzer is a successful businessman. He may not have won a world title, but Pierre Coetzer’s story is an inspirational and happy one.
There was nothing cute about Pierre Coetzer, he was just a guy with a granite chin that was going to come forward swinging, he was either going to bust you up, or die trying. I love guys like that.
Pierre Coetzer, the blood and guts warrior of South African heavyweights. “Pierre the Lion Heart” proclaimed the headline in the Rapport the Sunday morning after Pierre Coetzer, bleeding around the eyes, stopped American James Pritchard in eight rounds. There is no better line than that to describe the career of one of South Africa's best heavyweights. He may not have won a world title but he added more than his share of drama to the heavyweight division and was a hard night’s work for any heavyweight in the world. He was also involved in two of the best shootouts in South African ring history. The first time was in 1984 when he met Bennie Knoetze for the vacant national title. It did not look good for Coetzer at the start of the fight. Knoetze’s relentless pressure had him bouncing off the ropes in the first round and visiting the canvass twice in the second stanza. It looked all but over, but he had other ideas and came storming back in the third round. A vicious combination punctuated by a left hook and right hand sent Knoetze down in a dramatic turnaround. Knoetze somehow made it back to his feet but he was in no condition to continue and was counted out on his feet. Coetzer would duplicate that performance six years later when he met Johnny Du Plooy at the Superbowl in a huge local attraction and this time, it took him one round less. The pair’s careers unfolded almost parallel too each other. Both had impressive victories over international opponents. Du Plooy could be erratic was considered the harder puncher and the more naturally talented of the two, despite the fact that Coetzer had avenged his only two defeats in 33 contests against former cruiserweight world champions, Bernard Benton and Ossie Ocasio and was on a nine fight winning streak. Coetzer had another tumultuous first round, got dropped by a Du Plooy right in the second, and then got up to dismantle Du Plooy in the same round, sending him down twice. The long-debated question as to who was better was finally over. Love this poster from the Coetzer-Du Plooy fight, Coetzer looks intense.
This is a great photo of Pierre Coetzer, with a busted nose, the skin is opened up to the bone and he just stands there nonchalantly sipping water, what a warrior.
Great shots of Pierre Coetzer before the Riddick Bowe fight, Coetzer was fascinating, he always had a look on his face that could burn a hole through you. Win or lose, he was there to fight.
Coetzer was 6'4", big guy, but didn't weigh but 215 lbs going into the Bowe fight, Bowe came in at 245 lbs, so Coetzer was outweighed by 30 lbs. Going in to the fight with Frank Bruno, Coetzer was 215 lbs while Bruno was 247, and his fight with George Foreman, Coetzer weighed 216 lbs while Foreman was 258 lbs, so Coetzer was outweighed tremendously by Bowe, Bruno, and Foreman. The cut on Coetzer's nose from the Bruno fight hadn't properly healed going into the Foreman fight, and it opened back up again and poured blood, it happened because Coetzer hadn't given himself time to properly heal, Coetzer fought three brutal punchers that outweighed him by 30+ lbs every time, back to back to back, in a span of only 6 months, Riddick Bowe, Frank Bruno, and George Foreman, that's one hell of a gauntlet to run within 6 months time. Coetzer was a beast.
Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Tommy "The Hitman" Hearns, who would fight the most exciting match I would ever witness in my lifetime. It simply became known as "The War", and that's exactly what it was from the opening bell: an all-out war.
@Cubbies1416 said:
Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Tommy "The Hitman" Hearns, who would fight the most exciting match I would ever witness in my lifetime. It simply became known as "The War", and that's exactly what it was from the opening bell: an all-out war.
Epic battle, this photo of Hearns after the fight says it all.
Speaking of granite chins, Oliver McCall was nicknamed "The Atomic Bull" because of his powerful, relentless, and durable style, combined with his ability to withstand punishment. The nickname reflects his "bull-like" aggression in the ring and his seemingly "atomic" ability to absorb punches without being hurt, a quality famously demonstrated by his "jaw of steel". Despite sparring over 300 rounds with Mike Tyson and 78 career professional fights, McCall never tasted the canvas, not once.
“I’ve never been down sparring or in a fight, amateur or pro. In fact, I’ve never been shook up. I can take a helluva shot.”
- Oliver McCall
Never dropped. Never shaken. Oliver McCall wasn't just tough—he was unbreakable. Sparring or pro, amateur or under the lights, he could take a helluva shot and keep coming. That’s not luck—that’s a chin carved out of granite.
One of the scariest knockouts you'll ever see happened in 2023 when Japan's Junto Nakatani flattened Australia's Andrew Moloney in the 12th round, it was widely named knockout of the year 2023. The fight-ending blow was a devastating overhand left punch that landed flush, securing Nakatani the vacant WBO super flyweight title.
Looking back on that Nakatani knockout of Moloney, the fight should have been stopped prior to the 12th round, Moloney was getting beat pretty good, but they sent him out for the 12th, knowing Nakatani carries brutal punching power. Bad mistake.
Davey Moore, aka "The Springfield Rifle", all-time great undisputed world featherweight champion from 1959 to 1963. Moore was called "The Springfield Rifle" because a sportswriter noted he "hits like a .30-06 bullet". This nickname was a combination of his powerful punching ability and his hometown of Springfield, Ohio.
Steve Belloise,"Gink", Bronx middleweight from the late 1930s to early 50s, had a left hook that was thunderous. He was a top-10 ranked contender for almost the entire 1940s. He twice came within a split decision of winning the world middleweight championship against NYSAC champion Ken Overlin at The Garden in 1940.
STEVE BELLOISE
Steve Belloise, born in New York City on December 16th, 1918, started his professional fistic career on August 24th, 1938, with a sensational 4 round knockout over Vince Califano. He had 8 fights his first year, winning 6. He went thru the next 2 years undefeated beating the likes of Sammy Luhspring, Ceferino Garcia, Paul Griffith, Art Gonzales and Eddie Dunne to name a few. During this streak he knocked out fellows like Joe Comito, Ceasar Ferro, Art Gonzales, Rego Dell, Vic Dellicurti, Wicky Harkins, Marty Marino, Ralph Vona, Ernie Copeland, Lou Roig, Vinnie Vines and Eddie Dunne. His winning streak ended on November 1, 1940 when he lost a 15-round decision to Ken Overlin while trying to gain the middleweight title. After only 34 bouts BeIIoise fought for the world title. In this day and age with the shortage of boxers and clubs, it is a great possibility, but Steve accomplished this when boxing was at its peak.
He tried in December of the same year in a return bout, but was unsuccessful in lifting Overlln’s crown. In the first bout with Overlin, Steve dropped him in the 6th and from all appearances Ken was not getting up. The bell sounded, saving Overlin and his title. Under today’s rules, the referee would have continued the count and Steve would have been the new champ.
The second bout was almost an exact replica of the first, with Overlin again hitting the canvas in the sixth stanza. Steve lost both bouts, one by a majority decision, where the referee scored it a draw and the other by a split decision, the referee voted in favor of Belloise. Steve became interested in boxing thru his brother Mike, who later became the world’s featherweight king. Mike handled Steve in 12 “smoker” bouts and was instrumental in teaching him many of the finer points of the game. Mike was also his inspiration and devoted companion until his death a few years back.
At the beginning of Steve’s pro boxing career, he was handled by George Hughes, then after a year or so Eddie Walker handled his affairs. Steve was trained for the majority of his bouts by Jesse Harrington and trained primarily at Greenwood Lake and the Pioneer Club.
BeIIoise rated Ken Overlin as the Best Boxer he had ever faced Tami Mauriello as the “Best Puncher.” In Steve’s bout against Ray Robinson he did – ‘Freeze’ as so many other opponents of Ray’s did. He did not fear Ray, in fact Robinson did not have to chase Belloise, Steve came to him. It was fairly even battle until Robinson caught Steve with a left hook in the 7th round and Belloise took a 5 count. The corner consultants refused to allow Steve to come out for the 8th.
His two fights against Georgie Abrams were classics. In the first battle Abrams outpointed Steve in 10 rounds. In a return bout a year later BeIIoise stopped him in 5 heats.
Among his other knockout victims were Irwin Kaplan, Jay Macedon, Andrea Jessurun, Jose Cabailero, Horace Jones, Joey Lynch, Milo Theodorescu, Howard Bennett, Johnny Brown, Billy Johnson, Johnny Smith, Bobby Brown, Baudelio Valencia, Paul Altman, Johnny Jones, Coley Welch, Billy Carrigan, Coolidge Miller, Bobby Berger, Willis Scott, Indian Gomez, Mel Hawkins, Anton Christoforidis, AI Hostak, Izzy Jannazzo, Pedro Cobe, Johnny Walker, Billy Cooper, Mike Birskovick, Billy Arnold, Meyer Siegel, Mickey Doyle, Joe Reddick, J.C. Wilkins, Bobby James, Henry Chemel, Leon Gabriel, J.T. Ross, Jean Stock, Cleve Bailey, Anton Raadik and Red Arrow.
In his career that spanned 12 years and 111 pro bouts, with 95 wins of which 59 where by knockout route and only 13 losses you have to put … Steve Belloise ‘to the “Superior Fighter” class.
Steve rates Robert Villemain of France as his toughest opponent. Belloise hit Villemain with every punch in the book, giving him 16 stitches and copping a unanimous 10 round decision.
After copping an easy 10 round decision from Phil Furr in December of 1941, Steve entered Uncle Sam’s Navy and was in World War 2 as well as the Korean War. He returned to the ring in 1943. After 27 years Steve was still in the service, as a Reserve of the 378 Division at Fort Schuyler where he was a Chief Petty Officer and Drill Instructor.
Steve believed, like most of us that boxing has suffered due to the lack of the small clubs and also firmly believed that boxing will “never die”. He contended that boxing is the very best of all contact sports and builds human dignity as well as the human body.
He was an active member of Veteran Boxers Association Groups Ring 8 – 10 and 30 and was Sergeant-at-Arms with the International Veterans Boxer Association.
He was married to the former Serafina Locurto, had four children, Virgina, Stephanie, Christine, and Steve Jr.
Belloise was probably the hardest punching left hook artist of all the middleweights. An example of his punching powers was exhibited while Steve was in a Paris gym working against a real toughie named Germaine Gaboso, who had the distinction of never being floored with the big gloves. Gabosch even refused to wear headgear, until a big left hook by Steve deposited him on the seat of his trunks.
Steve Belloise sometimes was also known as Steve (Gink) Belloise. (For example, see the Tacoma News Tribune of Nov. 8, 1939.) His older brother Mike was a World Featherweight Champion during the mid-1930s. Another brother, Sal Belloise, boxed as a Middleweight during the late 1940s and early ’50s.
After his pro boxing career, Belloise became a bricklayer, then a city building inspector. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He also had a cameo role in the movie Requiem for a Heavyweight, as a hotel clerk.
Steve Belloise died February 18, 1984, at the Bronx Veterans Hospital.
Not many photos of Steve Belloise available unfortunately, there is a small clip from his fight with Frenchman Jean Stock available on YouTube, where he takes Stock out with a short left uppercut in round 8. These are a couple of great images from that fight and you can see the damage Belloise was capable of, Stock's face is a bloody mess.
Scottish great Jim Watt made his fourth defense of the WBC lightweight title with a bloody 12th round TKO of "Bubblegum Kid" Sean O'Grady at Kelvin Hall in Glasgow, Scotland in 1980. O'Grady was known for having bad luck with his skin, but he and his father also reportedly endured death threats leading up to the bout. Almost nobody in the hall were on O'Grady's side, least of all the 2,500 spectators in attendance. Both fighters contended with cuts: Watt was cut in round 9, but O'Grady absorbed an awful headbutt in the 10th that tore his forehead wide open. Watt got some distance and pulled ahead on the cards, and O'Grady's face only got worse as rounds went by. Finally in round 12, O'Grady's cut was so bad that blood obscured his vision and the fight was stopped.
Albert "Chalky" Wright, world featherweight champion that fought from 1928-1948, murderous puncher, he blasted out 87 of his opponents. If you're ever watched the gangster show "Boardwalk Empire" starting Steve Buscemi as the real-life Atlantic City mobster Nucky Johnson, then you'll know there's a character on the show named Chalky White, that character is based on Albert "Chalky" Wright. The real life Albert "Chalky" Wright was also Mae West’s companion & chauffeur during the 1930s through the late 1940s. He had stepped away from the ring, and into a more personal role in West’s life, as they were romantically involved during that time. Their relationship wasn’t just personal—it had real-world impact. When the management at West’s Los Angeles residence, the Ravenswood Apartments, refused to allow Wright, a Black man, into her apartment, West responded by buying the entire building to ensure he had unrestricted access. Wright also played a key role in protecting her from threats; in 1935, he assisted law enforcement during a sting operation against a would-be extortionist targeting West, planting a decoy purse near the Warner Brothers studio to catch the suspect. He was a freakishly tall featherweight, 5'7", and like I said before, the guy could whack, Ring magazine included him on their 100 greatest punchers of all-time list.
Albert "Chalky" Wright's career is a lesson in perseverance. Although he battled the best fighters in the world for more than a decade, it wasn't until his 139th pro fight that he earned a title shot.
When that opportunity presented itself -- Wright took full advantage. Born on February 10, 1912 in Durango, Mexico, Wright turned pro two weeks after his 16th birthday and scored a four-round win over Nilo Balles. He spent the early part of his career campaigning in Southern California and learned his craft as he progressed. Wright never shied from quality competition and fought bantamweight contenders Newsboy Brown and Pablo Dano, ex-champ Baby Arizmendi, featherweight contender Al Reid and three-division champ Henry Armstrong en route to the crown. It wasn't until he began fighting on the East Coast in 1938 that the boxing world took notice of Wright, who at 5-7 1/2 was unusually tall for a featherweight. He utilized his long reach and packed considerable power for a 126-pounder. By 1941, Wright was ranked among the top featherweights in the world and secured a title fight by decisioning future champion Sal Bartolo. On September 11, 1941, nearly 14 years after he turned pro, Wright knocked out Joey Archibald in the 11th round to win the world featherweight title. Less than a month after winning the title, Wright engaged in two tough non-title fights, losing to top contender Jose Peralta and decisioning former champ Leo Rodak. In 1942, Wright knocked out future 126-pound champion Richie Lemos and then made successful title defenses against Harry Jeffra (KO 10) and Lulu Constantino (W 15). But by year's end, Wright lost his crown via decision to Willie Pep, one of boxing's all-time greats. It has been said the first Pep-Wright encounter inaugurated the featherweight division's Golden Era. Wright challenged Pep for the title in 1944 but lost another decision. He would also drop two non-title contests to the legendary Pep. Among the other champions Wright fought were Phil Terranova (KO 5), Jackie Wilson (W 10, NC 7) and Johnny Bratton (W 10). He finally retired, a veteran of 201 bouts in a career that spanned 20 years, in 1948. Wright died tragically on August 12, 1957 in Los Angeles after slipping in the bathtub.
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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.
Unfortunately there's zero film of Bummy Davis in action, its an absolute shame, I'd love to see that left hook.
Great book about the legendary Al "Bummy" Davis.
You know, fighters with granite chins have always fascinated me, it's a real badge of honor to be able to get into the ring knowing your opponent can't do anything with you, knowing you're going to finish on your feet regardless of what he throws at you. Pierre Coetzer had a chin like that, 1980s and 90s heavyweight contender from South Africa. He was a fascinating specimen, he had this deadpan stare and he was instantly recognizable because of his trademark mustache. You could beat the guy with a baseball bat, knock him down, but he was going to finish on his feet, he had an unbelievably stubborn will to leave it all in the ring.
Pierre Coetzer: The Teak-Tough South African Who Rumbled With Bowe, Bruno And Foreman
By James Slater - 01/16/2023
With the recent sad passing of former WBA heavyweight champion Gerrie Coetzee, South Africa lost the man who arguably stands out as its greatest ever heavyweight. Coetzee defeated names like Michael Dokes, Leon Spinks and Kallie Knoetze, while he also held Pinklon Thomas to a draw. Another South African heavyweight, who rose to prominence in the 1990s in rumbling with huge names like Riddick Bowe, George Foreman and Frank Bruno, is Pierre Coetzer. Coetzer never managed to win a world title the way Coetzee did, but he sure made his mark as a tough warrior, as a man who was blessed with some iron chin. Going pro in February of 1983, this after an amateur career that saw him engage in over 200 bouts, Coetzer, instantly recognizable due to his trademark moustache, worked his way up the rankings. It wasn’t until he’d had well over 20 pro fights that Coetzer fought in America, but he did engage in some big fights upon doing so. After decision losses to two crafty veterans in Bernard Benton and Ossie Ocasio (both defeats subsequently avenged), Coetzer defeated decent fighters like James Pritchard, Bigfoot Martin, Johnny du Plooy, J.B Williamson, and Jose Ribalta. Coetzer became the IBF number one contender in early 1992, and he very much wanted a shot at Evander Holyfield. Instead, Coetzer wound up fighting a WBA title eliminator with an unbeaten Riddick Bowe. Coetzer managed to hang tough in this, the biggest fight of his career, but he was stopped, controversially, in the 7th round. Bowe belted Coetzer low and the low blow victim turned away, thinking, he said later, that ref Mills Lane would call a time-out. Instead, Bowe unloaded some hefty shots on Coetzer’s exposed jaw, driving him into the ropes, with Lane then diving in to stop the fight with just one second remaining in the round. Coetzer was furious, saying the fight should never have been stopped. After the fight in Las Vegas, 30 year old Coetzer had just two more fights before retiring from the sport. Coetzer, now 39-3, made the trip to London to face British hero Frank Bruno, then in the midst of yet another comeback “Big Frank” hoped would lead to another world title shot. Coetzer again showed off his shock-absorber of a chin, yet he was again beaten, being stopped in the 8th. Coetzer’s chin and heart were undeniably first class, yet his other tools were somewhat lacking. The inability to slip or block a shot was one of Coetzer’s biggest flaws and, as in the Bowe fight, the South African’s nose paid the price against Bruno. In what turned out to be his final fight, Coetzer took on Comeback King George Foreman and the picture was pretty much the same as it had been in the Bowe and Bruno fights. Coetzer hung tough, he was never knocked unconscious (although Foreman did deck him twice), but he ate a ton of leather before being stopped, on his feet once again, in round eight. And then Coetzer disappeared, never to fight again. Just 31 years old, and with a good record of 39-5, Coetzer decided he’d had enough, remembering the wise words his father had told him: “You can have all the money in the bank but if you can’t write out the check for it, why stay in the business?” Coetzer was both happy and proud about the way he got out of the toughest sport on the planet while “100 percent; there’s nothing wrong with me.” Coetzer briefly served as a bodyguard for Nelson Mandela and F.W de Klerk. Today, 61 year old Coetzer is a successful businessman. He may not have won a world title, but Pierre Coetzer’s story is an inspirational and happy one.
There was nothing cute about Pierre Coetzer, he was just a guy with a granite chin that was going to come forward swinging, he was either going to bust you up, or die trying. I love guys like that.
Pierre Coetzer, the blood and guts warrior of South African heavyweights. “Pierre the Lion Heart” proclaimed the headline in the Rapport the Sunday morning after Pierre Coetzer, bleeding around the eyes, stopped American James Pritchard in eight rounds. There is no better line than that to describe the career of one of South Africa's best heavyweights. He may not have won a world title but he added more than his share of drama to the heavyweight division and was a hard night’s work for any heavyweight in the world. He was also involved in two of the best shootouts in South African ring history. The first time was in 1984 when he met Bennie Knoetze for the vacant national title. It did not look good for Coetzer at the start of the fight. Knoetze’s relentless pressure had him bouncing off the ropes in the first round and visiting the canvass twice in the second stanza. It looked all but over, but he had other ideas and came storming back in the third round. A vicious combination punctuated by a left hook and right hand sent Knoetze down in a dramatic turnaround. Knoetze somehow made it back to his feet but he was in no condition to continue and was counted out on his feet. Coetzer would duplicate that performance six years later when he met Johnny Du Plooy at the Superbowl in a huge local attraction and this time, it took him one round less. The pair’s careers unfolded almost parallel too each other. Both had impressive victories over international opponents. Du Plooy could be erratic was considered the harder puncher and the more naturally talented of the two, despite the fact that Coetzer had avenged his only two defeats in 33 contests against former cruiserweight world champions, Bernard Benton and Ossie Ocasio and was on a nine fight winning streak. Coetzer had another tumultuous first round, got dropped by a Du Plooy right in the second, and then got up to dismantle Du Plooy in the same round, sending him down twice. The long-debated question as to who was better was finally over. Love this poster from the Coetzer-Du Plooy fight, Coetzer looks intense.
This is a great photo of Pierre Coetzer, with a busted nose, the skin is opened up to the bone and he just stands there nonchalantly sipping water, what a warrior.
Great shots of Pierre Coetzer before the Riddick Bowe fight, Coetzer was fascinating, he always had a look on his face that could burn a hole through you. Win or lose, he was there to fight.
Some shots from Coetzer-Bowe.
Coetzer was 6'4", big guy, but didn't weigh but 215 lbs going into the Bowe fight, Bowe came in at 245 lbs, so Coetzer was outweighed by 30 lbs. Going in to the fight with Frank Bruno, Coetzer was 215 lbs while Bruno was 247, and his fight with George Foreman, Coetzer weighed 216 lbs while Foreman was 258 lbs, so Coetzer was outweighed tremendously by Bowe, Bruno, and Foreman. The cut on Coetzer's nose from the Bruno fight hadn't properly healed going into the Foreman fight, and it opened back up again and poured blood, it happened because Coetzer hadn't given himself time to properly heal, Coetzer fought three brutal punchers that outweighed him by 30+ lbs every time, back to back to back, in a span of only 6 months, Riddick Bowe, Frank Bruno, and George Foreman, that's one hell of a gauntlet to run within 6 months time. Coetzer was a beast.
Some good shots from Coetzer-Foreman.
S few more photos of Pierre Coetzer and then I'll move on.
The legendary Pierre Coetzer.
Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Tommy "The Hitman" Hearns, who would fight the most exciting match I would ever witness in my lifetime. It simply became known as "The War", and that's exactly what it was from the opening bell: an all-out war.
Epic battle, this photo of Hearns after the fight says it all.
Speaking of granite chins, Oliver McCall was nicknamed "The Atomic Bull" because of his powerful, relentless, and durable style, combined with his ability to withstand punishment. The nickname reflects his "bull-like" aggression in the ring and his seemingly "atomic" ability to absorb punches without being hurt, a quality famously demonstrated by his "jaw of steel". Despite sparring over 300 rounds with Mike Tyson and 78 career professional fights, McCall never tasted the canvas, not once.
“I’ve never been down sparring or in a fight, amateur or pro. In fact, I’ve never been shook up. I can take a helluva shot.”
Never dropped. Never shaken. Oliver McCall wasn't just tough—he was unbreakable. Sparring or pro, amateur or under the lights, he could take a helluva shot and keep coming. That’s not luck—that’s a chin carved out of granite.
One of the scariest knockouts you'll ever see happened in 2023 when Japan's Junto Nakatani flattened Australia's Andrew Moloney in the 12th round, it was widely named knockout of the year 2023. The fight-ending blow was a devastating overhand left punch that landed flush, securing Nakatani the vacant WBO super flyweight title.
Looking back on that Nakatani knockout of Moloney, the fight should have been stopped prior to the 12th round, Moloney was getting beat pretty good, but they sent him out for the 12th, knowing Nakatani carries brutal punching power. Bad mistake.
Davey Moore, aka "The Springfield Rifle", all-time great undisputed world featherweight champion from 1959 to 1963. Moore was called "The Springfield Rifle" because a sportswriter noted he "hits like a .30-06 bullet". This nickname was a combination of his powerful punching ability and his hometown of Springfield, Ohio.
When Canelo Alvarez dressed up as the Joker for Halloween in 2018. 🎃
Steve Belloise,"Gink", Bronx middleweight from the late 1930s to early 50s, had a left hook that was thunderous. He was a top-10 ranked contender for almost the entire 1940s. He twice came within a split decision of winning the world middleweight championship against NYSAC champion Ken Overlin at The Garden in 1940.
STEVE BELLOISE
Steve Belloise, born in New York City on December 16th, 1918, started his professional fistic career on August 24th, 1938, with a sensational 4 round knockout over Vince Califano. He had 8 fights his first year, winning 6. He went thru the next 2 years undefeated beating the likes of Sammy Luhspring, Ceferino Garcia, Paul Griffith, Art Gonzales and Eddie Dunne to name a few. During this streak he knocked out fellows like Joe Comito, Ceasar Ferro, Art Gonzales, Rego Dell, Vic Dellicurti, Wicky Harkins, Marty Marino, Ralph Vona, Ernie Copeland, Lou Roig, Vinnie Vines and Eddie Dunne. His winning streak ended on November 1, 1940 when he lost a 15-round decision to Ken Overlin while trying to gain the middleweight title. After only 34 bouts BeIIoise fought for the world title. In this day and age with the shortage of boxers and clubs, it is a great possibility, but Steve accomplished this when boxing was at its peak.
He tried in December of the same year in a return bout, but was unsuccessful in lifting Overlln’s crown. In the first bout with Overlin, Steve dropped him in the 6th and from all appearances Ken was not getting up. The bell sounded, saving Overlin and his title. Under today’s rules, the referee would have continued the count and Steve would have been the new champ.
The second bout was almost an exact replica of the first, with Overlin again hitting the canvas in the sixth stanza. Steve lost both bouts, one by a majority decision, where the referee scored it a draw and the other by a split decision, the referee voted in favor of Belloise. Steve became interested in boxing thru his brother Mike, who later became the world’s featherweight king. Mike handled Steve in 12 “smoker” bouts and was instrumental in teaching him many of the finer points of the game. Mike was also his inspiration and devoted companion until his death a few years back.
At the beginning of Steve’s pro boxing career, he was handled by George Hughes, then after a year or so Eddie Walker handled his affairs. Steve was trained for the majority of his bouts by Jesse Harrington and trained primarily at Greenwood Lake and the Pioneer Club.
BeIIoise rated Ken Overlin as the Best Boxer he had ever faced Tami Mauriello as the “Best Puncher.” In Steve’s bout against Ray Robinson he did – ‘Freeze’ as so many other opponents of Ray’s did. He did not fear Ray, in fact Robinson did not have to chase Belloise, Steve came to him. It was fairly even battle until Robinson caught Steve with a left hook in the 7th round and Belloise took a 5 count. The corner consultants refused to allow Steve to come out for the 8th.
His two fights against Georgie Abrams were classics. In the first battle Abrams outpointed Steve in 10 rounds. In a return bout a year later BeIIoise stopped him in 5 heats.
Among his other knockout victims were Irwin Kaplan, Jay Macedon, Andrea Jessurun, Jose Cabailero, Horace Jones, Joey Lynch, Milo Theodorescu, Howard Bennett, Johnny Brown, Billy Johnson, Johnny Smith, Bobby Brown, Baudelio Valencia, Paul Altman, Johnny Jones, Coley Welch, Billy Carrigan, Coolidge Miller, Bobby Berger, Willis Scott, Indian Gomez, Mel Hawkins, Anton Christoforidis, AI Hostak, Izzy Jannazzo, Pedro Cobe, Johnny Walker, Billy Cooper, Mike Birskovick, Billy Arnold, Meyer Siegel, Mickey Doyle, Joe Reddick, J.C. Wilkins, Bobby James, Henry Chemel, Leon Gabriel, J.T. Ross, Jean Stock, Cleve Bailey, Anton Raadik and Red Arrow.
In his career that spanned 12 years and 111 pro bouts, with 95 wins of which 59 where by knockout route and only 13 losses you have to put … Steve Belloise ‘to the “Superior Fighter” class.
Steve rates Robert Villemain of France as his toughest opponent. Belloise hit Villemain with every punch in the book, giving him 16 stitches and copping a unanimous 10 round decision.
After copping an easy 10 round decision from Phil Furr in December of 1941, Steve entered Uncle Sam’s Navy and was in World War 2 as well as the Korean War. He returned to the ring in 1943. After 27 years Steve was still in the service, as a Reserve of the 378 Division at Fort Schuyler where he was a Chief Petty Officer and Drill Instructor.
Steve believed, like most of us that boxing has suffered due to the lack of the small clubs and also firmly believed that boxing will “never die”. He contended that boxing is the very best of all contact sports and builds human dignity as well as the human body.
He was an active member of Veteran Boxers Association Groups Ring 8 – 10 and 30 and was Sergeant-at-Arms with the International Veterans Boxer Association.
He was married to the former Serafina Locurto, had four children, Virgina, Stephanie, Christine, and Steve Jr.
Belloise was probably the hardest punching left hook artist of all the middleweights. An example of his punching powers was exhibited while Steve was in a Paris gym working against a real toughie named Germaine Gaboso, who had the distinction of never being floored with the big gloves. Gabosch even refused to wear headgear, until a big left hook by Steve deposited him on the seat of his trunks.
Steve Belloise sometimes was also known as Steve (Gink) Belloise. (For example, see the Tacoma News Tribune of Nov. 8, 1939.) His older brother Mike was a World Featherweight Champion during the mid-1930s. Another brother, Sal Belloise, boxed as a Middleweight during the late 1940s and early ’50s.
After his pro boxing career, Belloise became a bricklayer, then a city building inspector. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He also had a cameo role in the movie Requiem for a Heavyweight, as a hotel clerk.
Steve Belloise died February 18, 1984, at the Bronx Veterans Hospital.
Not many photos of Steve Belloise available unfortunately, there is a small clip from his fight with Frenchman Jean Stock available on YouTube, where he takes Stock out with a short left uppercut in round 8. These are a couple of great images from that fight and you can see the damage Belloise was capable of, Stock's face is a bloody mess.
Steve Belloise taking photos at a train station.
An article about Steve Belloise in Hank Kaplan's World Wide Boxing Digest in 1979.
Steve Belloise in his prime.
Steve "Gink" Belloise. Sadly, this is all the footage we have of this thunderous puncher, but it's better than nothing.
Scottish great Jim Watt made his fourth defense of the WBC lightweight title with a bloody 12th round TKO of "Bubblegum Kid" Sean O'Grady at Kelvin Hall in Glasgow, Scotland in 1980. O'Grady was known for having bad luck with his skin, but he and his father also reportedly endured death threats leading up to the bout. Almost nobody in the hall were on O'Grady's side, least of all the 2,500 spectators in attendance. Both fighters contended with cuts: Watt was cut in round 9, but O'Grady absorbed an awful headbutt in the 10th that tore his forehead wide open. Watt got some distance and pulled ahead on the cards, and O'Grady's face only got worse as rounds went by. Finally in round 12, O'Grady's cut was so bad that blood obscured his vision and the fight was stopped.
Albert "Chalky" Wright, world featherweight champion that fought from 1928-1948, murderous puncher, he blasted out 87 of his opponents. If you're ever watched the gangster show "Boardwalk Empire" starting Steve Buscemi as the real-life Atlantic City mobster Nucky Johnson, then you'll know there's a character on the show named Chalky White, that character is based on Albert "Chalky" Wright. The real life Albert "Chalky" Wright was also Mae West’s companion & chauffeur during the 1930s through the late 1940s. He had stepped away from the ring, and into a more personal role in West’s life, as they were romantically involved during that time. Their relationship wasn’t just personal—it had real-world impact. When the management at West’s Los Angeles residence, the Ravenswood Apartments, refused to allow Wright, a Black man, into her apartment, West responded by buying the entire building to ensure he had unrestricted access. Wright also played a key role in protecting her from threats; in 1935, he assisted law enforcement during a sting operation against a would-be extortionist targeting West, planting a decoy purse near the Warner Brothers studio to catch the suspect. He was a freakishly tall featherweight, 5'7", and like I said before, the guy could whack, Ring magazine included him on their 100 greatest punchers of all-time list.
Albert "Chalky" Wright's career is a lesson in perseverance. Although he battled the best fighters in the world for more than a decade, it wasn't until his 139th pro fight that he earned a title shot.
When that opportunity presented itself -- Wright took full advantage. Born on February 10, 1912 in Durango, Mexico, Wright turned pro two weeks after his 16th birthday and scored a four-round win over Nilo Balles. He spent the early part of his career campaigning in Southern California and learned his craft as he progressed. Wright never shied from quality competition and fought bantamweight contenders Newsboy Brown and Pablo Dano, ex-champ Baby Arizmendi, featherweight contender Al Reid and three-division champ Henry Armstrong en route to the crown. It wasn't until he began fighting on the East Coast in 1938 that the boxing world took notice of Wright, who at 5-7 1/2 was unusually tall for a featherweight. He utilized his long reach and packed considerable power for a 126-pounder. By 1941, Wright was ranked among the top featherweights in the world and secured a title fight by decisioning future champion Sal Bartolo. On September 11, 1941, nearly 14 years after he turned pro, Wright knocked out Joey Archibald in the 11th round to win the world featherweight title. Less than a month after winning the title, Wright engaged in two tough non-title fights, losing to top contender Jose Peralta and decisioning former champ Leo Rodak. In 1942, Wright knocked out future 126-pound champion Richie Lemos and then made successful title defenses against Harry Jeffra (KO 10) and Lulu Constantino (W 15). But by year's end, Wright lost his crown via decision to Willie Pep, one of boxing's all-time greats. It has been said the first Pep-Wright encounter inaugurated the featherweight division's Golden Era. Wright challenged Pep for the title in 1944 but lost another decision. He would also drop two non-title contests to the legendary Pep. Among the other champions Wright fought were Phil Terranova (KO 5), Jackie Wilson (W 10, NC 7) and Johnny Bratton (W 10). He finally retired, a veteran of 201 bouts in a career that spanned 20 years, in 1948. Wright died tragically on August 12, 1957 in Los Angeles after slipping in the bathtub.