SUMMER TIME FIGHTS: by brian zelley
*One of the fights that I remember from the good old summer time
was the Middleweight title fight between champion EMILE GRIFFITH
and JOEY ARCHER that took place on July 13, 1966. The fight went
the distance with Emile winning the decision, but there was plenty of
excellent boxer by both Griffith and Archer for 15 rounds.
Before and after that bout, there were plenty of other great and some
not so great summer time bouts.
HEAVYWEIGHTS:
The year was 1949 in the early days of the summer when
EZZARD CHARLES would win the vacant heavyweight
title with a victory of JERSEY JOE WALCOTT. But, in
the summer time of '51, old Jersey Joe was a great underdog
but he would shock the world with a one punch knockout of
the champion to win the heavyweight title.
In 1957, the then heavyweight champion FLOYD PATTERSON
would score a pair of victories over Tommy Jackson and the
recent amateur PETE RADEMACHER.
There would be other heavyweight summer bouts, and also
many of the other divisions.
THE LAST 100 YEARS:
*Stepping back 100 years ago, there were two title fights of note
that took place in the summer of 1912 including:
*A July 4th. victory by heavyweight champion JACK JOHNSON
over Fireman Jim Flynn, and
a July 4th victory by lightweight champion AD WOLGAST
over Joe Rivers. One year later it would be the new
lightweight champion WILLIE RITCHIE who would score
a knockout victory over Rivers in San Francisco, California.
and in 1914 during the month of July, FREDDIE WELSH
would earn a decision victory over Ritchie in London.
*It was in the summer of 1919, when JACK DEMPSEY
would begin his term as heavyweight champion when he
stopped Jess Willard in four rounds at Toledo, Ohio.
*** THE ROARING TWENTIES SUMMER MOMENTS***
*Welterweight champion JACK BRITTON would kick off
summer action with a 12 round draw with one Lou Bogash.
In July of 1921 champions Jack Dempsey would see Johnny Wilson.
Dempsey would stop George Carpentier and middleweight Wilson
would earn a victory over William Bryan Downey in Cleveland.
*in the summer of 1922, JOHNNY DUNDEE would earn a
two wins in the Jr. lightweight division and a victory in the
featherweight division.
*Fast forward to the summer of 1929 and some of the
champions in action were:
Tommy Loughran, Jackie Fields, and Sammy Mandell.
*** THE DAYS OF THE DEPRESSION ***
*It was the summer of 1932 and light-heavyweight champion
MAXIE ROSENBLOOM would slap and dance to a 15 round
victory over Lou Scozza in Buffalo, NY and TEDDY YAROSZ
would earn a piece of the middleweight title with a victory
over Vince Dundee in Pittsburgh. And, it was 1936 when
FREDDY STEELE won a piece of the middleweight title
with a victory over Babe Risko in Seattle.
*But, it was the summer of 1937 when TOMMY FARR
went 15-rounds with heavyweight champion JOE LOUIS
in New York. Louis had recently won the title from
JAMES J. BRADDOCK "The Cinderella Man" who
had given hope to many during those days of the
depression years.
*** beyond the war years ***
It was 1947, and one of the great fights took place in chicago
when the bout that triggered the movie
"Somebody Up There Likes Me" was the victory by
ROCKY GRAZIANO over TONY ZALE for the
Middleweight championship of the world.
*And it was 1948 in London, when FREDDY MILLS
won the light-heavyweight title from GUS LESNEVICH.
For England, it was one of those historical moments when
Mills would become the first British boxer to win the
light-heavyweight title since BOB FITZSIMMONS.
