"Did you ever hear about my bout with Lorenzo Pack? That was rather early in my career, 10 years before my first [Joe] Louis bout. There was an undertaker friend of mine, and he was talking with Pack on the afternoon of the fight. He asked him if he didn't realize that he was taking on a rather tough customer in me. 'Aw, don't worry,' scoffed Lorenzo. 'l'm going to paint the town red with his bIood tonight.' Well, l knocked him out in four rounds, and it was two weeks before he got out of the hospital. l was sort of upset at first, but when he came around alright and my friend, the undertaker, told me about his boast l got quite a chuckle out of it."
Up next, Bob "Bobcat" Montgomery, two-time lightweight champion in the 1940s. He earned his nickname because that's how he fought, like a bobcat. Bob Montgomery won acclaim for his aggressive, take no prisoners approach. His intense boxing style led sportswriter Johnny Webster of the Philadelphia Inquirer to dub Montgomery the "Bobcat" because of Montgomery's way of continually moving forward and pawing an opponent until he got them."
THE "PHILADELPHIA Bobcat" turned pro in 1938 and campaigned primarily in Philadelphia and Atlantic City, going unbeaten in his first 23 fights.
He is best known for splitting his thrilling four-fight series with fellow Hall of Famer, Beau Jack. In their first meeting, on May 21, 1943, Montgomery won the New York State world lightweight title by decisioning Jack over 15 rounds. He would lose the crown to Jack six months later.
After a win over Ike Williams and a loss to Bummy Davis, Montgomery regained the New York State title with another decision over Jack in 1944. The most famous Montgomery-Jack encounter, however, was their August 4, 1944 non-title bout at Madison Square Garden. The 15,822 who attended were encouraged to buy war bonds and thus generated a record gate of $35,864,000.
Shortly after, both Montgomery and Jack were inducted into the U.S. Army. In 1946, Montgomery successfully defended his title against Allie Stolz and Wesley Mouzon. He was then knocked out by Williams, the NBA champion, in a 1947-bout to determine an undisputed world lightweight champion.
Over his 97-bout career Montgomery also defeated a legion of top fighters including Lew Jenkins, Davey Day, Lulu Costantino, Fritzie Zivic, Joey Peralta, Leo Rodak and Tony Pellone.
I want to start off with this article about Bob Montgomery's second fight with Wesley Mouzon, it really shows how vicious Montgomery could be. Montgomery really was a take no prisoners type fighter. Besides giving Montgomery his nickname, Johnny Webster of the Philadelphia Inquirer also dubbed Montgomery a "modern day Battling Nelson" due to his aggressiveness.
PHILLY BOXING HISTORY
THE REMATCH:
Bob Montgomery vs. Wesley Mouzon II
By: Andrew Fruman
It was an all-Philadelphia grudge match, pitting the ferocity of a fading star against the natural talents of a teenage phenom. On November 26, 1946, a crowd of 12,416 filled Convention Hall to witness what many believed would be the passing of the torch from the fists of venerable champion, Bob Montgomery, to the sensational young Wesley Mouzon.
The “Bobcat” was only 27 years old, though with his grinding, in-the-trenches style, the wear and tear of almost ninety professional contests was starting to show. Only three months earlier, in a non-title affair, Montgomery had been separated from his senses in less than two rounds of action against Mouzon. A perfect right hand had started the trouble, and a follow-up hail of leather sent the titleholder crumpling to the canvas for the full count.
That surprising first clash, contested at a rainy Shibe Park, had set the tone for a contentious atmosphere heading into the rematch. Montgomery, a notorious slow starter, felt that he’d been rushed into the ring, with the commission wanting to make sure the crowd of 15,000 saw a show before the rains became too heavy. He discounted the challenger’s win, prompting Mouzon to suggest that Montgomery was a “crybaby.”
The word incensed Montgomery and he revealed a growing hatred for the 19-year-old challenger to the press. Described as a “modern day Battling Nelson” by the Philadelphia Inquirer’s John Webster, Montgomery was a mean, unforgiving fighter between the ropes. Said to be in a foul mood throughout his camp, he had been trained to a razor’s edge by Dick Kain, and now with a little extra incentive, the champion promised to deliver havoc. Rather than try and bob and weave from a distance and look to pick his spots, he would attack violently. “I won’t be waiting for him, I’m going to plough right in,” Montgomery promised.
Nothing had ever been easy for Montgomery. One of nine children, he had come north from South Carolina during the Depression, finding his way into a local Philly gym known as the Slaughterhouse. He paid his dues, earning $25 for his professional debut in 1938. The title that he’d won, lost, and regained in three grueling contests with Beau Jack was not about to slip easily from his grasp. “I have never wanted anything better in all my life than to win this fight,” he said about the return clash against Mouzon.
Montgomery was concerned over having to cool down while the pre-fight announcements were made, and the commission appeased him by ruling that the fighters would remain in their dressing rooms until the bout was ready to start. There would be no more than a two-minute delay from the time both men were in the ring until the opening bell for the scheduled fifteen-rounder. Mouzon felt the request was a out of line but agreed, saying, “It makes no difference to me either way.”
At the physical, Mouzon tried to talk to Montgomery, but the champion refused to acknowledge his foe. The angry title-holder further declared that as far as he was concerned, “anything and everything will go” in the fight. “This is for the title,” he said, “and he can fight as dirty as he wants; if he wants, because I’m going to give him the works.”
Mouzon, also born in South Carolina, came north with his family to Philadelphia when he was just a child. Having turned pro a couple years earlier, his rise up the ranks–to the number 2 spot among lightweight contenders–had been rapid. A year earlier, he’d scored a draw against Ike Williams in a fight many spectators felt he’d won. The only blemish since then had been a ten-round loss to rugged welterweight Danny Kapilow. There was no shame in losing to a fighter like the New Yorker, though Mouzon had appeared lackluster in the bout, and the way Kapilow had successfully forced the issue had some believing that Montgomery, if he could survive early, would be able to do the same.
Long, lean, and quick as a whip, Mouzon preferred to battle from range, earning the nickname “The Chocolate Blur” for his lightning-quick hands. In addition to a long jab and fast feet, he used a dangerous right to dissuade the incoming, and though not known as a heavy puncher, the knockout of Montgomery–along with news that he’d just busted up a light-heavyweight in sparring– appeared to indicate the teenager was growing as a puncher.
Despite a height advantage of several inches, he hinted at a desire to battle at close quarters, and predicted he’d wear Montgomery down for a mid-round stoppage. On the surface, it seemed like more talk than anything, as Mouzon was far more of an artist than a brawler. Yet, during the workout sessions leading up to the fight, trainer Gene Buffalo had the rangy speedster standing his ground and freely engaging with his sparring partners. “He’s doing it under orders…. it’s good for Wesley to get the feel of leather against his face.” Buffalo added that his fighter wouldn’t run from Montgomery; Mouzon would use footwork to step around the champion’s bulldog style.
Adding another layer of intrigue, Mouzon was co-managed by Montgomery’s brother Tom, and it was the commission’s ruling that the champion’s sibling would not be allowed to work the challenger’s corner.
The fight was a barnburner from the opening bell, with Mouzon (132 3/4) setting the tempo early, marking up the champion’s face with a rapid-fire left jab while mixing in an assortment of uppercuts and bolo punches. It looked, as with the first fight, that the young star was too quick and too sharp from a distance for Montgomery (135) to bull his way inside.
But the champion pressed harder in the second session, and caught Mouzon with a short right hand that sent the youngster careening into the ropes. Despite the fact that Mouzon got rocked, the round, in the eyes of some, still belonged to the challenger, as did the third. Mouzon was peppering home jabs, whistling right hands, and anything else he could to keep the hard-charging champion off, though Montgomery’s forward march was unyielding. So hard did Montgomery press that he fell flat on his face at one point, after missing with a big hook.
Little by little, Montgomery broke through. He strafed his lanky foe’s midsection with a vigorous body assault, and as the fourth round progressed, it was apparent that the tide was turning, though Mouzon still managed to shake Montgomery in the session with a bolo punch. After the bout, the champion dismissed Mouzon’s power, though he admitted to being a little dazed from the blow.
The fifth saw Mouzon struggling from a big right hand to the stomach. It took the sting from his punches and the bounce from his legs, but more importantly, after the round he was heard telling his corner that he couldn’t see out of his right eye. How the injury happened was unclear. Mouzon claimed after the bout that he’d been thumbed, though it was revealed later that his retina had been partially detached before he’d even stepped in the ring. According to the commission doctors, a punch, not even directly on the optic, could have exacerbated the damage.
Montgomery poured it on, hooking to the body and head, and the sixth and seventh rounds saw Mouzon slowly wilt under the hammering. As Lanse McCurley of the Daily News put it, “Mouzon’s arms began to drop, his guard to fall, his body to bend, his legs to slow.”
By the eighth, the challenger was on shaky ground. He attempted one last stand, opening up on Montgomery with a valiant rally, though after soaking it up, the champion blasted Mouzon into the ropes and pounded him across the ring.
Finally, a left hook smashed against Mouzon’s jaw, and he fell backward into the ropes, before sliding down and landing face first over the lower strand, almost half out of the ring. He desperately tried to rise, and at eight it looked like he might pull himself up, though he sagged back down for the count. The time was 2:18 when Referee Charlie Daggert reached ten.
“Who’s a crybaby now? That boy had no right to talk that way,” Montgomery said after it was all over.
In the dressing room, a downcast Mouzon held an ice pack over his eye. He said he wanted a rematch, though it would be less than a half hour before he’d learn that his career was likely over. Two physicians were called in to see the teenager, and it was suggested that he rest for a couple of weeks, in hopes that the blood might drain from the eye and the condition heal itself. The months that followed would be difficult. After two surgeries to partially restore his vision, it was confirmed in January that his career was finished.
Years later, Mouzon would reveal that he knew going into the bout that his career was likely over. “I had no vision in the right eye going into the fight.” He had suffered the retina injury in training during a sparring session, after an opponent’s gloves had not been wiped off after a knockdown. Trainer Gene Buffalo wanted to call off the fight, but Mouzon was adamant about taking on Montgomery. “You know how young fighters are – any youngster, for that matter. I wanted to fight.”
When asked by the Associated Press how he’d managed to pass the physical, Mouzon said it was easy. “You just had to read an eye chart, and I had memorized it. All fighters memorized the chart in those days.”
Mouzon moved to New York a few years later, and gained an associate degree from Taylor Business Institute. Eventually he would return to Philadelphia and to boxing, training fighters, including Dwight Muhammad Qawi. Mouzon took great pride when his pupil won the light-heavyweight crown, stating that, “It was like my own dream coming true.”
For Montgomery, the win over Mouzon would prove to be his last successful title defense. The following August he took on Ike Williams. It was another rematch. In 1944 Montgomery had given Williams a savage pasting on the way to a 12th-round knockout. In the years since, Williams had brooded over the result, waiting for his chance at revenge. It would come in the sixth round, when Montgomery, who was starting to rally after his typical slow start, walked into a straight right hand. The punch sent him backwards, spinning over the second rope, before he slid down to the canvas. Never one to go down easy, Montgomery was up at nine, but was beaten into helplessness by his bitter foe. His time as a champion was over, as was his career. He would fight six more times after losing to Williams, without gaining a victory.
In retirement, Montgomery lived for a time off his ring earnings before working as a salesman for a beer company and as a city gang-control worker.
Montgomery and Mouzon stayed in touch, and still saw each other on occasion as old men. When Montgomery was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1995, Mouzon was happy to hear that his old foe was now recognized as one of the greats.
“Bob deserves the honor,” Mouzon said. “He should have made it a long time ago.”
Bob Montgomery and Beau Jack had a brutal rivalry, from May of 1943 to August of 1944 they fought four times, splitting the series and swapping the lightweight title twice. Each fight went the distance, they went a total of 55 rounds with eachother. It truly was one of boxing's great rivalries. I'm not going to attempt to keep these photos in order, it gets too confusing trying to figure out which photos are from which fights, I'm just going to post some photos from this great rivalry. Some good shots of Bob Montgomery catching Beau Jack against the ropes.
Here's a photo of Bob Montgomery and Beau Jack chilling and having a good time, a sharp contrast to the photo above. Boxing is a fascinating sport, staring eachother down with murder in their eyes one minute, hanging out and joking around the next.
These photos were taken after Bob Montgomery defeated Beau Jack for the lightweight title on May 21st, 1943, at Madison Square Garden.
Credit: Philly Boxing History
Bob Montgomery became lightweight champion for the first time with a 15-round decision over Beau Jack, at Madison Square Garden in New York. The win, which played out before 18,343 fans, was a decisive one for Montgomery. Bob started slowly but then built a commanding leading, scoring a knockdown and almost completely closing Jack's eyes along the way.
This fight launched a legendary four-bout rivalry between the North Philadelphian, Montgomery and Jack of Augusta, GA. All their matches were hotly contested, with both men winning two decisions each. It was the perfect rivalry. But as grueling and competitive as they were inside the ring, these two Hall of Famers remained friends outside it.
Montgomery would lose his title to Beau later that year, only to regain it in 1944.
For anyone reading this thread in the future, I just want to get something off my chest. I voted for the lady in 2024, I stood on the right side of history. The majority of the people on this forum stood on the wrong side of history and it's why I really don't want to associate with anyone around here anymore and I keep to myself. It's a shame because I'm a prolific poster and love to entertain and have fun, I could really do a lot to for the atmosphere of this place. I just can't stand to interact with people that support the morally corrupt piece of garbage currently occupying the White House.
One more look at this photo from the Bob Montgomery-Beau Jack series really shows how brutal the sport is, look at the swelling on their faces. This photo was taken after Montgomery won the lightweight title back from Beau Jack in 1944.
Credit: Philly Boxing History
BOBCAT BACK ON TOP
On this day in 1944, Bob Montgomery, the Philadelphia Bobcat, clawed his way back to the top of the lightweight division with a 15-round split decision over Beau Jack, the man who had taken his title just four months before. The fight took place before a crowd of 19,066 dizzy fans at New York's hallowed hall, Madison Square Garden. Montgomery had to struggle to make the 135 pound limit, but his work in the steam room did the trick. The fight itself was a hard-fought battle where many of the rounds could have gone either way. Jack took the first two sessions before Montgomery strung together rounds three through nine. In the tenth, Montgomery's steam work and Jack's persistence started to take its toll. As Bob started to tire, Jack closed the gap. But Monty showed his stuff and kept fighting, even though his strength was sapped. The contest went the fifteen round limit and in the end, the official vote was split and close all the way around. With the win, Montgomery became the third man ever to regain the lightweight title. The previous two men to manage the feat were Lou Ambers & Beau Jack. Bob Montgomery and Beau Jack fought each other a total of four times in 1943 & 1944. Their rivalry was one of the great disputes of the lightweight division - four evenly matched bouts at the Garden - three for the title, all four matches went the full limit, 55 total rounds, with each man winning two fights. In their four bouts, the title changed three times. Although they were fierce opponents, Jack & Montgomery remained friends outside the ring.
This is a photo of Bob Montgomery and Mike Evans at the weigh-in before their bout on October 23, 1939 at the Arena in Philadelphia. This bout was for the USA Pennsylvania State Lightweight Championship. Montgomery prevailed winning a unanimous ten round decision.
This is a photo from Bob Montgomery's fight with Lew Jenkins on May 16th, 1941. They fought twice, splitting their series. Look at the blood on Jenkins' face, and the shell-shocked expression, Montgomery was known for being relentless as hell and having a vicious body attack and powerful right hand. He could bust you up.
This is a photo of Bob tossing his boxing gloves in his bag while Montgomery stationed at Ft. Benning in Georgia while in the service himself. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. Drafted in 1944, he served until 1945 and was discharged as a Corporal at Luke Air Field in Arizona before returning to his professional boxing career.
Bob Montgomery looks on after knocking Allie Stolz to the canvas one of several times in their clash for the NYSAC lightweight title at Madison Square Garden on June 28th in 1946. Referee and former pro fighter Ruby Goldstein signaled the end to Bob Montgomery's defense of the lightweight title when Stolz failed to beat the count in the 13th round at Madison Square Garden.
Bob Montgomery and Ike Williams had a fierce, violent rivalry. They fought twice, both of them ended up getting iced. The first fight took place in 1944 and the second fight was in 1947. Bob Montgomery won the first fight by knocking Williams out in the 12th and in the grudge match Williams got Montgomery in the 6th. This is a photo of Bob Montgomery and Ike Williams facing off before a bout, I actually own this type 1 original photo. Talk about two alpha male lions, wow.
Another photo of Bob Montgomery and Ike Williams facing off and a photo of Montgomery and Williams staring eachother down at a contract signing, check out the venom in these staredowns.
It's a shame that there aren't any photos from their first fight, when Montgomery knocked Williams out, but here are some photos from the weigh-in and second Bob Montgomery-Ike Williams fight. Check out the photos of Montgomery catching Williams with a uppercut right in the throat, brutal stuff.
Bob Montgomery vs "The Croat Comet" Fritzie Zivic on August 23rd in 1943, Montgomery scored a 10 round unanimous decision over Zivic in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Montgomery, the NYSAC lightweight champion, out-fought the larger Zivic in this non-title bout.
Philly Boxing Royalty, from left to right: Bob Montgomery, Harold Johnson, J Russell Peltz, Matthew Saad Muhammad and Jeff Chandler pictured at a function in 1989.
This is a Bob Montgomery special autographed photo numbered to /125 copies that was issued when Montgomery was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in June of 1995. The International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) in Canastota, New York, was established in 1989, with its inaugural induction ceremony taking place in June 1990. Founded to honor local champions Carmen Basilio and Billy Backus, it became and still is the premier institution for recognizing boxing history following the closure of the previous Ring Magazine Hall of Fame. To put it in simple terms, it's the Cooperstown of boxing, the place you want to be enshrined when your career is over.
The great Bob Montgomery, aka "Bobcat", training at the famous Stillman's gym in New York City in 1943. From what I've read about him, he was an aggressive technician, sharp, accurate punching, liked to work the body, and tended to fight out of a crouch. It's a shame there's no fight footage of him, would love to see him in action.
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A very rare book about Mysterious Billy Smith written in 1996. Very rare book.
"Did you ever hear about my bout with Lorenzo Pack? That was rather early in my career, 10 years before my first [Joe] Louis bout. There was an undertaker friend of mine, and he was talking with Pack on the afternoon of the fight. He asked him if he didn't realize that he was taking on a rather tough customer in me. 'Aw, don't worry,' scoffed Lorenzo. 'l'm going to paint the town red with his bIood tonight.' Well, l knocked him out in four rounds, and it was two weeks before he got out of the hospital. l was sort of upset at first, but when he came around alright and my friend, the undertaker, told me about his boast l got quite a chuckle out of it."
This is awesome, I finally found the photo that was used for the image of Jersey Joe Walcott on the 2009 Sport Kings Gum card.
Up next, Bob "Bobcat" Montgomery, two-time lightweight champion in the 1940s. He earned his nickname because that's how he fought, like a bobcat. Bob Montgomery won acclaim for his aggressive, take no prisoners approach. His intense boxing style led sportswriter Johnny Webster of the Philadelphia Inquirer to dub Montgomery the "Bobcat" because of Montgomery's way of continually moving forward and pawing an opponent until he got them."
THE "PHILADELPHIA Bobcat" turned pro in 1938 and campaigned primarily in Philadelphia and Atlantic City, going unbeaten in his first 23 fights.
He is best known for splitting his thrilling four-fight series with fellow Hall of Famer, Beau Jack. In their first meeting, on May 21, 1943, Montgomery won the New York State world lightweight title by decisioning Jack over 15 rounds. He would lose the crown to Jack six months later.
After a win over Ike Williams and a loss to Bummy Davis, Montgomery regained the New York State title with another decision over Jack in 1944. The most famous Montgomery-Jack encounter, however, was their August 4, 1944 non-title bout at Madison Square Garden. The 15,822 who attended were encouraged to buy war bonds and thus generated a record gate of $35,864,000.
Shortly after, both Montgomery and Jack were inducted into the U.S. Army. In 1946, Montgomery successfully defended his title against Allie Stolz and Wesley Mouzon. He was then knocked out by Williams, the NBA champion, in a 1947-bout to determine an undisputed world lightweight champion.
Over his 97-bout career Montgomery also defeated a legion of top fighters including Lew Jenkins, Davey Day, Lulu Costantino, Fritzie Zivic, Joey Peralta, Leo Rodak and Tony Pellone.
I want to start off with this article about Bob Montgomery's second fight with Wesley Mouzon, it really shows how vicious Montgomery could be. Montgomery really was a take no prisoners type fighter. Besides giving Montgomery his nickname, Johnny Webster of the Philadelphia Inquirer also dubbed Montgomery a "modern day Battling Nelson" due to his aggressiveness.
PHILLY BOXING HISTORY
THE REMATCH:
Bob Montgomery vs. Wesley Mouzon II
By: Andrew Fruman
It was an all-Philadelphia grudge match, pitting the ferocity of a fading star against the natural talents of a teenage phenom. On November 26, 1946, a crowd of 12,416 filled Convention Hall to witness what many believed would be the passing of the torch from the fists of venerable champion, Bob Montgomery, to the sensational young Wesley Mouzon.
The “Bobcat” was only 27 years old, though with his grinding, in-the-trenches style, the wear and tear of almost ninety professional contests was starting to show. Only three months earlier, in a non-title affair, Montgomery had been separated from his senses in less than two rounds of action against Mouzon. A perfect right hand had started the trouble, and a follow-up hail of leather sent the titleholder crumpling to the canvas for the full count.
That surprising first clash, contested at a rainy Shibe Park, had set the tone for a contentious atmosphere heading into the rematch. Montgomery, a notorious slow starter, felt that he’d been rushed into the ring, with the commission wanting to make sure the crowd of 15,000 saw a show before the rains became too heavy. He discounted the challenger’s win, prompting Mouzon to suggest that Montgomery was a “crybaby.”
The word incensed Montgomery and he revealed a growing hatred for the 19-year-old challenger to the press. Described as a “modern day Battling Nelson” by the Philadelphia Inquirer’s John Webster, Montgomery was a mean, unforgiving fighter between the ropes. Said to be in a foul mood throughout his camp, he had been trained to a razor’s edge by Dick Kain, and now with a little extra incentive, the champion promised to deliver havoc. Rather than try and bob and weave from a distance and look to pick his spots, he would attack violently. “I won’t be waiting for him, I’m going to plough right in,” Montgomery promised.
Nothing had ever been easy for Montgomery. One of nine children, he had come north from South Carolina during the Depression, finding his way into a local Philly gym known as the Slaughterhouse. He paid his dues, earning $25 for his professional debut in 1938. The title that he’d won, lost, and regained in three grueling contests with Beau Jack was not about to slip easily from his grasp. “I have never wanted anything better in all my life than to win this fight,” he said about the return clash against Mouzon.
Montgomery was concerned over having to cool down while the pre-fight announcements were made, and the commission appeased him by ruling that the fighters would remain in their dressing rooms until the bout was ready to start. There would be no more than a two-minute delay from the time both men were in the ring until the opening bell for the scheduled fifteen-rounder. Mouzon felt the request was a out of line but agreed, saying, “It makes no difference to me either way.”
At the physical, Mouzon tried to talk to Montgomery, but the champion refused to acknowledge his foe. The angry title-holder further declared that as far as he was concerned, “anything and everything will go” in the fight. “This is for the title,” he said, “and he can fight as dirty as he wants; if he wants, because I’m going to give him the works.”
Mouzon, also born in South Carolina, came north with his family to Philadelphia when he was just a child. Having turned pro a couple years earlier, his rise up the ranks–to the number 2 spot among lightweight contenders–had been rapid. A year earlier, he’d scored a draw against Ike Williams in a fight many spectators felt he’d won. The only blemish since then had been a ten-round loss to rugged welterweight Danny Kapilow. There was no shame in losing to a fighter like the New Yorker, though Mouzon had appeared lackluster in the bout, and the way Kapilow had successfully forced the issue had some believing that Montgomery, if he could survive early, would be able to do the same.
Long, lean, and quick as a whip, Mouzon preferred to battle from range, earning the nickname “The Chocolate Blur” for his lightning-quick hands. In addition to a long jab and fast feet, he used a dangerous right to dissuade the incoming, and though not known as a heavy puncher, the knockout of Montgomery–along with news that he’d just busted up a light-heavyweight in sparring– appeared to indicate the teenager was growing as a puncher.
Despite a height advantage of several inches, he hinted at a desire to battle at close quarters, and predicted he’d wear Montgomery down for a mid-round stoppage. On the surface, it seemed like more talk than anything, as Mouzon was far more of an artist than a brawler. Yet, during the workout sessions leading up to the fight, trainer Gene Buffalo had the rangy speedster standing his ground and freely engaging with his sparring partners. “He’s doing it under orders…. it’s good for Wesley to get the feel of leather against his face.” Buffalo added that his fighter wouldn’t run from Montgomery; Mouzon would use footwork to step around the champion’s bulldog style.
Adding another layer of intrigue, Mouzon was co-managed by Montgomery’s brother Tom, and it was the commission’s ruling that the champion’s sibling would not be allowed to work the challenger’s corner.
The fight was a barnburner from the opening bell, with Mouzon (132 3/4) setting the tempo early, marking up the champion’s face with a rapid-fire left jab while mixing in an assortment of uppercuts and bolo punches. It looked, as with the first fight, that the young star was too quick and too sharp from a distance for Montgomery (135) to bull his way inside.
But the champion pressed harder in the second session, and caught Mouzon with a short right hand that sent the youngster careening into the ropes. Despite the fact that Mouzon got rocked, the round, in the eyes of some, still belonged to the challenger, as did the third. Mouzon was peppering home jabs, whistling right hands, and anything else he could to keep the hard-charging champion off, though Montgomery’s forward march was unyielding. So hard did Montgomery press that he fell flat on his face at one point, after missing with a big hook.
Little by little, Montgomery broke through. He strafed his lanky foe’s midsection with a vigorous body assault, and as the fourth round progressed, it was apparent that the tide was turning, though Mouzon still managed to shake Montgomery in the session with a bolo punch. After the bout, the champion dismissed Mouzon’s power, though he admitted to being a little dazed from the blow.
The fifth saw Mouzon struggling from a big right hand to the stomach. It took the sting from his punches and the bounce from his legs, but more importantly, after the round he was heard telling his corner that he couldn’t see out of his right eye. How the injury happened was unclear. Mouzon claimed after the bout that he’d been thumbed, though it was revealed later that his retina had been partially detached before he’d even stepped in the ring. According to the commission doctors, a punch, not even directly on the optic, could have exacerbated the damage.
Montgomery poured it on, hooking to the body and head, and the sixth and seventh rounds saw Mouzon slowly wilt under the hammering. As Lanse McCurley of the Daily News put it, “Mouzon’s arms began to drop, his guard to fall, his body to bend, his legs to slow.”
By the eighth, the challenger was on shaky ground. He attempted one last stand, opening up on Montgomery with a valiant rally, though after soaking it up, the champion blasted Mouzon into the ropes and pounded him across the ring.
Finally, a left hook smashed against Mouzon’s jaw, and he fell backward into the ropes, before sliding down and landing face first over the lower strand, almost half out of the ring. He desperately tried to rise, and at eight it looked like he might pull himself up, though he sagged back down for the count. The time was 2:18 when Referee Charlie Daggert reached ten.
“Who’s a crybaby now? That boy had no right to talk that way,” Montgomery said after it was all over.
In the dressing room, a downcast Mouzon held an ice pack over his eye. He said he wanted a rematch, though it would be less than a half hour before he’d learn that his career was likely over. Two physicians were called in to see the teenager, and it was suggested that he rest for a couple of weeks, in hopes that the blood might drain from the eye and the condition heal itself. The months that followed would be difficult. After two surgeries to partially restore his vision, it was confirmed in January that his career was finished.
Years later, Mouzon would reveal that he knew going into the bout that his career was likely over. “I had no vision in the right eye going into the fight.” He had suffered the retina injury in training during a sparring session, after an opponent’s gloves had not been wiped off after a knockdown. Trainer Gene Buffalo wanted to call off the fight, but Mouzon was adamant about taking on Montgomery. “You know how young fighters are – any youngster, for that matter. I wanted to fight.”
When asked by the Associated Press how he’d managed to pass the physical, Mouzon said it was easy. “You just had to read an eye chart, and I had memorized it. All fighters memorized the chart in those days.”
Mouzon moved to New York a few years later, and gained an associate degree from Taylor Business Institute. Eventually he would return to Philadelphia and to boxing, training fighters, including Dwight Muhammad Qawi. Mouzon took great pride when his pupil won the light-heavyweight crown, stating that, “It was like my own dream coming true.”
For Montgomery, the win over Mouzon would prove to be his last successful title defense. The following August he took on Ike Williams. It was another rematch. In 1944 Montgomery had given Williams a savage pasting on the way to a 12th-round knockout. In the years since, Williams had brooded over the result, waiting for his chance at revenge. It would come in the sixth round, when Montgomery, who was starting to rally after his typical slow start, walked into a straight right hand. The punch sent him backwards, spinning over the second rope, before he slid down to the canvas. Never one to go down easy, Montgomery was up at nine, but was beaten into helplessness by his bitter foe. His time as a champion was over, as was his career. He would fight six more times after losing to Williams, without gaining a victory.
In retirement, Montgomery lived for a time off his ring earnings before working as a salesman for a beer company and as a city gang-control worker.
Montgomery and Mouzon stayed in touch, and still saw each other on occasion as old men. When Montgomery was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1995, Mouzon was happy to hear that his old foe was now recognized as one of the greats.
“Bob deserves the honor,” Mouzon said. “He should have made it a long time ago.”
Bob Montgomery and Beau Jack had a brutal rivalry, from May of 1943 to August of 1944 they fought four times, splitting the series and swapping the lightweight title twice. Each fight went the distance, they went a total of 55 rounds with eachother. It truly was one of boxing's great rivalries. I'm not going to attempt to keep these photos in order, it gets too confusing trying to figure out which photos are from which fights, I'm just going to post some photos from this great rivalry. Some good shots of Bob Montgomery catching Beau Jack against the ropes.
Epic shots showing Beau Jack delivering uppercuts to Bob Montgomery during their series.
Bob Montgomery and Beau Jack shaking hands at a weigh-in before one of their bouts. Look at that staredown.
Here's a photo of Bob Montgomery and Beau Jack chilling and having a good time, a sharp contrast to the photo above. Boxing is a fascinating sport, staring eachother down with murder in their eyes one minute, hanging out and joking around the next.
These photos were taken after Bob Montgomery defeated Beau Jack for the lightweight title on May 21st, 1943, at Madison Square Garden.
Credit: Philly Boxing History
Bob Montgomery became lightweight champion for the first time with a 15-round decision over Beau Jack, at Madison Square Garden in New York. The win, which played out before 18,343 fans, was a decisive one for Montgomery. Bob started slowly but then built a commanding leading, scoring a knockdown and almost completely closing Jack's eyes along the way.
This fight launched a legendary four-bout rivalry between the North Philadelphian, Montgomery and Jack of Augusta, GA. All their matches were hotly contested, with both men winning two decisions each. It was the perfect rivalry. But as grueling and competitive as they were inside the ring, these two Hall of Famers remained friends outside it.
Montgomery would lose his title to Beau later that year, only to regain it in 1944.
For anyone reading this thread in the future, I just want to get something off my chest. I voted for the lady in 2024, I stood on the right side of history. The majority of the people on this forum stood on the wrong side of history and it's why I really don't want to associate with anyone around here anymore and I keep to myself. It's a shame because I'm a prolific poster and love to entertain and have fun, I could really do a lot to for the atmosphere of this place. I just can't stand to interact with people that support the morally corrupt piece of garbage currently occupying the White House.
More great shots of Bob Montgomery and Beau Jack.
More shots from the Bob Montgomery and Beau Jack series.
Great shots of Bob Montgomery and Beau Jack facing off.
Bob Montgomery and Beau Jack on the cover of The Ring magazine in November of 1944.
One more look at this photo from the Bob Montgomery-Beau Jack series really shows how brutal the sport is, look at the swelling on their faces. This photo was taken after Montgomery won the lightweight title back from Beau Jack in 1944.
Credit: Philly Boxing History
BOBCAT BACK ON TOP
On this day in 1944, Bob Montgomery, the Philadelphia Bobcat, clawed his way back to the top of the lightweight division with a 15-round split decision over Beau Jack, the man who had taken his title just four months before. The fight took place before a crowd of 19,066 dizzy fans at New York's hallowed hall, Madison Square Garden. Montgomery had to struggle to make the 135 pound limit, but his work in the steam room did the trick. The fight itself was a hard-fought battle where many of the rounds could have gone either way. Jack took the first two sessions before Montgomery strung together rounds three through nine. In the tenth, Montgomery's steam work and Jack's persistence started to take its toll. As Bob started to tire, Jack closed the gap. But Monty showed his stuff and kept fighting, even though his strength was sapped. The contest went the fifteen round limit and in the end, the official vote was split and close all the way around. With the win, Montgomery became the third man ever to regain the lightweight title. The previous two men to manage the feat were Lou Ambers & Beau Jack. Bob Montgomery and Beau Jack fought each other a total of four times in 1943 & 1944. Their rivalry was one of the great disputes of the lightweight division - four evenly matched bouts at the Garden - three for the title, all four matches went the full limit, 55 total rounds, with each man winning two fights. In their four bouts, the title changed three times. Although they were fierce opponents, Jack & Montgomery remained friends outside the ring.
Awesome 1944 Willard Mullin cartoon depicting the rivalry between Bob Montgomery and Beau Jack.
This is a photo of Bob Montgomery facing off with Sammy Angott before their bout on March 6, 1942, at Madison Square Garden in New York.
A photo from the Bob Montgomery-Sammy Angott bout.
This is a photo of Bob Montgomery and Mike Evans at the weigh-in before their bout on October 23, 1939 at the Arena in Philadelphia. This bout was for the USA Pennsylvania State Lightweight Championship. Montgomery prevailed winning a unanimous ten round decision.
This is a photo from Bob Montgomery's fight with Lew Jenkins on May 16th, 1941. They fought twice, splitting their series. Look at the blood on Jenkins' face, and the shell-shocked expression, Montgomery was known for being relentless as hell and having a vicious body attack and powerful right hand. He could bust you up.
Bob Montgomery on the cover of The Ring magazine in October of 1943.
Bob Montgomery on a real photo postcard.
This is a photo of Bob Montgomery shaking hands with a really big service member in the 1940s.
This is a photo of Bob tossing his boxing gloves in his bag while Montgomery stationed at Ft. Benning in Georgia while in the service himself. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. Drafted in 1944, he served until 1945 and was discharged as a Corporal at Luke Air Field in Arizona before returning to his professional boxing career.
Bob Montgomery taking a break from training.
Bob Montgomery looks on after knocking Allie Stolz to the canvas one of several times in their clash for the NYSAC lightweight title at Madison Square Garden on June 28th in 1946. Referee and former pro fighter Ruby Goldstein signaled the end to Bob Montgomery's defense of the lightweight title when Stolz failed to beat the count in the 13th round at Madison Square Garden.
Bob Montgomery and Ike Williams had a fierce, violent rivalry. They fought twice, both of them ended up getting iced. The first fight took place in 1944 and the second fight was in 1947. Bob Montgomery won the first fight by knocking Williams out in the 12th and in the grudge match Williams got Montgomery in the 6th. This is a photo of Bob Montgomery and Ike Williams facing off before a bout, I actually own this type 1 original photo. Talk about two alpha male lions, wow.
Another photo of Bob Montgomery and Ike Williams facing off and a photo of Montgomery and Williams staring eachother down at a contract signing, check out the venom in these staredowns.
It's a shame that there aren't any photos from their first fight, when Montgomery knocked Williams out, but here are some photos from the weigh-in and second Bob Montgomery-Ike Williams fight. Check out the photos of Montgomery catching Williams with a uppercut right in the throat, brutal stuff.
Ike Williams getting Montgomery in the 6th round of their second fight.
1951 Topps Ringside Bob Montgomery and the photo that was used for the image on the card.
This is a 1951 Topps Ringside Bob Montgomery autographed by the man himself. Ridiculously rare.
1948 Leaf Boxing Bob Montgomery and the photo that was used for the image of Montgomery in the card. Don't know why Leaf took the belt off of him.
An autographed Bob Montgomery boxing exhibit card.
Bob Montgomery vs "The Croat Comet" Fritzie Zivic on August 23rd in 1943, Montgomery scored a 10 round unanimous decision over Zivic in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Montgomery, the NYSAC lightweight champion, out-fought the larger Zivic in this non-title bout.
Bob Montgomery on a 1940-70 Boxing News Photos card.
Philly Boxing Royalty, from left to right: Bob Montgomery, Harold Johnson, J Russell Peltz, Matthew Saad Muhammad and Jeff Chandler pictured at a function in 1989.
Bob Montgomery looks back at Jesse Flores after knocking him out in the 3rd round on March 31st in 1947.
A Bob Montgomery pinback button from the circa 1940s when he was lightweight champion.
This is a Bob Montgomery special autographed photo numbered to /125 copies that was issued when Montgomery was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in June of 1995. The International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) in Canastota, New York, was established in 1989, with its inaugural induction ceremony taking place in June 1990. Founded to honor local champions Carmen Basilio and Billy Backus, it became and still is the premier institution for recognizing boxing history following the closure of the previous Ring Magazine Hall of Fame. To put it in simple terms, it's the Cooperstown of boxing, the place you want to be enshrined when your career is over.
This is a photo of Bob Montgomery, general John J. Phelan of the Boxing Commission, and Commissioner Bill Brown taken in 1941.
This next series of photos is Bob Montgomery in fight poses at various stages in his career.
This was a photo of Bob Montgomery shaking hands with Beau Jack before one of their fights but sadly the photo was damaged.
These last three photos of Bob Montgomery are my favorites. Good up-close shot.
This up-close shot of Bob Montgomery is my favorite image of him, with the bare fists.
The great Bob Montgomery, aka "Bobcat", training at the famous Stillman's gym in New York City in 1943. From what I've read about him, he was an aggressive technician, sharp, accurate punching, liked to work the body, and tended to fight out of a crouch. It's a shame there's no fight footage of him, would love to see him in action.