Paddy Demarco, Brooklyn's flat-nosed tough as nails former world lightweight champion.
He won the title via 15-round decision from Jimmy Carter at The Garden in March, 1954 and lost it back to Carter the following November.
He also beat Sandy Saddler, Kenny Lane, Billy Graham, Enrique Bolanos and Ralph Dupas.
Paddy DeMarco's nickname was "The Billy Goat," often called "The Brooklyn Billy Goat," because of his tenacious, head-down, charging fighting style, where he'd get inside and wear opponents down, much like a goat headbutting.
These are two of the greatest boxing photos I've ever seen and I would love to own the type 1 originals of both of these beauties. This is what a day at the office in a boxing ring looks like.
Japan's Masahiko "Fighting" Harada, one of the greatest bantamweights in history, the only man to hand Eder Jofre a loss, in fact two losses, Jofre finished his legendary career with a record of 74-2, both losses were courtesy of Harada. Sick photo of Harada training with in his native Japan with the mountains in the background.
One of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters in boxing history, Terence "Bud" Crawford, has won world titles and achieved undisputed status in multiple divisions, including Lightweight (135 lbs), Junior Welterweight (140 lbs) (undisputed), Welterweight (147 lbs) (undisputed), and Super Middleweight (168 lbs) (undisputed), becoming the first male boxer in the four-belt era to be undisputed in three weight classes, with a recent historic win over Canelo Alvarez for the undisputed super middleweight crown in September 2025.
Terence Crawford is currently 42-0, has never been beaten and probably never will, very smart fighter, it's almost as if he's playing chess every time he steps in the ring, I like to call him "The Grandmaster."
Jerry Quarry scores a huge win on December 14, 1973, at Madison Square Garden, TKO'ing hard-punching Earnie Shavers at 2:21 of the 1st round.
This fight was originally signed to take place in July of 1973, but Shavers would suffer a broken jaw in sparring with his stablemate Jeff Merritt, another big puncher. The bout was then rescheduled for December in order for Shavers jaw to properly heal.
Both camps came in very confident:
"I think it will last three rounds. I can knock him out in one round if he comes to fight." a confident Jerry Quarry said in pre-fight interviews.
"It'll be our easiest fight." said Don King, Shaver's co-manager.
UPI wrote:
"Jerry Quarry, 202, disdaining the shouted instructions of his handler, Gil Clancy, to "box him, Jerry, box him," instead elected to slug it out with the 210 lb. Earnie Shavers. A minute and a half into the round Quarry caught Shavers against the ropes and hit him eight or nine times, belting freely with lefts and rights to the head. Shavers escaped and fled to Quarry's corner where Jerry caught him with a tremendous left and dropped him with a following right. Shavers barely beat the count and Quarry immediately swarmed all over him. Referee Arthur Mercante called a halt at 2:21 of the 1st round."
"Well, Quarry just caught me a good shot early, and I just never recovered. When he finally knocked me down, I should have stayed down and taken the count. But the round was almost over and I thought I could last the final seconds." Earnie Shavers in the post-fight interviews.
"Quarry surprised me by mixing it up with Shavers. Quarry showed me he's really a tiger." said Heayweight Champion George Foreman at ringside.
Foreman, however, would choose to defend against Ken Norton next, in March of 1974, in Venezuela.
''One time, I got butted and I thought I had hurt a nerve in one of my eyes and I went to see a doctor about it. He orders an X-ray and after he looks at the picture he looks at me and shakes his head. He orders another X-ray and again he looks at the print and then at me and shakes his head. Then he takes a picture himself and turns the juice on full and when he sees the negative he looks at me again, puzzled, and says:
''Young man, you have the hardest head I've ever seen. The thickest skull. I can't get anything.''
“I found him one of the toughest adversaries I ever met in the ring. I weighed 190 pounds and Langford only 138. In the second round the little negro hit me on the jaw with a terrible right hand and I fell as if upended by a cannon ball. In all my pugilistic career, not before and not afterwards, have I received a blow that struck me with such force. It was all I could do to get back to my feet just as the referee was about to count “Ten!” I made it but I assure you I felt the effects of that punch for the rest of the fight. I recovered, but I would have to take my hat off to him if I hadn’t had so much science at my command. He was the toughest little son-of-a-bitch that ever lived.”
Widely regarded as one of the all-time great boxers from Puerto Rico, Pedro Montanez began boxing in 1931 and captured the Puerto Rican lightweight title in 1933. A European tour followed and “El Torito de Cayey” or "The Little Bull of Cayey" registered victories in Spain, France, England, and Italy.
The Puerto Rican pugilist was next showcased in New York and he quickly became a sensation. Wins over Aldo Spoldi and Frankie Klick among others set up a non-title bout with lightweight king Lou Ambers. Montanez won a 10 round decision and was dubbed the “uncrowned champion.” Impressive wins over formidable foes Eddie Ran, Wesley Ramey and Freddie (Red) Cochrane set up a title go with Ambers on the September 23, 1937 “Carnival of Champions” show at the Polo Grounds in New York City. Although he was defeated for the first time (L 15), Montanez bounced back to continue his winning ways in bouts with Jackie (Kid) Berg and Young Peter Jackson.
He retired in 1940 with a 92-7-4 (54 KOs) record. After hanging up his gloves, Montanez trained up and coming fighters and found success as a businessman.
Yahoo Sports
Puerto Rico's Forgotten
Lightweight
By: Martin Mulcahey
History can be a cruel judge, especially when it comes to evaluating the fistic merits of boxers who never held a world title. Some spectacular performers have managed to slip from our consciousness with the passage of time, this, in spite of the multitude of media available to today's society, and the huge database of information that is on the internet. One such boxer is Pedro Montanez, who re-entered my sphere of contemplation while doing research on Puerto Rican boxers in preparation for Miguel Cotto's successful title defense against Shane Mosley.
It is much easier for an elite fighter to win a title in today's era of excessive weight divisions, and these titles have become even more diluted through the acceptance of four sanctioning bodies. There was a time when the planet only had eight real champions, instead of a current populace of world champions that exceeds sixty. It wasn't as if Montanez was not good enough to become a champion, but he had the unenviable task of trying to supplant champions who currently reside in the International Boxing Hall of Fame, one of whom would have his bust carved on the Mount Rushmore of boxing if such a thing existed.
Despite never winning a world title, it would be wrong not to rate Montanez as one of the ten or twelve best Puerto Rican boxers of all-time. If you break it down even further, I would rate Montanez as one of the three best lightweights the island nation ever produced. This, a full 67 years after his last fight. Timing was his only real problem. Montanez defeated a slew of contenders, and bested world champions Lou Ambers, Jackie "Kid" Berg, Freddie Cochrane, and Frankie Klick. But he never defeated them while they held the title.
Boxers were not protected in the 1930's, and so it was with a 16-year old Montanez when he turned pro after a handful of amateur bouts. This accounts for Montanez racking up nearly 50% of his career losses in his first 14 fights. Seven months into his pro boxing career, Montanez had suffered three decision defeats (two in Venezuela). It took nine years and 89 more fights before Montanez would lose three bouts again.
Montanez was a quick study, and an aggressive fighter who readily accepted loads of punishment to get at his opponent. At 5'5 he came in low, using his muscular upper body to bore into opponents and unleash damaging hooks from either hand. In style and pace, Montanez can best be compared with Henry Armstrong, but he lacked Armstrong's inhuman stamina. His style also earned him the nickname of "The Bull of Cayey", and made him a crowd favorite wherever he appeared – which was all over the world.
The first eight ring appearances of Montanez took place in Puerto Rico, after which he moved to Venezuela to fight for two years. There he scored his first major victory, defeating former German Olympian Franz Duebbers. He also picked up the Venezuelan lightweight title, and on his return to Puerto Rico did the same there by defeating Emilio Morris. His layover in Puerto Rico was brief, and Montanez took his brand of fistic terror to a whole new continent. In April of 1934, Montanez arrived in Spain, promptly knocking out his first seven opponents.
The wins in Spain caught the attention of American manager Lew Burston, who often worked out of Paris and had close ties with the heads of Madison Square Garden. He quickly signed Montanez, and moved him north to knock out four French fighters in Paris. The duo then crossed the channel, and scored two more stoppage victories in England. In Italy, the kayo streak ended, and Montanez was held to a dubious draw (after scoring the only knockdown of the fight) against naturally bigger Saverio Turiello. Before leaving Italy, Montanez impressed the local populace by knocking out former Olympic champion Carlo Orlandi in his hometown. Some reports claimed that Orlandi was hospitalized for nearly a month after the bout.
The Orlandi victory was Montanez' last in Europe (he departed with a 19-0-1 record and 17 KOs), and he headed to America to face the best fighters it had to offer. Montanez' reputation arrived before him, and his winning ways in Europe were given due respect in America. Montanez had elevated himself to the position of fifth rated lightweight in the world by The Ring magazine upon arrival in 1935. Again, a former Olympian was victimized, as this time Montanez mauled former AAU champion and Olympic silver medalist Steve Halaiko over ten rounds.
It was an impressive American debut, and those who expected Montanez's record to suffer after entering tougher American rings were sorely disappointed, as Montanez ripped off a 29 fight winning streak - an exhibit of boxing that led him to a world title shot in just under two years time. The first American name to fall to Montanez was former champion Frankie Klick via ten round decision, followed by a ten round decision over future champion Lou Ambers (knocking Ambers down in the first round). The pair would meet again with a world title on the line.
A second kayo of former champion Freddie 'Red' Cochrane was the impetus for a world title shot at lightweight. It also landed Montanez on the cover of the June 1937 Ring magazine. Time magazine wrote about Montanez, "He had exhibited the agility of a hellion dancing on hot coals, a punch as persuasive as a red-hot pitchfork." Montanez drew big crowds, so it was a natural that he would be a challenger on the biggest fight card of the century. He squared off against former victim Lou Ambers (who had taken the title from Tony Canzoneri a month after losing to Montanez), in the famous "Carnival of Champions" promotion. On that night, over a third of all the world titles would be contested.
In their first encounter, Montanez had been able to push Ambers backwards, negating Ambers' own aggression by using superior upper body strength. This time around Ambers chose not to engage directly, and he maneuvered and shifted from side to side. The tactic caught Montanez off guard, and allowed Ambers to use Montanez' forward momentum against him. The New Times commented, "At every turn the shifty, unorthodox Ambers was the master." While the NY Times saw it as a wide victory, the man closest to the action scored the bout a draw. The two ringside judges disagreed with the referee, casting their votes in favor of Montanez. Some observers thought Montanez aggression was not properly rewarded. Weight making difficulties reportedly kept Montanez from performing at his best as well.
Montanez was, naturally, disappointed in is failure to win the world title, but he rebounded well to go undefeated in his next 22 fights. That winning streak covered two years, during which Montanez was still considered a top three contender. Montanez' quest for another title shot was derailed by the popular Ambers, whose grueling three fight series with Henry Armstrong captured the public's imagination. In that series the title changed hands three times, leaving little time for another challenger to step in. Just as that duo was finishing up their trilogy, Montanez lost to Davey Day via a horribly cut eye in a fight he was dominating. Montanez could no longer make the lightweight limit anymore either.
A year later, a second title was in the offing, but Montanez would have to battle a fistic legend in his prime. Montanez faced a mirror image of himself in Henry Armstrong, who was making the sixth defense of his title. The expected fireworks developed quickly, and neither man backed away from the intense exchanges. The New York Times reported, "For savagery and bruising fighting, virtually all of it displayed by the irrepressible Armstrong, this was a fight that has seldom been excelled." Montanez battled bravely, and there was little to separate the boxers in the first three rounds. At welterweight though, Montanez simply did not have the right combination of speed and strength. He was decked for the first time ever in the fourth round, and crumbled for the final time in a ball of exhaustion at the end of the eighth round.
Truth be told, the pugilistic odometer of Montanez was at its end for the Armstrong fight. He gave everything he had, and went out on his shield. He returned from the damaging loss nine months later (the longest layoff of his career), only to lose to run-of-the-mill George Martin by decision. Even though Montanez was still only 26 year old, he felt he was through as a serious contender and retired. To his credit, he never returned to the ring, even with the onset of World War II allowing him to enter a depleted pool of boxers.
The former contender was still young enough to try his hand at his first athletic passion, but decided to use his ring earnings to enter business instead of bull fighting. He still kept an active hand in boxing, training local youngsters and other aspiring boxers. After an initial backlash by fans for his losing two title shots, Montanez remained a celebrity until his death. He owned some rental properties, and operated a popular caf. In his house he had over 200 pictures of himself with celebrities like Celia Cruz, Joe Louis, Jersey Joe Walcott, Cantinflas, and many Puerto Rican politicians seeking his support.
A newly erected stadium in his hometown of Cayey was named after him. A final tribute to his career came in 2006, when he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota. Sadly, that honor came ten years too late, as Montanez passed away, at age 82, in 1996. This honor does make up for some of the unintended slights history brought upon him. Unfortunately, since his underreported induction, Montanez is again judged more for a lack of titles, than a lack of talent.
Not many photos available of Pedro Montanez in action, so I'll post whatever I can find. It's a shame because he was a great fighter.
April 5, 1937 at Madison Sqaure Garden in New York lightweights Lou Ambers and Pedro Montanez met in the main event. Montanez prevailed winning a unanimous ten round decision. The officials scored it 7-3, 7-3, and 6-4, all in favor of Montanez. Here is an a photo of the two fighters squaring off on the day of the fight, Ambers is on the left.
The top photo is Pedro Montanez (left) facing off with Orville Drouillard before their fight on August 24th, 1938 at Madison Square Garden, and the bottom photo is Pedro Montanez ducking under a right from Orville Drouillard during the fight. Montanez scored a 5th round TKO that night to improve his record to 74-6-4. One thing about Montanez, he could punch, he iced 51 guys in his career.
On January 24,1940, Pedro Montanez met Henry Armstrong for the Welterweight Title. Montanez was past his best and was no match for one of the most destructive forces in boxing history, a prime Henry Armstrong. But that's the hurt business, sometimes you're the hammer, sometimes you're the nail. Like Iran Barkley once said, "Hey boxing is about, you fight everybody, if you claim you the best, you gotta fight the best, you know what I'm sayin'? You don't duck and you don't pick and you don't choose, hey, you get your butt kicked, you get your butt kicked."
But Montanez was something else in his prime, this is a photo of Montanez firing a right hand at Frank Klick in 1936 and a write-up on the fight by the New York Times.
MONTANEZ BEATS KLICK ON POINTS; Puerto Rican Floors Rival Twice in 10-Round Bout at Dyckman Oval. DECISION IS UNANIMOUS Victory the 16th Straight for Lightweight Star in U.S. -- 9,000 See Contest.
By Joseph C. Nichols
June 9, 1936
Pedro Montanez scored the most important triumph of his campaign in this country by defeating Frankie Klick, San Francisco boxer, in the feature bout of ten rounds at Dyckman Oval last night.
The Puerto Rican lightweight, successful in fifteen consecutive bouts in the United States, waged a steady two-fisted battle to outpoint the Coast warrior and record his sixteenth victory.
The decision, unanimously arrived at by Referee Arthur Donovan and Judges Charley Lynch and Nathan Lieberman, was greeted with wild acclaim by Montanez's enthusiastic followers, who constituted about 90 per cent of the crowd of 9,000 that witnessed the fight.
Floored by a Right
The Puerto Rican knocked Klick down twice during the fray, each time for a count of nine. The first knockdown, occurring in the third round, proved the turning point. Klick was showing to good advantage in the session until he was floored by a crushing right to the jaw.
Klick managed to gain his feet a split second before the referee was about to toll ten. In the fourth a right hand to the jaw spilled Klick again, but he recovered quickly and had no difficulty arising at the count of nine.
At the start it appeared as though Klick would snap Montanez's sensational streak. He fought a strictly counter-fight in the first and second rounds, beating the Puerto Rican to the punch with sharp, long lefts to the face. And he surprised the crowd by outpointing Montanez at close quarters.
Westerner Weakens
The knockdowns in the third and fourth weakened Klick, and he was an easy target for his opponent's ripping body drives in the fifth and sixth rounds.
A right-hand punch opened a cut over Montanez's left eye in the seventh, and Klick made the wound his target. But the Puerto Rican came out strong in the eighth and submitted Klick to a raking left hook.
Montanez continued his left-hand fire in the ninth and in the final chapter had things his own way. He staggered the Westerner again with a long right to the jaw.
Pedro Montanez vs Jimmy Garrison in 1938, good stuff. Nice little photo of Montanez slipping a left hand.
MONTANEZ DEFEATS GARRISON ON POINTS; Puerto Rican Boxer Records Easy Victory in 10-Round Main Bout at Garden JACK SHARKEY JR. DRAWS Battles to Even Terms After Being Floored by Davis in the Opening Session Moves to Close Quarters Staggers Rival in Tenth
By Joseph C. Nichols
Sept. 17, 1938
Pedro Montanez, fast-punching Puerto Rican, added another triumph to his long list last night when he outpointed Jimmy Garrison of Kansas City in the feature bout of ten rounds at Madison Square Garden. While a crowd of 6,000 fans looked on, the battler from the West Indies had little trouble proving his mastery over the youthful mid-Westerner.
With his characteristic aggressiveness, Montanez forced the action at every turn and subjected his rival to a terrific body attack. He landed a number of lefts and rights to the head as well, but these blows, effective as they may have been, were as naught compared to the punishing wallops to the body.
Garrison got off to a good start, and rather puzzled the Puerto Rican in the first two rounds with his sparkling defensive work. Montanez threw punches from every angle, but so deft was Garrison in blocking that few of these swings did any damage.
Moves to Close Quarters
In the third, however, Garrison made the mistake of engaging in close-quarter battle. Montanez is a master at this phase of the game, and he made the most of this chance.
Montanez proceeded to rip both hands to the midsection in this and the succeeding session. Garrison fought back with short right uppercuts to the head, but the blows carried little power.
Then Garrison tried fencing at long range again, but the body attack had taken its toll and he did not have the speed to get away from Montanez's powerful swings. The Puerto Rican took the sixth frame easily, but was outboxed in the seventh when Garrison repeatedly beat him to the punch. Through the succeeding sessions Garrison made an effort to match punch for punch, but he was not up to it.
Staggers Rival in Tenth
There were no knockdowns, although Montanez came close to registering one in the tenth when he staggered Garrison with a sharp right to the jaw. Montanez weighed 139½ pounds and Garrison 139.
It's a shame we don't have much footage of Montanez, only a brief video of his second fight with Lou Ambers. You can tell by the footage that he was a good infighter with power. Here's a good up close shot of Montanez.
"The Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey, 1880s and 1890s middleweight champion and generally considered the first ever modern middleweight champion.
For many years, Dempsey was considered the greatest fighter of all time pound-for-pound and he was said to be a tremendous wrestler and grappler. He was more boxer than puncher, but he hit with stinging power. Unfortunately Dempsey contracted tuberculosis at some point, and died of the disease at only 32. His record was 52-3-11 with 24 KO, though that record is likely incomplete and doesn't account for a few No Contest or No Decision bouts. By the way, "The Nonpareil" means having no match or equal; unrivaled. He was that great in his day.
''It is the greatest possibIe mistake, in my opinion, for any boxer to decide what he will do before he gets into the ring. He must fashion his ways according to how his opponent seeks to shape the fight. From the day I dared to take my chances against all heavyweights, I have been conscious that there wouId be times when I wouId be called upon to shouIder very considerable handicaps, for I am not a big man as heavyweights go.''
Nino Benvenuti defended the middleweight championship with an abrupt 11th round KO of Luis Manuel Rodríguez in Roma, Italy on November 22nd in 1969. Rodríguez did well through 10 rounds, having cut Benvenuti badly, but was caught with a huge left hand that put him out.
With explosive power in either hand, George "K.O." Chaney is considered one of the hardest hitters in boxing history. His knockout power was evident early on, kayoing Hall of Famer Kid Williams (KO 6) in 1911. The 5'1" southpaw reportedly gained his nickname from Charlie Chaplin who said he punched so hard his middle name must be "Knockout, signed K.O." In 1912 he defeated Charley Goldman over 15 brutal rounds to establish himself as a legitimate contender. During his career he registered knockout wins over Young Britt, Young Terry McGovern, Philadelphia Pal Moore, and Eddie O'Keefe among others. He also engaged in memorable no-decision contests with Hall of Fame champions Johnny Dundee, Rocky Kansas, and Lou Tendler. Chaney met featherweight king Johnny Kilbane in a 1916 title go, but was stopped in three rounds by the clever champion. In 1921 he met Dundee for the vacant junior lightweight title but lost by foul in five. The always exciting Chaney retired as a lightweight in 1925 with 80 knockouts to his credit and a reputation as a vicious body puncher and one of the most dynamic punchers pound-for-pound ever. His favorite punch was called "The Highland Earthquake" named after the section of Baltimore in which he lived.
GEORGE “K.O.” CHANEY
George Henry Chaney was born September 18, 1892 in Baltimore, Maryland, according to his World War I and World War II draft records. He started his boxing career under Hen Bletzer and fought for a world championship three times during his career. Chaney also fought five other title holders: Kid Williams, Abe Attell, Frankie Conway, Willie Ritchie and Rocky Kansas (3 times). George’s brother Joe Chaney was also a boxer. Chaney was a strong left handed “fear no man” brawler. He began as a bantamweight and boxed successfully as a featherweight and lightweight. Chaney had an outstanding knockout record with 86 in his career some sources claim he had 102 but that number has not been verified. George started his boxing career in 1910 although some sources claim he didn’t start until 1912. Chaney had an outstanding record of 137 wins, 36 losses and 4 draws for a total of 177 fights. Of his 36 losses, Chaney was kayoed 8 times. Some sources claim he had over 200 bouts. Chaney was a
southpaw who could hit with either hand and was a hard hitting body puncher who could take out his opponent with one punch. He was ranked #9 all time featherweight by Nat Fleischer. Boxing Illustrated magazine once ranked Chaney as the #4 all time pound for pound puncher. In 1974, Chaney was inducted into the Ring Hall of Fame and the Veteran Boxers Association International Ring 101 Hall of Fame in Baltimore. One of Chaney’s bouts against Rocky Kansas is said to have been one of the most bloody and brutal bouts to ever be held in Baltimore. This fight took place at the Oriole Park in Baltimore on August 23, 1920 with Rocky receiving the 12 round decision. Chaney’s first chance to fight for a world championship came September 4, 1916 for the Featherweight Title against Johnny Kilbane. Chaney lost this bid by a third round kayo. His chance against Johnny Dundee for the newly created junior lightweight title came on November 18, 1921. Chaney lost this bout on a foul in the fifth round. Near the end of his career Chaney got one last shot for a world title. This fight was held at the Madison Square Garden in New York, on February 23, 1925 for the Lightweight championship. He was kayoed in the sixth round by Tommy O’Brien. Chaney only had two more fights after his loss to O’Brien losing both of them. The last four years of KO Chaney’s life was spent in a Baltimore State Institution for pugilistic dementia. He passed away December 20, 1958 and was buried December 24th in Parkwood Cemetery, Baltimore Maryland.
You know, I've been looking for one of these George "K.O" Chaney exhibit cards on eBay for quite some time, in good condition of course, and it's like herding cats trying to find one.
I would love to have seen that fight between Chaney and Rocky Kansas in Baltimore, one of the most vicious and bloody fights in boxing history. Here's another article about George "K.O." Chaney, cause why the heck not.
Finally, Baltimore native George ‘K.O.’ Chaney earns Hall of Fame spot
By: Baltimore Sun
“I don’t intend to quit boxing as long as I am able to push a fist into the face of a rival and keep him from knocking me over the ropes.”
George Chaney, 1923
He hailed from the squalid streets of East Baltimore, an Irish-American kid with calloused hands, a tough will and a means to make a buck. They called George Chaney the Knockout King and his punch, the Highland(town) Earthquake. And though he never won a world title, he captured the heart of a brawling, blue-collar city that embraced the fighter with the lightning left hook.
On Sunday, 56 years after his death, “K.O.” Chaney was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, N.Y. — the third boxer from Baltimore so honored after Joe Gans, a world lightweight champion from 1902 to 1908, and Kid Williams, who won the bantamweight crown in 1914. Gans was enshrined in 1990; Williams, six years later.
Chaney began boxing in 1910, two months after Gans’ death. Twice, Chaney defeated Williams — once by knockout — before the latter’s title drive. But while Gans, the first black title-holder, and Williams remain boxing legends, Chaney’s name has dimmed for all but die-hard fans and history buffs.
His 15-year record: 140 victories, 34 defeats and six draws, according to the Hall of Fame. A southpaw, Chaney won 80 times by knockout and was rated by Boxing Illustrated in 1993 as the fourth-hardest puncher, pound for pound, in history. Harder than Joe Louis, Jack Dempsey and George Foreman.
“He was one of the great ones,” said Don Majeski, a boxing matchmaker and member of the Hall of Fame selection committee. “Chaney fought twice for the title and lost both, but he was a tenacious fighter, an exciting puncher and a terrific attraction.”
He fought often, sometimes three and four times a month, everywhere from the Gayety Theatre in Baltimore to Madison Square Garden in New York. Once, Chaney boxed twice on the same card, winning both. He scored 11 straight knockouts in 1920-1921 and decked one opponent in 32 seconds.
The media rallied around Chaney, proselytizing the wallops of a man who stood 5 feet 1. “The boy with the blacksmith’s punch,” one reporter called him. Another, describing the flurry from Chaney’s fists, wrote that his rival “”was buffeted about the ring … like a weather vane spinning around in a a terrific thunderstorm.”
After one knockout, the groggy fighter asked his corner “if a trolley car had hit him. They told him it was merely Chaney’s left.”
Even Chaney’s manager chimed in. “When George’s fist connects, I never stop to see the other fellow counted out,” Sam Harris said. “I rush to the box office to count our end.”
‘Hall of Fame material’
Chaney grew up at the foot of Fells Point, in a skinny rowhouse at 841 South Dallas St., then an alley paved in sawdust. One of seven children raised by his mother, an oyster shucker, he left home at 14 to work as a lumberjack in Western Maryland — a job that readied him for the ring.
“When I left that camp [in 1910], I was as tough as a bear. I was bulging with muscles,” he told The Sun in 1922. “It took a good-sized man to give me a battle. And I had ’em, too. A lumber camp is no place for a boy who expects to be coddled. They coddled me with punches.”
Chaney returned home at 17, broke but smitten with a girl whom he wanted to date. Having learned of a coming boxing show at Albaugh’s Theater on Charles Street, he signed on, kayoed his opponent in the first round and pocketed $1.
Three months later and still undefeated, Chaney rushed home after his seventh victory, placed $150 in $1 bills on the table and said, “Mother, you will never have to shuck another oyster!”
Chaney fought until 1925, scoring knockouts in 57 percent of his victories and earning enough money that he never had to work again. Married at 18, he divorced and wed again in 1920. His second wife, Elizabeth, insisted he hand her his winnings, which she invested for them.
“Before I met Elizabeth, I was just like nearly every other fighter,” Chaney told the Baltimore Post in 1931. “Although I had earned more than $100,000, I hadn’t saved a penny of it. I’d be in a bread line now, I guess, if it hadn’t been for her.”
Chaney took his lumps in the ring. In 1912, at Albaugh’s, he was floored time and time again by Brooklyn’s Charley Goldman, who scored nine knockdowns in the first eight rounds.
“I tried my best to fight back, but Goldman kept slamming me all around the ring,” Chaney recalled years later. “My ears were ringing and the birds were chirping. I have never experienced such fatigue. However, I recuperated, and though I was foggy from the 10th round on, I won the decision [in 15].”
But nothing matched the beating Chaney took at Oriole Park in August 1920 against lightweight Rocky Kansas of Buffalo, N.Y. For 12 rounds, the partisan crowd winced as Kansas pummeled their hero.
“Chaney had his nose cut open in the second round and he bled profusely,” The Sun reported. “About the middle of the bout Kansas closed the Baltimore boy’s left eye. In the last three sessions, Chaney also bled from his left ear and continually spat blood.”
Chaney recovered, returned three weeks later and won the first of 12 straight bouts, 11 by knockouts.
“The sheer frequency of his fighting was truly impressive,” said Patrick Pannella, executive director of the Maryland State Athletic Commission. “Today a guy might fight twice a year, but back then it was ‘bring ’em on.’ “
The brutal schedule didn’t seem to faze Chaney, said Frank Gilbert, past president of the local chapter of the Veteran Boxers Association.
“He boxed more than 1,000 rounds and remains an all-time knockout artist,” Gilbert said. “He might not have had a championship chin, but he’s definitely Hall of Fame material.”
Twice, Chaney fought for a world title, losing to Johnny Kilbane for the featherweight crown in 1916 and to Johnny Dundee for the junior lightweight championship in 1923. Two years later he retired to the two-story, four-bedroom home he’d had built at 3703 Belair Road, across from Herring Run Park.
Life after boxing
When he finally took off the gloves, Chaney became a different man, said his daughter, Rosemary Kirchner. He enjoyed classical music, ballroom dancing and civic affairs. He was president of the local Democratic Club for more than a decade and helped feed and clothe the needy during the Great Depression.
“When people lost their homes, they sometimes stayed with us,” said Kirchner, 85, of Scottsdale, Ariz. “Our basement was a donation center where folks dropped off goods for the poor, and we’d box it all up. My father helped them find jobs through politicians. He was very generous, a wonderful soul.”
Kirchner recalls the times the two of them spent dancing to his records — “he was very light on his feet” — skipping rope together and playing honky-tonk tunes on the family’s piano. She sat at one end of the bench with “K.O.” at the other, those huge hands flitting over the keys.
Chaney still had a cauliflower ear, a flattened nose and a scar above his right eye. He still ran 10 miles a day, as he had during training. And he’d accompany the priests from St. Ann Catholic Church on visits to parishioners in dangerous neighborhoods. But he never spoke of his boxing exploits to family.
“I’d ask him about it,” Kirchner said, “but he’d say, ‘It’s over and done. Let’s talk about now.’ And when I asked to see the fights, he said, ‘I’ll never take you, and if I have anything to do with it, you will never go.’ He didn’t like rough language and thought every woman should be a lady.”
While Chaney spurned boxing, his time in the ring might have caught up with him. One Sunday afternoon in 1942, Kirchner said, “the three of us were sitting in the living room, listening to a radio show that we liked when my father jumped up and started ranting and raging. I was shocked, but my mother calmed him down. Two weeks later it happened again, only louder and longer.”
Chaney saw doctors, but the episodes increased.
“Once, in our house, he was going downstairs when he stopped on the landing, got angry and put his fist through the wall,” his daughter said.
Finally, in 1943, Chaney was admitted to Springfield Hospital Center in Sykesville, where he lived until his death from a heart attack in 1958. Family visited most every Sunday.
“I remember meeting him when I was 6,” said Chaney’s grandson, Craig Kirchner, 64. “He had dementia, but he was jolly and smiling. He gently put me in his lap and held me. He had these incredible hands, real monsters for a man his size, all calloused and hard. Sitting there, I felt that nothing could scare me.”
The strength in Chaney’s hands so moved Kirchner that he wrote a poem about them 40 years later. On Sunday, he attended his grandfather’s induction and presented the Hall of Fame with a wool sweater that had belonged to “K.O.”
“I wish I’d known him better, but how could a guy who fought every month for 16 years not get a screw loose?” said Kirchner, a golf retail consultant from Elkton. “He’s fortunate that he had those 17 quality years after he retired from boxing.”
Not that Chaney had regrets.
“If I had my life to live over again, I’d still be a prizefighter,” Chaney told the Baltimore Post in 1931. “In its way, it’s just as good a profession as law or medicine or anything else.”
Danny “Little Red” Lopez, featherweight world champion from 1976 to 1980, and one of the most exciting, fearless, and relentlessly game fighters of his era — and arguably of any era.
Lopez defined toughness at 126 pounds, defending his title 15 times and engaging in nonstop wars where heart mattered as much as skill. He was never the flashiest, but he was always there, pressing forward, trading, and refusing to break. Fighters like Mike Ayala, Bobby Chacon, David Kotey, Juan Malvaez, and Bernard Dunne all felt that pressure firsthand.
Win or lose, Danny Lopez delivered drama every time the bell rang — a true throwback champion whose legacy is built on courage, endurance, and unforgettable fights.
Lopez was also one of the hardest punching featherweights of all-time, he was the definition of the boxing term "heavy handed." His punches didn't look like they were thrown very hard, but when they connected the result was often devastating to his opponent.
“I used to go to the gym in the morning and run in the evening. I’d be sitting at home watching the telly, everything nice and warm, it might be raining outside, freezing cold… I’d get all my gear on and sit at the bottom of the stairs just willing myself to get out there. Not wanting to go, but I knew I had to do it.”
Stanley "Kitten" Hayward, super welterweight from Philadelphia, slick and dangerous inside the ring, Kitten was charming and witty outside. He tallied a 31-12-4 (18 KOs) pro record between Sept. 1956 and Feb. 1977. He got off the floor to stop future welterweight champion Curtis Cokes in arguably the greatest fight ever held at the Blue Horizon in Philly on May 1st, 1964.
Nigel Collins remembers Stanley 'Kitten' Hayward, a fine boxer and an even better man
Nigel Collins
17th August, 2021
Stanley ‘Kitten’ Hayward – 1939-2021
EVERYBODY loved Stanley ‘Kitten’ Hayward, as much for his personality as his fighting prowess. When he died on August 10 at age 82, the Philadelphia boxing community mourned not only the loss of an outstanding boxer and link to the past, but also the passing of a remarkable man who brought a smile to the face of virtually everyone he met.
Hayward was a free spirit, a charmer who embraced life and wasn’t afraid to grab it with both hands and see where it took him. Boxing was part of that but far from the whole. Women and horse racing were his passions, and partying his pastime. Much of the time training wasn’t even a consideration. “I run all night and sleep all day,” was how he put it.
Kitten had a warm glow of humanity running through him and a roguish affability. He had a knack of making people feel comfortable around him. He joked with the men, flirted with the women, and seemingly never ran out of something to say.
Hayward, who turned pro on September 24, 1959, reached his fighting peak between September 1963 and December 1965, that’s when he beat he intimidating sextet of Percy Manning, Dick Turner, Curtis Cokes, Vince Shomo, Tito Marshall and Bennie Briscoe. All, except Shomo, were in or close to their primes.
“The type of fighter I was, I took punches to make a fight. I was a fighter’s fighter,” Hayward told Tris Dixon, author of The Road To Nowhere. “You couldn’t come to a fight of mine and sit down because there was always going to be action. That’s how Philly fighters work.”
So how did this out-of-shape playboy, susceptible to eye cuts, manage to achieve so much in the ring? Natural ability played a role and so did the skills learned sparring with Philly’s finest. He was a slick aggressive fighter with a dancer’s sense of balance. His punches hurt and he was a good finisher, but the foundation of his success was his heart. Kitten was willing to bleed for victory, take risks and get off the floor.
“I not only learned to fight,” Hayward said. “I learned to entertain.”
His nationally televised fight with future world welterweight champion Cokes at the Blue Horizon, May 1, 1964 is a cult classic. Hayward was knocked down and hurt in the second round, but rallied to stop Cokes in the fourth. It is considered by some to be the best fight ever held at the fabled venue.
A Pyrrhic victory over Briscoe in December ’65 pushed Hayward near the top of the welterweight ratings, where he sputtered to a halt and lay idle for the next 10 months like a battleship in dry-dock. He wanted Cokes again, who was by then the WBA welterweight belt-holder, but got Gypsy Joe Harris instead. “Who does [manager George Katz] have me fight without a tune-up? Only the hottest kid in the division,” Hayward told writer Dan Haney in 2012. “Man, [Harris] was beating on me until I managed to drop him. But he gets up and starts whupping on me some more. The fight was stopped on cuts, and I was just as upset with George for sticking me in there unprepared. We parted ways shortly after that.”
Hayward remained an attraction, fighting Emile Griffith twice, winning the first in October 1968 and losing the second in May 1969. In between those two bouts, Hayward lost a 15-round decision to Freddie Little for the vacant WBC and WBA super welterweight tiles. The money was decent but nothing special. Still, the $50,000 purse Kitten got for the second Griffith fight was the most he ever made.
Paris had fallen in love with Kitten in 1967, when he knocked down Frenchman Jean Josselin twice but had to settle for a rip-off draw. Hayward returned to Europe in 1970, fighting three times in Paris and once in Rome. While his record was a meager 1-2-1, he scored well outside of the ring, and not just with the ladies. He became friends with Yul Brynner and Omar Sharif, which led to a bit part in a spaghetti western and a leading role in Danish porno. Kitten was having way too much fun to worry about training.
When he returned home in 1971 sporting a French accent, nobody seemed to know if it was real, a prank, or maybe just an affectation. However, there was no doubt about the first-round knockout Kitten suffered at the hands of Eugene “Cyclone” Hart in his first Philadelphia appearance since October 1968. In any event, the left hooks Hart landed seemed to knock out the accent as well as Kitten.
Hayward had four wins and three losses in his final seven bouts. His last, on March 27, 1977, was a sad affair held at a Firehouse Hall in Bristol, Pennsylvania, where Larry “Tumbler” Davis stopped him in the fourth round. It was hard to watch.
Kitten’s saving grace was that he never changed, and emerged from a 48-fight career (32-12-4 with 18 inside the distance) the same elegantly dressed bon vivant he’d always been. He became a tipstaff with the Philadelphia Court System, where he worked for more than 30 years, an achievement of which he was proud.
Kitten has often been described as being larger than life, but maybe that’s selling him short. In a way, he seemed to embody all that life has to offer, a universal man who just so happened to box.
Hayward would score wins over Emile Griffith, Bennie Briscoe, Curtis Cokes, Dick Turner, Percy Manning, and Perry Abney, during his colorful run as a welterweight and middleweight through 1977, not a bad set of scalps. He lost his one shot at the title when he dropped a 15-round decision in Las Vegas to Freddie Little, for the Vacant World Jr. Middleweight championship in 1969. His 1964 fight with Curtis Cokes is a good little four round scrap, and it showcased how dangerous a puncher Hayward was. Cokes is an all-time great welterweight and he floors Hayward in the second round, Hayward picks himself up and comes roaring back to brutally stop Cokes.
The great Jack "Kid" Berg, in his prime and in his later years. He was known as "The Whitechapel Whirlwind" and competed in the 1920s and 1930s, finding his greatest fame in the lighter divisions. He was primarily a Light Welterweight (or Junior Welterweight) world champion, winning the title in 1930 and holding it before moving up to fight for the lightweight and welterweight crowns, also winning the British lightweight title during his career. He was the first man to hand Kid Chocolate a professional loss, in fact, two losses.
It was quite a fitting nickname when you consider that he turned pro just three weeks shy of his 15th birthday.
Berg spent his early career fighting in London's East End and developed a non-stop attack that earned him another nickname, "The Whitechapel Whirlwind."
Berg moved to the United States in 1928 and battled contender Billy Petrolle to a draw in their first fight and was stopped in their second encounter. But the following year he scored a win over junior welterweight champion Mushy Callahan in a non-title bout. Then Berg opened the 1930 campaign with a decision over Tony Canzoneri and promoters quickly matched him with Callahan again with the title on the line.
Berg scored a 10th-round knockout to win the title. He returned to the United States and made six successful title defenses. He also scored a 10-round decision over Kid Chocolate in a non-title fight. Chocolate, who later won the world featherweight and junior lightweight titles, was unbeaten in 160 amateur and pro fights before meeting Berg. By the year's end, Berg was considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
Canzoneri, now the world lightweight champion, fought Berg in 1931 with the lightweight and junior welterweight crowns at stake. Berg was knocked out in the fourth round and lost on points in a rematch five months later.
In 1934, Berg knocked out Harry Mizler to win the British lightweight title but failed in an attempt to capture the British Commonwealth crown two years later. He continued fighting until 1945.
Between 1923 and 1936, Berg had 192 professional fights, winning 157 of them. His record was 157–26–9. Fifty seven wins were by knock out. During his bouts in America, he was trained by Legendary boxing trainer Ray Arcel.
British Vintage Boxing
THE WHITECHAPEL WINDMILL
By Paul Zanon
He turned professional at 14 years of age, was world champion by 20 and lived a furious life inside and out of the ring. Ladies and gentlemen, I present you Judah Bergman. You perhaps know him as Jack ‘Kid’ Berg.
Born on 28 June 1909 in Stepney, he was the son of Orthodox Jews, Judah Sr, a tailor by trade and his mother, Mildred who was a migrant from Odessa, USSR now known as Ukraine. He was the fourth of seven children and had four sisters Rachel, Sadie, Rebecca, Sarah, and two brothers, Willie and Teddy.
Jack 'Kid' Berg with mother and father
Growing up in extreme poverty in a crowded two-bedroom flat, with very little formal education, he did what many attempted to do in impoverished areas - he fought his way out. His father earned two pounds per week and wanted young Berg to be a cabinet maker. Not really taken in by the trade, Berg decided he preferred nailing opponents instead of wooden furniture and started fighting in organised contests at the age of 11, to the great displeasure of his father.
Twenty days before his fifteenth birthday, on 8 June 1924 Berg had his debut against Johnnie Gordon at Premierland, Whitechapel, stopping his fellow Londoner in the eighth of a scheduled 10 round contest. He adopted the ‘Kid’ moniker from fellow British-Jewish world champion, Ted ‘Kid’ Lewis.
When he returned home his father spotted Berg’s black eye and gave him a roasting. When he then presented his father with the money from his first fight, he turned to Berg and said, ‘Son – Go back and fight again!’
Berg’s first 36 fights took place at Premierland, which was East London’s largest boxing venue at the time, earning him a 32-2-2 record within 17 months of turning pro. The two losses were against solid Yorkshireman, Johnny Cuthbert, but within his 32 wins Berg avenged the losses.
Berg’s first fight away from Premierland was on 11 February 1926 at the Albert Hall, London against wily Bethnal Green boxer, Harry Corbett who went on to amass 146 wins in his 223 professional contests. The pair fought just below the super featherweight limit and after 15 rounds Corbett walked away the victor with a points win. Within Berg’s next seven fights he drew with Corbett and then avenged the loss.
By February 1928, still only 17 years old, Berg was now a natural lightweight with a resume of 53-3-3, and headed to the US to establish himself as a world level contender. To all intents and purposes, as with many green British fighters travelling abroad back in the day, Berg was considered to be a sacrificial lamb by the US onlookers as he stepped through the ropes against Colombian born Panamanian, Pedro Amador. ‘Kid Chato’ as he was known, boasted a record of 35-11-9, with most of those losses and draws highly debated due to being a foreigner on US soil. Amador was a serious contender and one very tough hombre.
Living up to his ‘Windmill’ moniker, on 28 May 1928 at Madison Square Garden, 18-year-old Berg, swarmed Amador from the opening stanza, suffocating his opponent with every punch in the book. By the final bell, Berg took a one-sided points decision at a pace more accustomed to a flyweight. The Amador victory earned him a number of return visits to the US. In fact, over the next few years, he would fight a further 75 times across the pond and from 1931 relocated Stateside for the balance of his boxing career. The Americans loved him and christened him with their own nickname of ‘Whirlwind,’ with many comparing him to Harry Greb. In addition, he was now under the strict tutelage of legendary trainer Ray Arcel, proving to everyone, Jack ‘Kid’ Berg was not there to make up the numbers.
Four fights after the Amador bout, on 26 July 1928 the East Londoner took on Pennsylvanian born contender, ‘The Fargo Express,’ Billy Petrolle at the Mills Stadium Chicago, with the pair fighting to a draw. Four weeks later, they clashed again, but this time Petrolle steam rolled Berg. The Chicago Tribune stated, "Berg took a monumental beating. He was down nine times in the first round and once in the third." Berg who was openly a ladies’ man, blamed the loss on a particular encounter with a lady the night before. Or in his own words, “I was messin around with a broad.” This was Berg’s first stoppage loss in 70 fights.
Berg’s love of women used to drive his trainer, Ray Arcel up the wall, convinced his charge could have been a far more successful fighter if he had better discipline in the bedroom. In a piece written by Jonathan Rendall in 2005, he quoted Arcel’s recollections. “Not only could he fight, but he thought he was God’s gift to the ladies. You had to watch him like a hawk.”
Berg bounced back with gusto from the Petrolle defeat and over the next three and a half years was undefeated in 32 contests, collecting some very respected scalps along the way including Alf Mancini and Tony Canzoneri.
The Canzoneri fight on 17 January 1930 in front of 18,852 at Madison Square Garden was a graduation of sorts for Berg. A final steppingstone before world title recognition. After 10 rounds, Berg walked away with a split decision win, getting plaudits from the US media. The New York Times reported: “Fighting one of the most important ring struggles of his career, Berg rose to the occasion by giving Canzoneri one of the worst beatings he has ever experienced and winning the decision to the complete satisfaction of the crowd which jammed the Garden.”
Only four weeks after the Canzoneri victory, Berg raised the bar once again, taking on reigning National Boxing Association world super lightweight title champion, Mushy Callaghan on 18 February 1930 at the Royal Albert Hall, London. Berg had already fought Callaghan on 24 July 1929 at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, walking away with a comfortable points victory over 10 rounds. However, they previously fought at welterweight, whereas now they both weighed in at 137lbs, which played in Berg’s favour as the faster and more aggressive fighter.
After grinding Callaghan down for nine rounds, Berg knocked out the New Yorker in the tenth and thus becoming the new world super lightweight champion. The contest was beautifully captured in pastels by artist Bob Carson.
After a number of defences of his strap, on 7 August 1930 at the Polo Grounds in Harlem, New York, Berg secured a split decision victory over 10 rounds against future hall of famer, Eligio Sardiñas Montalvo, better known as Kid Chocolate. Berg collected a staggering $66,000 from the victory, setting him up for life. The Cuban, who was destined for greatness, was unbeaten in 56 fights and would go on to become a multi-weight champion, losing only 10 of his 152 fights. Many rated this fight as Berg’s best ever performance as a professional.
Being God’s gift to ladies also came with its challenges, one of them being monogamy. The handsome and sartorially exquisite Berg married American Eleanor Kraus in 1930 and by November 1931, said relationship was over. To say he was active during that time would be a mild statement, as a number of women claimed they were in a relationship with him, each attempting to claim compensation from the wealthy boxer. He remarried in 1933 to a dancer called Bunty Pain and then married one final time on 20 February 1943 to Moyra Smith.
Back to the boxing. On 24 April 1931, Berg fought old foe, Tony Canzoneri at the Chicago stadium, looking to successfully defend his world title for the tenth time. However, this time far more was at stake, as the world lightweight and welterweight titles were on the line. Unfortunately, an ill prepared and weight drained Berg barely landed a punch on Canzoneri. After taking a one-sided beating for two rounds, Berg was stopped at two minutes and 23 seconds of the third. Associated Press stated that the American, “Won the first two rounds and battered Berg to defeat in the third round without being in the slightest danger himself.”
Six months and six victories later, Berg and Canzoneri met for the third and final time to conclude business. Despite giving a much better account of himself, Berg lost a unanimous points decision over 15 rounds at the Polo Grounds, New York. However, the fight did finish with an air of controversy. In the eighth round Berg went down from a foul blow, but the American referee, Patsy Haley ruled it a knockdown. If the bout had taken place in its original intended venue of London, the result may have differed.
Three fights later, on 1 April 1932 the self-proclaimed ‘Cockney-Jew’ drew against Boston’s Sam Fuller at Madison Square Garden. The pair met again seven weeks later, but this time the world junior welterweight title was on the line. Unfortunately for Berg, after 12 hard fought rounds Fuller got the nod from two of the judges with a split decision victory, albeit, Berg “got most of the cheers as the pair left the ring." (New York Times)
On 18 July 1932, Berg took on Kid Chocolate again, but this time at the Madison Square Garden Bowl in Queens in front of a 10,000 strong crowd. Once again the pair produced a barnburner of a fight, with Berg walking away with a majority decision. Three months later Chocolate beat Fidel LaBarba to become world junior lightweight champion. Unfortunately the two ‘Kids’ never had the chance to battle over world honours.
'Kid' Chocolate vs Jack 'Kid' Berg vs (2nd bout)
From here on, Berg’s career had a roller coaster motion to it. In his next seven fights he lost three, twice to Cleto Locatelli, once on British soil and once in the US. Then, in his next six fights he lost one by third round KO to Liverpudlian Jimmy Stewart, but bounced back three fights later beating Harry Mizler and in doing so becoming the British lightweight champion.
After a four round demolition of Fred Bastin, Berg fought Frenchman Gustave Humery three times back to back in the opening months of 1935, winning the first encounter by eighth round knockout and losing the next two on points. Humery would go on to become European lightweight champion two years later.
Berg finished off the year with three wins on the bounce, followed by three consecutive defeats to kickstart 1936, which included a points loss in Johannesburg against undefeated South African, Laurie Stevens for the Commonwealth lightweight strap in front of 14,000 people. Despite announcing his retirement following his third straight defeat, he was back in the ring five months later on 24 January 1937, beating Ivor Pickens on points.
Gustave Humery vs Jack 'Kid' Berg (1st bout)
Berg fought 12 times in 1937, all in the UK, winning nine, losing one and drawing two against domestic level opposition. From February 1938 to August 1939, East London’s favourite fighting son fought 25 times, with 24 of the contests on US soil and one in Bermuda against fellow Brit, Marine Bunker (great name), and in doing so walking away with the Bermuda welterweight title. Despite winning 21, losing three and drawing one, it was evident that Berg, now weighing north of welterweight, was no longer world title material.
Shortly after, World War II kicked off, Berg returned back home to Blighty. In his next 22 fights he won 18, including a disqualification win against Eric Boon and of the four losses, one was against Boon’s old foe, teak tough Arthur Danahar. Berg’s last outing was on 19 May 1945 against Johnny McDonald, which he won via fifth round knockout. Berg had amassed an incredible 157 victories in 192 fights spanning over a 21 year career.
After retiring at 35 years old, Berg did what he enjoyed best – remained in the limelight. He appeared on the big screen as a stuntman and actor, starring in a number of films including a couple of the Carry-On movies. In addition to joining the RAF and owning a restaurant, Berg continued to mix in colourful circles including East End criminal Jack Cromer and was even involved in Ronnie and Reggie Krays amateur careers.
Jack ‘Kid’ Berg died at 81 years old on 22 April 1991. He was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1993 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1994. The site he grew up on in Stepney has since been gentrified, but a blue plaque in nearby Noble Court ensures his presence can still be felt.
Flamboyant Berg lived in the fast lane on both sides of the ropes. He rose from dire poverty in the East End of London to become an idol both sides of the pond. He rubbed shoulders with Chicago mobsters during the 1920’s prohibition and hung out with Hollywood actors and of course, actresses. However; let’s be clear about something - he was one hell of a fighter, with his unmistakeable flailing style. It will be a long time before another fighter is worthy of the ‘Kid’ moniker. If they adopt it, they will have a lot to live up to.
Fascinating quote by Kid Berg about what it was like to fight in his era.
''Sometimes the referees in those days had sticking plasters in their pockets - that was all the medication available. No doctors at ringside. There was no Board of Control, and they paid you out in coppers. They had a big bag of coppers, and if you went down the referee would say, 'if you don't get up, you won't get paid.' So you got up.''
In 1930, Kid Berg became the first person to hand Kid Chocolate a loss a a professional, he would repeat this feat in their rematch in 1932. At the time, Chocolate had a record of 55-0-1. This is a write-up on the first meeting and you can see why Kid Chocolate was so difficult to defeat. But Berg's whirlwind style attack wore Chocolate out, and by the end of the fight Chocolate couldn't even lift his hands. Nice photo of Berg and Chocolate at the weigh-in.
Credit: Associated Press
"The winning streak that Kid Chocolate appeared to have kept intact was brought to a sudden end. Snapped after two years of unbroken victory by the lean little English whirlwind Jack (Kid) Berg. Chocolate landed the cleaner, more effective blows. He had Berg somewhat groggy with a sensational attack in the 3rd round, the most exciting of the entire fight. The Kid was also the faster, better boxer whenever he could keep away from the crowding, mauling Englishman. Berg's punches were seldom damaging but they were more persistent. This forcing, plus the fact that Berg unquestionably made the stronger finish apparently swung the decision in his favor. Speared and often baffled by his opponent's speed afoot, Berg nevertheless kept up a steady drumfire that weakened Chocolate. Except for a spurt or two, Chocolate was unable to lift his hands to punch in the last two rounds."
Whitechapel’s Jack ‘Kid' Berg scored his second victory over Cuba’s legendary Kid Chocolate on July 18th in 1932 winning another 15 round decision before a crowd of 20,000 at the Madison Square Garden Bowl in Queens.
Associated Press reported: "Chocolate scored the heavier punches and although there were no knockdowns, he had the tireless Briton in distress in the early rounds and again in the 13th. Berg never stopped his forward charging, however and beat an endless tattoo on the slender Cuban's body. For the first five rounds the Cuban met Berg's charges with two-fisted thrusts that threatened to douse Berg in the resin. But he could not put the game little Briton down, and as the fight wore on, it was Berg, and not the fierce-punching Cuban who took the upper hand.”
Let's get some photos of Jack "Kid" Berg in here. Announcer Joe Humphries raises the hand of Berg after he defeated American boxer Tony Herrera, aka, "The Symphony in Leather". The fight took place at Madison Square Garden in May, 1931.
Sick photo of Kid Berg with the Jewish Star of David on his trunks. This is the photo that was used on his 1938 Cartledge Knock Out Razor Blades card, one of my favorite sets.
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Paddy Demarco, Brooklyn's flat-nosed tough as nails former world lightweight champion.
He won the title via 15-round decision from Jimmy Carter at The Garden in March, 1954 and lost it back to Carter the following November.
He also beat Sandy Saddler, Kenny Lane, Billy Graham, Enrique Bolanos and Ralph Dupas.
Paddy DeMarco's nickname was "The Billy Goat," often called "The Brooklyn Billy Goat," because of his tenacious, head-down, charging fighting style, where he'd get inside and wear opponents down, much like a goat headbutting.
These are two of the greatest boxing photos I've ever seen and I would love to own the type 1 originals of both of these beauties. This is what a day at the office in a boxing ring looks like.
A little music break, another classic from the 80s, such a great decade for music.
Japan's Masahiko "Fighting" Harada, one of the greatest bantamweights in history, the only man to hand Eder Jofre a loss, in fact two losses, Jofre finished his legendary career with a record of 74-2, both losses were courtesy of Harada. Sick photo of Harada training with in his native Japan with the mountains in the background.
One of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters in boxing history, Terence "Bud" Crawford, has won world titles and achieved undisputed status in multiple divisions, including Lightweight (135 lbs), Junior Welterweight (140 lbs) (undisputed), Welterweight (147 lbs) (undisputed), and Super Middleweight (168 lbs) (undisputed), becoming the first male boxer in the four-belt era to be undisputed in three weight classes, with a recent historic win over Canelo Alvarez for the undisputed super middleweight crown in September 2025.
Terence Crawford is currently 42-0, has never been beaten and probably never will, very smart fighter, it's almost as if he's playing chess every time he steps in the ring, I like to call him "The Grandmaster."
Jerry Quarry scores a huge win on December 14, 1973, at Madison Square Garden, TKO'ing hard-punching Earnie Shavers at 2:21 of the 1st round.
This fight was originally signed to take place in July of 1973, but Shavers would suffer a broken jaw in sparring with his stablemate Jeff Merritt, another big puncher. The bout was then rescheduled for December in order for Shavers jaw to properly heal.
Both camps came in very confident:
"I think it will last three rounds. I can knock him out in one round if he comes to fight." a confident Jerry Quarry said in pre-fight interviews.
"It'll be our easiest fight." said Don King, Shaver's co-manager.
UPI wrote:
"Jerry Quarry, 202, disdaining the shouted instructions of his handler, Gil Clancy, to "box him, Jerry, box him," instead elected to slug it out with the 210 lb. Earnie Shavers. A minute and a half into the round Quarry caught Shavers against the ropes and hit him eight or nine times, belting freely with lefts and rights to the head. Shavers escaped and fled to Quarry's corner where Jerry caught him with a tremendous left and dropped him with a following right. Shavers barely beat the count and Quarry immediately swarmed all over him. Referee Arthur Mercante called a halt at 2:21 of the 1st round."
"Well, Quarry just caught me a good shot early, and I just never recovered. When he finally knocked me down, I should have stayed down and taken the count. But the round was almost over and I thought I could last the final seconds." Earnie Shavers in the post-fight interviews.
"Quarry surprised me by mixing it up with Shavers. Quarry showed me he's really a tiger." said Heayweight Champion George Foreman at ringside.
Foreman, however, would choose to defend against Ken Norton next, in March of 1974, in Venezuela.
''One time, I got butted and I thought I had hurt a nerve in one of my eyes and I went to see a doctor about it. He orders an X-ray and after he looks at the picture he looks at me and shakes his head. He orders another X-ray and again he looks at the print and then at me and shakes his head. Then he takes a picture himself and turns the juice on full and when he sees the negative he looks at me again, puzzled, and says:
''Young man, you have the hardest head I've ever seen. The thickest skull. I can't get anything.''
This is one of my favorite photos of Fritzie Zivic, you can really see the dent where his nose has been broken. The life of a prizefighter.
“I found him one of the toughest adversaries I ever met in the ring. I weighed 190 pounds and Langford only 138. In the second round the little negro hit me on the jaw with a terrible right hand and I fell as if upended by a cannon ball. In all my pugilistic career, not before and not afterwards, have I received a blow that struck me with such force. It was all I could do to get back to my feet just as the referee was about to count “Ten!” I made it but I assure you I felt the effects of that punch for the rest of the fight. I recovered, but I would have to take my hat off to him if I hadn’t had so much science at my command. He was the toughest little son-of-a-bitch that ever lived.”
Widely regarded as one of the all-time great boxers from Puerto Rico, Pedro Montanez began boxing in 1931 and captured the Puerto Rican lightweight title in 1933. A European tour followed and “El Torito de Cayey” or "The Little Bull of Cayey" registered victories in Spain, France, England, and Italy.
The Puerto Rican pugilist was next showcased in New York and he quickly became a sensation. Wins over Aldo Spoldi and Frankie Klick among others set up a non-title bout with lightweight king Lou Ambers. Montanez won a 10 round decision and was dubbed the “uncrowned champion.” Impressive wins over formidable foes Eddie Ran, Wesley Ramey and Freddie (Red) Cochrane set up a title go with Ambers on the September 23, 1937 “Carnival of Champions” show at the Polo Grounds in New York City. Although he was defeated for the first time (L 15), Montanez bounced back to continue his winning ways in bouts with Jackie (Kid) Berg and Young Peter Jackson.
He retired in 1940 with a 92-7-4 (54 KOs) record. After hanging up his gloves, Montanez trained up and coming fighters and found success as a businessman.
Yahoo Sports
Puerto Rico's Forgotten
Lightweight
By: Martin Mulcahey
History can be a cruel judge, especially when it comes to evaluating the fistic merits of boxers who never held a world title. Some spectacular performers have managed to slip from our consciousness with the passage of time, this, in spite of the multitude of media available to today's society, and the huge database of information that is on the internet. One such boxer is Pedro Montanez, who re-entered my sphere of contemplation while doing research on Puerto Rican boxers in preparation for Miguel Cotto's successful title defense against Shane Mosley.
It is much easier for an elite fighter to win a title in today's era of excessive weight divisions, and these titles have become even more diluted through the acceptance of four sanctioning bodies. There was a time when the planet only had eight real champions, instead of a current populace of world champions that exceeds sixty. It wasn't as if Montanez was not good enough to become a champion, but he had the unenviable task of trying to supplant champions who currently reside in the International Boxing Hall of Fame, one of whom would have his bust carved on the Mount Rushmore of boxing if such a thing existed.
Despite never winning a world title, it would be wrong not to rate Montanez as one of the ten or twelve best Puerto Rican boxers of all-time. If you break it down even further, I would rate Montanez as one of the three best lightweights the island nation ever produced. This, a full 67 years after his last fight. Timing was his only real problem. Montanez defeated a slew of contenders, and bested world champions Lou Ambers, Jackie "Kid" Berg, Freddie Cochrane, and Frankie Klick. But he never defeated them while they held the title.
Boxers were not protected in the 1930's, and so it was with a 16-year old Montanez when he turned pro after a handful of amateur bouts. This accounts for Montanez racking up nearly 50% of his career losses in his first 14 fights. Seven months into his pro boxing career, Montanez had suffered three decision defeats (two in Venezuela). It took nine years and 89 more fights before Montanez would lose three bouts again.
Montanez was a quick study, and an aggressive fighter who readily accepted loads of punishment to get at his opponent. At 5'5 he came in low, using his muscular upper body to bore into opponents and unleash damaging hooks from either hand. In style and pace, Montanez can best be compared with Henry Armstrong, but he lacked Armstrong's inhuman stamina. His style also earned him the nickname of "The Bull of Cayey", and made him a crowd favorite wherever he appeared – which was all over the world.
The first eight ring appearances of Montanez took place in Puerto Rico, after which he moved to Venezuela to fight for two years. There he scored his first major victory, defeating former German Olympian Franz Duebbers. He also picked up the Venezuelan lightweight title, and on his return to Puerto Rico did the same there by defeating Emilio Morris. His layover in Puerto Rico was brief, and Montanez took his brand of fistic terror to a whole new continent. In April of 1934, Montanez arrived in Spain, promptly knocking out his first seven opponents.
The wins in Spain caught the attention of American manager Lew Burston, who often worked out of Paris and had close ties with the heads of Madison Square Garden. He quickly signed Montanez, and moved him north to knock out four French fighters in Paris. The duo then crossed the channel, and scored two more stoppage victories in England. In Italy, the kayo streak ended, and Montanez was held to a dubious draw (after scoring the only knockdown of the fight) against naturally bigger Saverio Turiello. Before leaving Italy, Montanez impressed the local populace by knocking out former Olympic champion Carlo Orlandi in his hometown. Some reports claimed that Orlandi was hospitalized for nearly a month after the bout.
The Orlandi victory was Montanez' last in Europe (he departed with a 19-0-1 record and 17 KOs), and he headed to America to face the best fighters it had to offer. Montanez' reputation arrived before him, and his winning ways in Europe were given due respect in America. Montanez had elevated himself to the position of fifth rated lightweight in the world by The Ring magazine upon arrival in 1935. Again, a former Olympian was victimized, as this time Montanez mauled former AAU champion and Olympic silver medalist Steve Halaiko over ten rounds.
It was an impressive American debut, and those who expected Montanez's record to suffer after entering tougher American rings were sorely disappointed, as Montanez ripped off a 29 fight winning streak - an exhibit of boxing that led him to a world title shot in just under two years time. The first American name to fall to Montanez was former champion Frankie Klick via ten round decision, followed by a ten round decision over future champion Lou Ambers (knocking Ambers down in the first round). The pair would meet again with a world title on the line.
A second kayo of former champion Freddie 'Red' Cochrane was the impetus for a world title shot at lightweight. It also landed Montanez on the cover of the June 1937 Ring magazine. Time magazine wrote about Montanez, "He had exhibited the agility of a hellion dancing on hot coals, a punch as persuasive as a red-hot pitchfork." Montanez drew big crowds, so it was a natural that he would be a challenger on the biggest fight card of the century. He squared off against former victim Lou Ambers (who had taken the title from Tony Canzoneri a month after losing to Montanez), in the famous "Carnival of Champions" promotion. On that night, over a third of all the world titles would be contested.
In their first encounter, Montanez had been able to push Ambers backwards, negating Ambers' own aggression by using superior upper body strength. This time around Ambers chose not to engage directly, and he maneuvered and shifted from side to side. The tactic caught Montanez off guard, and allowed Ambers to use Montanez' forward momentum against him. The New Times commented, "At every turn the shifty, unorthodox Ambers was the master." While the NY Times saw it as a wide victory, the man closest to the action scored the bout a draw. The two ringside judges disagreed with the referee, casting their votes in favor of Montanez. Some observers thought Montanez aggression was not properly rewarded. Weight making difficulties reportedly kept Montanez from performing at his best as well.
Montanez was, naturally, disappointed in is failure to win the world title, but he rebounded well to go undefeated in his next 22 fights. That winning streak covered two years, during which Montanez was still considered a top three contender. Montanez' quest for another title shot was derailed by the popular Ambers, whose grueling three fight series with Henry Armstrong captured the public's imagination. In that series the title changed hands three times, leaving little time for another challenger to step in. Just as that duo was finishing up their trilogy, Montanez lost to Davey Day via a horribly cut eye in a fight he was dominating. Montanez could no longer make the lightweight limit anymore either.
A year later, a second title was in the offing, but Montanez would have to battle a fistic legend in his prime. Montanez faced a mirror image of himself in Henry Armstrong, who was making the sixth defense of his title. The expected fireworks developed quickly, and neither man backed away from the intense exchanges. The New York Times reported, "For savagery and bruising fighting, virtually all of it displayed by the irrepressible Armstrong, this was a fight that has seldom been excelled." Montanez battled bravely, and there was little to separate the boxers in the first three rounds. At welterweight though, Montanez simply did not have the right combination of speed and strength. He was decked for the first time ever in the fourth round, and crumbled for the final time in a ball of exhaustion at the end of the eighth round.
Truth be told, the pugilistic odometer of Montanez was at its end for the Armstrong fight. He gave everything he had, and went out on his shield. He returned from the damaging loss nine months later (the longest layoff of his career), only to lose to run-of-the-mill George Martin by decision. Even though Montanez was still only 26 year old, he felt he was through as a serious contender and retired. To his credit, he never returned to the ring, even with the onset of World War II allowing him to enter a depleted pool of boxers.
The former contender was still young enough to try his hand at his first athletic passion, but decided to use his ring earnings to enter business instead of bull fighting. He still kept an active hand in boxing, training local youngsters and other aspiring boxers. After an initial backlash by fans for his losing two title shots, Montanez remained a celebrity until his death. He owned some rental properties, and operated a popular caf. In his house he had over 200 pictures of himself with celebrities like Celia Cruz, Joe Louis, Jersey Joe Walcott, Cantinflas, and many Puerto Rican politicians seeking his support.
A newly erected stadium in his hometown of Cayey was named after him. A final tribute to his career came in 2006, when he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota. Sadly, that honor came ten years too late, as Montanez passed away, at age 82, in 1996. This honor does make up for some of the unintended slights history brought upon him. Unfortunately, since his underreported induction, Montanez is again judged more for a lack of titles, than a lack of talent.
Not many photos available of Pedro Montanez in action, so I'll post whatever I can find. It's a shame because he was a great fighter.
April 5, 1937 at Madison Sqaure Garden in New York lightweights Lou Ambers and Pedro Montanez met in the main event. Montanez prevailed winning a unanimous ten round decision. The officials scored it 7-3, 7-3, and 6-4, all in favor of Montanez. Here is an a photo of the two fighters squaring off on the day of the fight, Ambers is on the left.
Lou Ambers and Pedro Montanez, the photo on top is from their first meeting and the last two photos are from their second meeting.
The top photo is Pedro Montanez (left) facing off with Orville Drouillard before their fight on August 24th, 1938 at Madison Square Garden, and the bottom photo is Pedro Montanez ducking under a right from Orville Drouillard during the fight. Montanez scored a 5th round TKO that night to improve his record to 74-6-4. One thing about Montanez, he could punch, he iced 51 guys in his career.
On January 24,1940, Pedro Montanez met Henry Armstrong for the Welterweight Title. Montanez was past his best and was no match for one of the most destructive forces in boxing history, a prime Henry Armstrong. But that's the hurt business, sometimes you're the hammer, sometimes you're the nail. Like Iran Barkley once said, "Hey boxing is about, you fight everybody, if you claim you the best, you gotta fight the best, you know what I'm sayin'? You don't duck and you don't pick and you don't choose, hey, you get your butt kicked, you get your butt kicked."
But Montanez was something else in his prime, this is a photo of Montanez firing a right hand at Frank Klick in 1936 and a write-up on the fight by the New York Times.
MONTANEZ BEATS KLICK ON POINTS; Puerto Rican Floors Rival Twice in 10-Round Bout at Dyckman Oval. DECISION IS UNANIMOUS Victory the 16th Straight for Lightweight Star in U.S. -- 9,000 See Contest.
By Joseph C. Nichols
June 9, 1936
Pedro Montanez scored the most important triumph of his campaign in this country by defeating Frankie Klick, San Francisco boxer, in the feature bout of ten rounds at Dyckman Oval last night.
The Puerto Rican lightweight, successful in fifteen consecutive bouts in the United States, waged a steady two-fisted battle to outpoint the Coast warrior and record his sixteenth victory.
The decision, unanimously arrived at by Referee Arthur Donovan and Judges Charley Lynch and Nathan Lieberman, was greeted with wild acclaim by Montanez's enthusiastic followers, who constituted about 90 per cent of the crowd of 9,000 that witnessed the fight.
Floored by a Right
The Puerto Rican knocked Klick down twice during the fray, each time for a count of nine. The first knockdown, occurring in the third round, proved the turning point. Klick was showing to good advantage in the session until he was floored by a crushing right to the jaw.
Klick managed to gain his feet a split second before the referee was about to toll ten. In the fourth a right hand to the jaw spilled Klick again, but he recovered quickly and had no difficulty arising at the count of nine.
At the start it appeared as though Klick would snap Montanez's sensational streak. He fought a strictly counter-fight in the first and second rounds, beating the Puerto Rican to the punch with sharp, long lefts to the face. And he surprised the crowd by outpointing Montanez at close quarters.
Westerner Weakens
The knockdowns in the third and fourth weakened Klick, and he was an easy target for his opponent's ripping body drives in the fifth and sixth rounds.
A right-hand punch opened a cut over Montanez's left eye in the seventh, and Klick made the wound his target. But the Puerto Rican came out strong in the eighth and submitted Klick to a raking left hook.
Montanez continued his left-hand fire in the ninth and in the final chapter had things his own way. He staggered the Westerner again with a long right to the jaw.
Montanez weighed 134, one pound more than Klick.
Pedro Montanez vs Jimmy Garrison in 1938, good stuff. Nice little photo of Montanez slipping a left hand.
MONTANEZ DEFEATS GARRISON ON POINTS; Puerto Rican Boxer Records Easy Victory in 10-Round Main Bout at Garden JACK SHARKEY JR. DRAWS Battles to Even Terms After Being Floored by Davis in the Opening Session Moves to Close Quarters Staggers Rival in Tenth
By Joseph C. Nichols
Sept. 17, 1938
Pedro Montanez, fast-punching Puerto Rican, added another triumph to his long list last night when he outpointed Jimmy Garrison of Kansas City in the feature bout of ten rounds at Madison Square Garden. While a crowd of 6,000 fans looked on, the battler from the West Indies had little trouble proving his mastery over the youthful mid-Westerner.
With his characteristic aggressiveness, Montanez forced the action at every turn and subjected his rival to a terrific body attack. He landed a number of lefts and rights to the head as well, but these blows, effective as they may have been, were as naught compared to the punishing wallops to the body.
Garrison got off to a good start, and rather puzzled the Puerto Rican in the first two rounds with his sparkling defensive work. Montanez threw punches from every angle, but so deft was Garrison in blocking that few of these swings did any damage.
Moves to Close Quarters
In the third, however, Garrison made the mistake of engaging in close-quarter battle. Montanez is a master at this phase of the game, and he made the most of this chance.
Montanez proceeded to rip both hands to the midsection in this and the succeeding session. Garrison fought back with short right uppercuts to the head, but the blows carried little power.
Then Garrison tried fencing at long range again, but the body attack had taken its toll and he did not have the speed to get away from Montanez's powerful swings. The Puerto Rican took the sixth frame easily, but was outboxed in the seventh when Garrison repeatedly beat him to the punch. Through the succeeding sessions Garrison made an effort to match punch for punch, but he was not up to it.
Staggers Rival in Tenth
There were no knockdowns, although Montanez came close to registering one in the tenth when he staggered Garrison with a sharp right to the jaw. Montanez weighed 139½ pounds and Garrison 139.
Cool 1930s comic talking about about Montanez's punching power.
Great shot of Pedro Montanez.
Montanez on the cover of Ring magazine.
It's a shame we don't have much footage of Montanez, only a brief video of his second fight with Lou Ambers. You can tell by the footage that he was a good infighter with power. Here's a good up close shot of Montanez.
One last photo of Montanez, great fighter.
"The Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey, 1880s and 1890s middleweight champion and generally considered the first ever modern middleweight champion.
For many years, Dempsey was considered the greatest fighter of all time pound-for-pound and he was said to be a tremendous wrestler and grappler. He was more boxer than puncher, but he hit with stinging power. Unfortunately Dempsey contracted tuberculosis at some point, and died of the disease at only 32. His record was 52-3-11 with 24 KO, though that record is likely incomplete and doesn't account for a few No Contest or No Decision bouts. By the way, "The Nonpareil" means having no match or equal; unrivaled. He was that great in his day.
''It is the greatest possibIe mistake, in my opinion, for any boxer to decide what he will do before he gets into the ring. He must fashion his ways according to how his opponent seeks to shape the fight. From the day I dared to take my chances against all heavyweights, I have been conscious that there wouId be times when I wouId be called upon to shouIder very considerable handicaps, for I am not a big man as heavyweights go.''
Nino Benvenuti defended the middleweight championship with an abrupt 11th round KO of Luis Manuel Rodríguez in Roma, Italy on November 22nd in 1969. Rodríguez did well through 10 rounds, having cut Benvenuti badly, but was caught with a huge left hand that put him out.
With explosive power in either hand, George "K.O." Chaney is considered one of the hardest hitters in boxing history. His knockout power was evident early on, kayoing Hall of Famer Kid Williams (KO 6) in 1911. The 5'1" southpaw reportedly gained his nickname from Charlie Chaplin who said he punched so hard his middle name must be "Knockout, signed K.O." In 1912 he defeated Charley Goldman over 15 brutal rounds to establish himself as a legitimate contender. During his career he registered knockout wins over Young Britt, Young Terry McGovern, Philadelphia Pal Moore, and Eddie O'Keefe among others. He also engaged in memorable no-decision contests with Hall of Fame champions Johnny Dundee, Rocky Kansas, and Lou Tendler. Chaney met featherweight king Johnny Kilbane in a 1916 title go, but was stopped in three rounds by the clever champion. In 1921 he met Dundee for the vacant junior lightweight title but lost by foul in five. The always exciting Chaney retired as a lightweight in 1925 with 80 knockouts to his credit and a reputation as a vicious body puncher and one of the most dynamic punchers pound-for-pound ever. His favorite punch was called "The Highland Earthquake" named after the section of Baltimore in which he lived.
GEORGE “K.O.” CHANEY
George Henry Chaney was born September 18, 1892 in Baltimore, Maryland, according to his World War I and World War II draft records. He started his boxing career under Hen Bletzer and fought for a world championship three times during his career. Chaney also fought five other title holders: Kid Williams, Abe Attell, Frankie Conway, Willie Ritchie and Rocky Kansas (3 times). George’s brother Joe Chaney was also a boxer. Chaney was a strong left handed “fear no man” brawler. He began as a bantamweight and boxed successfully as a featherweight and lightweight. Chaney had an outstanding knockout record with 86 in his career some sources claim he had 102 but that number has not been verified. George started his boxing career in 1910 although some sources claim he didn’t start until 1912. Chaney had an outstanding record of 137 wins, 36 losses and 4 draws for a total of 177 fights. Of his 36 losses, Chaney was kayoed 8 times. Some sources claim he had over 200 bouts. Chaney was a
southpaw who could hit with either hand and was a hard hitting body puncher who could take out his opponent with one punch. He was ranked #9 all time featherweight by Nat Fleischer. Boxing Illustrated magazine once ranked Chaney as the #4 all time pound for pound puncher. In 1974, Chaney was inducted into the Ring Hall of Fame and the Veteran Boxers Association International Ring 101 Hall of Fame in Baltimore. One of Chaney’s bouts against Rocky Kansas is said to have been one of the most bloody and brutal bouts to ever be held in Baltimore. This fight took place at the Oriole Park in Baltimore on August 23, 1920 with Rocky receiving the 12 round decision. Chaney’s first chance to fight for a world championship came September 4, 1916 for the Featherweight Title against Johnny Kilbane. Chaney lost this bid by a third round kayo. His chance against Johnny Dundee for the newly created junior lightweight title came on November 18, 1921. Chaney lost this bout on a foul in the fifth round. Near the end of his career Chaney got one last shot for a world title. This fight was held at the Madison Square Garden in New York, on February 23, 1925 for the Lightweight championship. He was kayoed in the sixth round by Tommy O’Brien. Chaney only had two more fights after his loss to O’Brien losing both of them. The last four years of KO Chaney’s life was spent in a Baltimore State Institution for pugilistic dementia. He passed away December 20, 1958 and was buried December 24th in Parkwood Cemetery, Baltimore Maryland.
You know, I've been looking for one of these George "K.O" Chaney exhibit cards on eBay for quite some time, in good condition of course, and it's like herding cats trying to find one.
I would love to have seen that fight between Chaney and Rocky Kansas in Baltimore, one of the most vicious and bloody fights in boxing history. Here's another article about George "K.O." Chaney, cause why the heck not.
Finally, Baltimore native George ‘K.O.’ Chaney earns Hall of Fame spot
By: Baltimore Sun
“I don’t intend to quit boxing as long as I am able to push a fist into the face of a rival and keep him from knocking me over the ropes.”
George Chaney, 1923
He hailed from the squalid streets of East Baltimore, an Irish-American kid with calloused hands, a tough will and a means to make a buck. They called George Chaney the Knockout King and his punch, the Highland(town) Earthquake. And though he never won a world title, he captured the heart of a brawling, blue-collar city that embraced the fighter with the lightning left hook.
On Sunday, 56 years after his death, “K.O.” Chaney was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, N.Y. — the third boxer from Baltimore so honored after Joe Gans, a world lightweight champion from 1902 to 1908, and Kid Williams, who won the bantamweight crown in 1914. Gans was enshrined in 1990; Williams, six years later.
Chaney began boxing in 1910, two months after Gans’ death. Twice, Chaney defeated Williams — once by knockout — before the latter’s title drive. But while Gans, the first black title-holder, and Williams remain boxing legends, Chaney’s name has dimmed for all but die-hard fans and history buffs.
His 15-year record: 140 victories, 34 defeats and six draws, according to the Hall of Fame. A southpaw, Chaney won 80 times by knockout and was rated by Boxing Illustrated in 1993 as the fourth-hardest puncher, pound for pound, in history. Harder than Joe Louis, Jack Dempsey and George Foreman.
“He was one of the great ones,” said Don Majeski, a boxing matchmaker and member of the Hall of Fame selection committee. “Chaney fought twice for the title and lost both, but he was a tenacious fighter, an exciting puncher and a terrific attraction.”
He fought often, sometimes three and four times a month, everywhere from the Gayety Theatre in Baltimore to Madison Square Garden in New York. Once, Chaney boxed twice on the same card, winning both. He scored 11 straight knockouts in 1920-1921 and decked one opponent in 32 seconds.
The media rallied around Chaney, proselytizing the wallops of a man who stood 5 feet 1. “The boy with the blacksmith’s punch,” one reporter called him. Another, describing the flurry from Chaney’s fists, wrote that his rival “”was buffeted about the ring … like a weather vane spinning around in a a terrific thunderstorm.”
After one knockout, the groggy fighter asked his corner “if a trolley car had hit him. They told him it was merely Chaney’s left.”
Even Chaney’s manager chimed in. “When George’s fist connects, I never stop to see the other fellow counted out,” Sam Harris said. “I rush to the box office to count our end.”
‘Hall of Fame material’
Chaney grew up at the foot of Fells Point, in a skinny rowhouse at 841 South Dallas St., then an alley paved in sawdust. One of seven children raised by his mother, an oyster shucker, he left home at 14 to work as a lumberjack in Western Maryland — a job that readied him for the ring.
“When I left that camp [in 1910], I was as tough as a bear. I was bulging with muscles,” he told The Sun in 1922. “It took a good-sized man to give me a battle. And I had ’em, too. A lumber camp is no place for a boy who expects to be coddled. They coddled me with punches.”
Chaney returned home at 17, broke but smitten with a girl whom he wanted to date. Having learned of a coming boxing show at Albaugh’s Theater on Charles Street, he signed on, kayoed his opponent in the first round and pocketed $1.
Three months later and still undefeated, Chaney rushed home after his seventh victory, placed $150 in $1 bills on the table and said, “Mother, you will never have to shuck another oyster!”
Chaney fought until 1925, scoring knockouts in 57 percent of his victories and earning enough money that he never had to work again. Married at 18, he divorced and wed again in 1920. His second wife, Elizabeth, insisted he hand her his winnings, which she invested for them.
“Before I met Elizabeth, I was just like nearly every other fighter,” Chaney told the Baltimore Post in 1931. “Although I had earned more than $100,000, I hadn’t saved a penny of it. I’d be in a bread line now, I guess, if it hadn’t been for her.”
Chaney took his lumps in the ring. In 1912, at Albaugh’s, he was floored time and time again by Brooklyn’s Charley Goldman, who scored nine knockdowns in the first eight rounds.
“I tried my best to fight back, but Goldman kept slamming me all around the ring,” Chaney recalled years later. “My ears were ringing and the birds were chirping. I have never experienced such fatigue. However, I recuperated, and though I was foggy from the 10th round on, I won the decision [in 15].”
But nothing matched the beating Chaney took at Oriole Park in August 1920 against lightweight Rocky Kansas of Buffalo, N.Y. For 12 rounds, the partisan crowd winced as Kansas pummeled their hero.
“Chaney had his nose cut open in the second round and he bled profusely,” The Sun reported. “About the middle of the bout Kansas closed the Baltimore boy’s left eye. In the last three sessions, Chaney also bled from his left ear and continually spat blood.”
Chaney recovered, returned three weeks later and won the first of 12 straight bouts, 11 by knockouts.
“The sheer frequency of his fighting was truly impressive,” said Patrick Pannella, executive director of the Maryland State Athletic Commission. “Today a guy might fight twice a year, but back then it was ‘bring ’em on.’ “
The brutal schedule didn’t seem to faze Chaney, said Frank Gilbert, past president of the local chapter of the Veteran Boxers Association.
“He boxed more than 1,000 rounds and remains an all-time knockout artist,” Gilbert said. “He might not have had a championship chin, but he’s definitely Hall of Fame material.”
Twice, Chaney fought for a world title, losing to Johnny Kilbane for the featherweight crown in 1916 and to Johnny Dundee for the junior lightweight championship in 1923. Two years later he retired to the two-story, four-bedroom home he’d had built at 3703 Belair Road, across from Herring Run Park.
Life after boxing
When he finally took off the gloves, Chaney became a different man, said his daughter, Rosemary Kirchner. He enjoyed classical music, ballroom dancing and civic affairs. He was president of the local Democratic Club for more than a decade and helped feed and clothe the needy during the Great Depression.
“When people lost their homes, they sometimes stayed with us,” said Kirchner, 85, of Scottsdale, Ariz. “Our basement was a donation center where folks dropped off goods for the poor, and we’d box it all up. My father helped them find jobs through politicians. He was very generous, a wonderful soul.”
Kirchner recalls the times the two of them spent dancing to his records — “he was very light on his feet” — skipping rope together and playing honky-tonk tunes on the family’s piano. She sat at one end of the bench with “K.O.” at the other, those huge hands flitting over the keys.
Chaney still had a cauliflower ear, a flattened nose and a scar above his right eye. He still ran 10 miles a day, as he had during training. And he’d accompany the priests from St. Ann Catholic Church on visits to parishioners in dangerous neighborhoods. But he never spoke of his boxing exploits to family.
“I’d ask him about it,” Kirchner said, “but he’d say, ‘It’s over and done. Let’s talk about now.’ And when I asked to see the fights, he said, ‘I’ll never take you, and if I have anything to do with it, you will never go.’ He didn’t like rough language and thought every woman should be a lady.”
While Chaney spurned boxing, his time in the ring might have caught up with him. One Sunday afternoon in 1942, Kirchner said, “the three of us were sitting in the living room, listening to a radio show that we liked when my father jumped up and started ranting and raging. I was shocked, but my mother calmed him down. Two weeks later it happened again, only louder and longer.”
Chaney saw doctors, but the episodes increased.
“Once, in our house, he was going downstairs when he stopped on the landing, got angry and put his fist through the wall,” his daughter said.
Finally, in 1943, Chaney was admitted to Springfield Hospital Center in Sykesville, where he lived until his death from a heart attack in 1958. Family visited most every Sunday.
“I remember meeting him when I was 6,” said Chaney’s grandson, Craig Kirchner, 64. “He had dementia, but he was jolly and smiling. He gently put me in his lap and held me. He had these incredible hands, real monsters for a man his size, all calloused and hard. Sitting there, I felt that nothing could scare me.”
The strength in Chaney’s hands so moved Kirchner that he wrote a poem about them 40 years later. On Sunday, he attended his grandfather’s induction and presented the Hall of Fame with a wool sweater that had belonged to “K.O.”
“I wish I’d known him better, but how could a guy who fought every month for 16 years not get a screw loose?” said Kirchner, a golf retail consultant from Elkton. “He’s fortunate that he had those 17 quality years after he retired from boxing.”
Not that Chaney had regrets.
“If I had my life to live over again, I’d still be a prizefighter,” Chaney told the Baltimore Post in 1931. “In its way, it’s just as good a profession as law or medicine or anything else.”
A few more photos of George "K.O." Chaney. Nice little premium.
One last good shot of George "K.O." Chaney, murderous puncher.
Danny “Little Red” Lopez, featherweight world champion from 1976 to 1980, and one of the most exciting, fearless, and relentlessly game fighters of his era — and arguably of any era.
Lopez defined toughness at 126 pounds, defending his title 15 times and engaging in nonstop wars where heart mattered as much as skill. He was never the flashiest, but he was always there, pressing forward, trading, and refusing to break. Fighters like Mike Ayala, Bobby Chacon, David Kotey, Juan Malvaez, and Bernard Dunne all felt that pressure firsthand.
Win or lose, Danny Lopez delivered drama every time the bell rang — a true throwback champion whose legacy is built on courage, endurance, and unforgettable fights.
Lopez was also one of the hardest punching featherweights of all-time, he was the definition of the boxing term "heavy handed." His punches didn't look like they were thrown very hard, but when they connected the result was often devastating to his opponent.
“I used to go to the gym in the morning and run in the evening. I’d be sitting at home watching the telly, everything nice and warm, it might be raining outside, freezing cold… I’d get all my gear on and sit at the bottom of the stairs just willing myself to get out there. Not wanting to go, but I knew I had to do it.”
Stanley "Kitten" Hayward, super welterweight from Philadelphia, slick and dangerous inside the ring, Kitten was charming and witty outside. He tallied a 31-12-4 (18 KOs) pro record between Sept. 1956 and Feb. 1977. He got off the floor to stop future welterweight champion Curtis Cokes in arguably the greatest fight ever held at the Blue Horizon in Philly on May 1st, 1964.
Nigel Collins remembers Stanley 'Kitten' Hayward, a fine boxer and an even better man
Nigel Collins
17th August, 2021
Stanley ‘Kitten’ Hayward – 1939-2021
EVERYBODY loved Stanley ‘Kitten’ Hayward, as much for his personality as his fighting prowess. When he died on August 10 at age 82, the Philadelphia boxing community mourned not only the loss of an outstanding boxer and link to the past, but also the passing of a remarkable man who brought a smile to the face of virtually everyone he met.
Hayward was a free spirit, a charmer who embraced life and wasn’t afraid to grab it with both hands and see where it took him. Boxing was part of that but far from the whole. Women and horse racing were his passions, and partying his pastime. Much of the time training wasn’t even a consideration. “I run all night and sleep all day,” was how he put it.
Kitten had a warm glow of humanity running through him and a roguish affability. He had a knack of making people feel comfortable around him. He joked with the men, flirted with the women, and seemingly never ran out of something to say.
Hayward, who turned pro on September 24, 1959, reached his fighting peak between September 1963 and December 1965, that’s when he beat he intimidating sextet of Percy Manning, Dick Turner, Curtis Cokes, Vince Shomo, Tito Marshall and Bennie Briscoe. All, except Shomo, were in or close to their primes.
“The type of fighter I was, I took punches to make a fight. I was a fighter’s fighter,” Hayward told Tris Dixon, author of The Road To Nowhere. “You couldn’t come to a fight of mine and sit down because there was always going to be action. That’s how Philly fighters work.”
So how did this out-of-shape playboy, susceptible to eye cuts, manage to achieve so much in the ring? Natural ability played a role and so did the skills learned sparring with Philly’s finest. He was a slick aggressive fighter with a dancer’s sense of balance. His punches hurt and he was a good finisher, but the foundation of his success was his heart. Kitten was willing to bleed for victory, take risks and get off the floor.
“I not only learned to fight,” Hayward said. “I learned to entertain.”
His nationally televised fight with future world welterweight champion Cokes at the Blue Horizon, May 1, 1964 is a cult classic. Hayward was knocked down and hurt in the second round, but rallied to stop Cokes in the fourth. It is considered by some to be the best fight ever held at the fabled venue.
A Pyrrhic victory over Briscoe in December ’65 pushed Hayward near the top of the welterweight ratings, where he sputtered to a halt and lay idle for the next 10 months like a battleship in dry-dock. He wanted Cokes again, who was by then the WBA welterweight belt-holder, but got Gypsy Joe Harris instead. “Who does [manager George Katz] have me fight without a tune-up? Only the hottest kid in the division,” Hayward told writer Dan Haney in 2012. “Man, [Harris] was beating on me until I managed to drop him. But he gets up and starts whupping on me some more. The fight was stopped on cuts, and I was just as upset with George for sticking me in there unprepared. We parted ways shortly after that.”
Hayward remained an attraction, fighting Emile Griffith twice, winning the first in October 1968 and losing the second in May 1969. In between those two bouts, Hayward lost a 15-round decision to Freddie Little for the vacant WBC and WBA super welterweight tiles. The money was decent but nothing special. Still, the $50,000 purse Kitten got for the second Griffith fight was the most he ever made.
Paris had fallen in love with Kitten in 1967, when he knocked down Frenchman Jean Josselin twice but had to settle for a rip-off draw. Hayward returned to Europe in 1970, fighting three times in Paris and once in Rome. While his record was a meager 1-2-1, he scored well outside of the ring, and not just with the ladies. He became friends with Yul Brynner and Omar Sharif, which led to a bit part in a spaghetti western and a leading role in Danish porno. Kitten was having way too much fun to worry about training.
When he returned home in 1971 sporting a French accent, nobody seemed to know if it was real, a prank, or maybe just an affectation. However, there was no doubt about the first-round knockout Kitten suffered at the hands of Eugene “Cyclone” Hart in his first Philadelphia appearance since October 1968. In any event, the left hooks Hart landed seemed to knock out the accent as well as Kitten.
Hayward had four wins and three losses in his final seven bouts. His last, on March 27, 1977, was a sad affair held at a Firehouse Hall in Bristol, Pennsylvania, where Larry “Tumbler” Davis stopped him in the fourth round. It was hard to watch.
Kitten’s saving grace was that he never changed, and emerged from a 48-fight career (32-12-4 with 18 inside the distance) the same elegantly dressed bon vivant he’d always been. He became a tipstaff with the Philadelphia Court System, where he worked for more than 30 years, an achievement of which he was proud.
Kitten has often been described as being larger than life, but maybe that’s selling him short. In a way, he seemed to embody all that life has to offer, a universal man who just so happened to box.
Hayward would score wins over Emile Griffith, Bennie Briscoe, Curtis Cokes, Dick Turner, Percy Manning, and Perry Abney, during his colorful run as a welterweight and middleweight through 1977, not a bad set of scalps. He lost his one shot at the title when he dropped a 15-round decision in Las Vegas to Freddie Little, for the Vacant World Jr. Middleweight championship in 1969. His 1964 fight with Curtis Cokes is a good little four round scrap, and it showcased how dangerous a puncher Hayward was. Cokes is an all-time great welterweight and he floors Hayward in the second round, Hayward picks himself up and comes roaring back to brutally stop Cokes.
Hayward vs Cokes, 1964.
A couple more photos of Stanley "Kitten" Hayward.
This is my favorite photo of Hayward, he looks like a beast. Dangerous puncher.
Evander Holyfield on George Foreman's power:
"I went back to my corner and I asked them, "Do I still have any of my teeth?"
The great Jack "Kid" Berg, in his prime and in his later years. He was known as "The Whitechapel Whirlwind" and competed in the 1920s and 1930s, finding his greatest fame in the lighter divisions. He was primarily a Light Welterweight (or Junior Welterweight) world champion, winning the title in 1930 and holding it before moving up to fight for the lightweight and welterweight crowns, also winning the British lightweight title during his career. He was the first man to hand Kid Chocolate a professional loss, in fact, two losses.
It was quite a fitting nickname when you consider that he turned pro just three weeks shy of his 15th birthday.
Berg spent his early career fighting in London's East End and developed a non-stop attack that earned him another nickname, "The Whitechapel Whirlwind."
Berg moved to the United States in 1928 and battled contender Billy Petrolle to a draw in their first fight and was stopped in their second encounter. But the following year he scored a win over junior welterweight champion Mushy Callahan in a non-title bout. Then Berg opened the 1930 campaign with a decision over Tony Canzoneri and promoters quickly matched him with Callahan again with the title on the line.
Berg scored a 10th-round knockout to win the title. He returned to the United States and made six successful title defenses. He also scored a 10-round decision over Kid Chocolate in a non-title fight. Chocolate, who later won the world featherweight and junior lightweight titles, was unbeaten in 160 amateur and pro fights before meeting Berg. By the year's end, Berg was considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
Canzoneri, now the world lightweight champion, fought Berg in 1931 with the lightweight and junior welterweight crowns at stake. Berg was knocked out in the fourth round and lost on points in a rematch five months later.
In 1934, Berg knocked out Harry Mizler to win the British lightweight title but failed in an attempt to capture the British Commonwealth crown two years later. He continued fighting until 1945.
Between 1923 and 1936, Berg had 192 professional fights, winning 157 of them. His record was 157–26–9. Fifty seven wins were by knock out. During his bouts in America, he was trained by Legendary boxing trainer Ray Arcel.
British Vintage Boxing
THE WHITECHAPEL WINDMILL
By Paul Zanon
He turned professional at 14 years of age, was world champion by 20 and lived a furious life inside and out of the ring. Ladies and gentlemen, I present you Judah Bergman. You perhaps know him as Jack ‘Kid’ Berg.
Born on 28 June 1909 in Stepney, he was the son of Orthodox Jews, Judah Sr, a tailor by trade and his mother, Mildred who was a migrant from Odessa, USSR now known as Ukraine. He was the fourth of seven children and had four sisters Rachel, Sadie, Rebecca, Sarah, and two brothers, Willie and Teddy.
Jack 'Kid' Berg with mother and father
Growing up in extreme poverty in a crowded two-bedroom flat, with very little formal education, he did what many attempted to do in impoverished areas - he fought his way out. His father earned two pounds per week and wanted young Berg to be a cabinet maker. Not really taken in by the trade, Berg decided he preferred nailing opponents instead of wooden furniture and started fighting in organised contests at the age of 11, to the great displeasure of his father.
Twenty days before his fifteenth birthday, on 8 June 1924 Berg had his debut against Johnnie Gordon at Premierland, Whitechapel, stopping his fellow Londoner in the eighth of a scheduled 10 round contest. He adopted the ‘Kid’ moniker from fellow British-Jewish world champion, Ted ‘Kid’ Lewis.
When he returned home his father spotted Berg’s black eye and gave him a roasting. When he then presented his father with the money from his first fight, he turned to Berg and said, ‘Son – Go back and fight again!’
Berg’s first 36 fights took place at Premierland, which was East London’s largest boxing venue at the time, earning him a 32-2-2 record within 17 months of turning pro. The two losses were against solid Yorkshireman, Johnny Cuthbert, but within his 32 wins Berg avenged the losses.
Berg’s first fight away from Premierland was on 11 February 1926 at the Albert Hall, London against wily Bethnal Green boxer, Harry Corbett who went on to amass 146 wins in his 223 professional contests. The pair fought just below the super featherweight limit and after 15 rounds Corbett walked away the victor with a points win. Within Berg’s next seven fights he drew with Corbett and then avenged the loss.
By February 1928, still only 17 years old, Berg was now a natural lightweight with a resume of 53-3-3, and headed to the US to establish himself as a world level contender. To all intents and purposes, as with many green British fighters travelling abroad back in the day, Berg was considered to be a sacrificial lamb by the US onlookers as he stepped through the ropes against Colombian born Panamanian, Pedro Amador. ‘Kid Chato’ as he was known, boasted a record of 35-11-9, with most of those losses and draws highly debated due to being a foreigner on US soil. Amador was a serious contender and one very tough hombre.
Living up to his ‘Windmill’ moniker, on 28 May 1928 at Madison Square Garden, 18-year-old Berg, swarmed Amador from the opening stanza, suffocating his opponent with every punch in the book. By the final bell, Berg took a one-sided points decision at a pace more accustomed to a flyweight. The Amador victory earned him a number of return visits to the US. In fact, over the next few years, he would fight a further 75 times across the pond and from 1931 relocated Stateside for the balance of his boxing career. The Americans loved him and christened him with their own nickname of ‘Whirlwind,’ with many comparing him to Harry Greb. In addition, he was now under the strict tutelage of legendary trainer Ray Arcel, proving to everyone, Jack ‘Kid’ Berg was not there to make up the numbers.
Four fights after the Amador bout, on 26 July 1928 the East Londoner took on Pennsylvanian born contender, ‘The Fargo Express,’ Billy Petrolle at the Mills Stadium Chicago, with the pair fighting to a draw. Four weeks later, they clashed again, but this time Petrolle steam rolled Berg. The Chicago Tribune stated, "Berg took a monumental beating. He was down nine times in the first round and once in the third." Berg who was openly a ladies’ man, blamed the loss on a particular encounter with a lady the night before. Or in his own words, “I was messin around with a broad.” This was Berg’s first stoppage loss in 70 fights.
Berg’s love of women used to drive his trainer, Ray Arcel up the wall, convinced his charge could have been a far more successful fighter if he had better discipline in the bedroom. In a piece written by Jonathan Rendall in 2005, he quoted Arcel’s recollections. “Not only could he fight, but he thought he was God’s gift to the ladies. You had to watch him like a hawk.”
Berg bounced back with gusto from the Petrolle defeat and over the next three and a half years was undefeated in 32 contests, collecting some very respected scalps along the way including Alf Mancini and Tony Canzoneri.
The Canzoneri fight on 17 January 1930 in front of 18,852 at Madison Square Garden was a graduation of sorts for Berg. A final steppingstone before world title recognition. After 10 rounds, Berg walked away with a split decision win, getting plaudits from the US media. The New York Times reported: “Fighting one of the most important ring struggles of his career, Berg rose to the occasion by giving Canzoneri one of the worst beatings he has ever experienced and winning the decision to the complete satisfaction of the crowd which jammed the Garden.”
Only four weeks after the Canzoneri victory, Berg raised the bar once again, taking on reigning National Boxing Association world super lightweight title champion, Mushy Callaghan on 18 February 1930 at the Royal Albert Hall, London. Berg had already fought Callaghan on 24 July 1929 at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, walking away with a comfortable points victory over 10 rounds. However, they previously fought at welterweight, whereas now they both weighed in at 137lbs, which played in Berg’s favour as the faster and more aggressive fighter.
After grinding Callaghan down for nine rounds, Berg knocked out the New Yorker in the tenth and thus becoming the new world super lightweight champion. The contest was beautifully captured in pastels by artist Bob Carson.
After a number of defences of his strap, on 7 August 1930 at the Polo Grounds in Harlem, New York, Berg secured a split decision victory over 10 rounds against future hall of famer, Eligio Sardiñas Montalvo, better known as Kid Chocolate. Berg collected a staggering $66,000 from the victory, setting him up for life. The Cuban, who was destined for greatness, was unbeaten in 56 fights and would go on to become a multi-weight champion, losing only 10 of his 152 fights. Many rated this fight as Berg’s best ever performance as a professional.
Being God’s gift to ladies also came with its challenges, one of them being monogamy. The handsome and sartorially exquisite Berg married American Eleanor Kraus in 1930 and by November 1931, said relationship was over. To say he was active during that time would be a mild statement, as a number of women claimed they were in a relationship with him, each attempting to claim compensation from the wealthy boxer. He remarried in 1933 to a dancer called Bunty Pain and then married one final time on 20 February 1943 to Moyra Smith.
Back to the boxing. On 24 April 1931, Berg fought old foe, Tony Canzoneri at the Chicago stadium, looking to successfully defend his world title for the tenth time. However, this time far more was at stake, as the world lightweight and welterweight titles were on the line. Unfortunately, an ill prepared and weight drained Berg barely landed a punch on Canzoneri. After taking a one-sided beating for two rounds, Berg was stopped at two minutes and 23 seconds of the third. Associated Press stated that the American, “Won the first two rounds and battered Berg to defeat in the third round without being in the slightest danger himself.”
Six months and six victories later, Berg and Canzoneri met for the third and final time to conclude business. Despite giving a much better account of himself, Berg lost a unanimous points decision over 15 rounds at the Polo Grounds, New York. However, the fight did finish with an air of controversy. In the eighth round Berg went down from a foul blow, but the American referee, Patsy Haley ruled it a knockdown. If the bout had taken place in its original intended venue of London, the result may have differed.
Three fights later, on 1 April 1932 the self-proclaimed ‘Cockney-Jew’ drew against Boston’s Sam Fuller at Madison Square Garden. The pair met again seven weeks later, but this time the world junior welterweight title was on the line. Unfortunately for Berg, after 12 hard fought rounds Fuller got the nod from two of the judges with a split decision victory, albeit, Berg “got most of the cheers as the pair left the ring." (New York Times)
On 18 July 1932, Berg took on Kid Chocolate again, but this time at the Madison Square Garden Bowl in Queens in front of a 10,000 strong crowd. Once again the pair produced a barnburner of a fight, with Berg walking away with a majority decision. Three months later Chocolate beat Fidel LaBarba to become world junior lightweight champion. Unfortunately the two ‘Kids’ never had the chance to battle over world honours.
'Kid' Chocolate vs Jack 'Kid' Berg vs (2nd bout)
From here on, Berg’s career had a roller coaster motion to it. In his next seven fights he lost three, twice to Cleto Locatelli, once on British soil and once in the US. Then, in his next six fights he lost one by third round KO to Liverpudlian Jimmy Stewart, but bounced back three fights later beating Harry Mizler and in doing so becoming the British lightweight champion.
After a four round demolition of Fred Bastin, Berg fought Frenchman Gustave Humery three times back to back in the opening months of 1935, winning the first encounter by eighth round knockout and losing the next two on points. Humery would go on to become European lightweight champion two years later.
Berg finished off the year with three wins on the bounce, followed by three consecutive defeats to kickstart 1936, which included a points loss in Johannesburg against undefeated South African, Laurie Stevens for the Commonwealth lightweight strap in front of 14,000 people. Despite announcing his retirement following his third straight defeat, he was back in the ring five months later on 24 January 1937, beating Ivor Pickens on points.
Gustave Humery vs Jack 'Kid' Berg (1st bout)
Berg fought 12 times in 1937, all in the UK, winning nine, losing one and drawing two against domestic level opposition. From February 1938 to August 1939, East London’s favourite fighting son fought 25 times, with 24 of the contests on US soil and one in Bermuda against fellow Brit, Marine Bunker (great name), and in doing so walking away with the Bermuda welterweight title. Despite winning 21, losing three and drawing one, it was evident that Berg, now weighing north of welterweight, was no longer world title material.
Shortly after, World War II kicked off, Berg returned back home to Blighty. In his next 22 fights he won 18, including a disqualification win against Eric Boon and of the four losses, one was against Boon’s old foe, teak tough Arthur Danahar. Berg’s last outing was on 19 May 1945 against Johnny McDonald, which he won via fifth round knockout. Berg had amassed an incredible 157 victories in 192 fights spanning over a 21 year career.
After retiring at 35 years old, Berg did what he enjoyed best – remained in the limelight. He appeared on the big screen as a stuntman and actor, starring in a number of films including a couple of the Carry-On movies. In addition to joining the RAF and owning a restaurant, Berg continued to mix in colourful circles including East End criminal Jack Cromer and was even involved in Ronnie and Reggie Krays amateur careers.
Jack ‘Kid’ Berg died at 81 years old on 22 April 1991. He was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1993 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1994. The site he grew up on in Stepney has since been gentrified, but a blue plaque in nearby Noble Court ensures his presence can still be felt.
Flamboyant Berg lived in the fast lane on both sides of the ropes. He rose from dire poverty in the East End of London to become an idol both sides of the pond. He rubbed shoulders with Chicago mobsters during the 1920’s prohibition and hung out with Hollywood actors and of course, actresses. However; let’s be clear about something - he was one hell of a fighter, with his unmistakeable flailing style. It will be a long time before another fighter is worthy of the ‘Kid’ moniker. If they adopt it, they will have a lot to live up to.
Fascinating quote by Kid Berg about what it was like to fight in his era.
''Sometimes the referees in those days had sticking plasters in their pockets - that was all the medication available. No doctors at ringside. There was no Board of Control, and they paid you out in coppers. They had a big bag of coppers, and if you went down the referee would say, 'if you don't get up, you won't get paid.' So you got up.''
In 1930, Kid Berg became the first person to hand Kid Chocolate a loss a a professional, he would repeat this feat in their rematch in 1932. At the time, Chocolate had a record of 55-0-1. This is a write-up on the first meeting and you can see why Kid Chocolate was so difficult to defeat. But Berg's whirlwind style attack wore Chocolate out, and by the end of the fight Chocolate couldn't even lift his hands. Nice photo of Berg and Chocolate at the weigh-in.
Credit: Associated Press
"The winning streak that Kid Chocolate appeared to have kept intact was brought to a sudden end. Snapped after two years of unbroken victory by the lean little English whirlwind Jack (Kid) Berg. Chocolate landed the cleaner, more effective blows. He had Berg somewhat groggy with a sensational attack in the 3rd round, the most exciting of the entire fight. The Kid was also the faster, better boxer whenever he could keep away from the crowding, mauling Englishman. Berg's punches were seldom damaging but they were more persistent. This forcing, plus the fact that Berg unquestionably made the stronger finish apparently swung the decision in his favor. Speared and often baffled by his opponent's speed afoot, Berg nevertheless kept up a steady drumfire that weakened Chocolate. Except for a spurt or two, Chocolate was unable to lift his hands to punch in the last two rounds."
The rematch between Kid Berg and Kid Chocolate.
Whitechapel’s Jack ‘Kid' Berg scored his second victory over Cuba’s legendary Kid Chocolate on July 18th in 1932 winning another 15 round decision before a crowd of 20,000 at the Madison Square Garden Bowl in Queens.
Associated Press reported: "Chocolate scored the heavier punches and although there were no knockdowns, he had the tireless Briton in distress in the early rounds and again in the 13th. Berg never stopped his forward charging, however and beat an endless tattoo on the slender Cuban's body. For the first five rounds the Cuban met Berg's charges with two-fisted thrusts that threatened to douse Berg in the resin. But he could not put the game little Briton down, and as the fight wore on, it was Berg, and not the fierce-punching Cuban who took the upper hand.”
Let's get some photos of Jack "Kid" Berg in here. Announcer Joe Humphries raises the hand of Berg after he defeated American boxer Tony Herrera, aka, "The Symphony in Leather". The fight took place at Madison Square Garden in May, 1931.
Kid Berg (left) fights Arthur Danaha at Clapton Greyhound track.
Kid Berg (left) and Tony Canzoneri showing what's at stake before their fight.
Sick photo of Kid Berg with the Jewish Star of David on his trunks. This is the photo that was used on his 1938 Cartledge Knock Out Razor Blades card, one of my favorite sets.
Kid Berg playing with a friendly dog.
Kid Berg signing autographs for some young fans.