Curley Smith & Co

[Ben Bolt]

Would be interesting if members of this history section dug into the boxrec-archives to highlight the forgotten contenders.

We already know so much about the household names.

Found this peace from a bout between a Curley Smith (53-15-14) and a Charley Nashert (44-8-9), July 28, 1922:
Smith knocked down Nashert for a nine-count, and disqualified himself by quitting the ring – thinking he had secured a knockout.

Of Nashert, boxrec tells us that he served in World War I as a Corporal in 35th Company, 9th Receiving Battalion, 162 Depot Brigade. He served between August 29, 1918, and April 11, 1919. In 1920 he was living in Oklahoma City and working as a pugilist.

Well, the WW1 was almost over. Still, he lived in rough times, and went straight from the military to a lot of wars between the ropes to earn a living.

I bet he and Curley had envied us, who don’t have to worry too much about if there’s food on the table tomorrow (which we shouldn’t take for granted).

[aboutfkntime]

Would be interesting if members of this history section dug into the boxrec-archives to highlight the forgotten contenders.

We already know so much about the household names.

Found this peace from a bout between a Curley Smith (53-15-14) and a Charley Nashert (44-8-9), July 28, 1922:
Smith knocked down Nashert for a nine-count, and disqualified himself by quitting the ring – thinking he had secured a knockout.

Of Nashert, boxrec tells us that he served in World War I as a Corporal in 35th Company, 9th Receiving Battalion, 162 Depot Brigade. He served between August 29, 1918, and April 11, 1919. In 1920 he was living in Oklahoma City and working as a pugilist.

Well, the WW1 was almost over. Still, he lived in rough times, and went straight from the military to a lot of wars between the ropes to earn a living.

I bet he and Curley had envied us, who don’t have to worry too much about if there’s food on the table tomorrow (which we shouldn’t take for granted).

like I often touch on...

people who discredit fighters from the past are just fkn idiots

boxing was much harder back in the day, simply because life was much harder back in the day

[Ben Bolt]

Kid Chocolate, compiled a 55-0-1 record within 2 years and 9 months (Oct 1927–July 1930).

Toronto, Apr 28, 1930, vs Johnny Erickson [boxrec]: "Starting the fifth round, the third man in the ring warned the men to "fight or get out."... Again in the ninth he warned Chocolate that it was his last chance. The warnings had a certain good effect, but not to the desired extent." - Globe & Mail. "Vigorously warned several times during the bout to put a bit more win and wigor into his punches "The Keed" and his handlers vehemently declared that the Cuban wonder had sore hands and even further injured them during the bout." - Toronto Star. After an examination, The O.A.C.'s official physician said that "The left was undoubtedly injured."

Sore hands? No wonder, with that fight activity.

[Ben Bolt]

BoxRec: "One of the noisiest and most disorderly demonstrations the arena ever has witnessed after one of the greatest lightweight championship battles in local ring annals." New York Times

Had Canzoneri (132 lbs), former World Featherweight Champion, made 130 lbs for this bout, he would have been awarded Kid Chocolate's Jr. Lightweight title, and would have become the first four-division champion in history.

Unofficial AP scorecard: 8-5-2 Canzoneri.
New York Times voted for Chocolate.

The date of this fight is Nov. 20, 1931.

How to prepare for a World Title fight:
Kid Chocolate had five bouts in Oct-Nov.
On Nov 2, he faced Lew Feldman in "ten of the most exciting rounds of lightweight fighting seen here in a long time." New York Times
Canzoneri had had a 'long rest' before this encounter. He hadn't boxed since his 10-round title defense on Oct 29.

[Ben Bolt]

Young Stribling (career 1921–33), who shared the same fate as Salvador Sanchez.

From boxrec: Traveling 35 miles per hour on a motorcycle, "Strib" was en route to a hospital to visit his convalescing wife and their brand-new baby born two weeks previously. He waved a greeting to a friend passing in an automobile. But he failed to see another car behind that of his friend. Stribling, who never received a permanent scar due to his great defensive skills, attempted to dodge the second car but was too late.

Hospitalized, his wife was wheeled into his room. He recognized his wife.
According to what papers at the time reported, his last words were: "Hello, baby!”

He had a few more bouts than Sanchez. Boxrec states his record to be 224–13–14.

[Ben Bolt]

Feb 20, 1925: Young Stribling KO6 Ted Jamieson.

The opening round must have been intriguing: Police had to assist referee in separating the 2 fighters after first round.

[adeelkhan]

Will you please elobrate

[Ben Bolt]

Will you please elobrate

No, I can't. I just find the notes on several bouts at boxrec fun and interesting.

However, after your question, I got more curious of what happened that day, and read som dailys on the net from 1925.
Nothing to be found there, but there were no Georgia papers available. (The bout was in Savannah.)

To dig deeper into the newspaper archives, where a lot of details can be found on yesterday's bouts, you have to pay for it.

[Ben Bolt]

BoxRec digging

A tribute to Izzy Strauss, listed as 13-15-3,
(whoever he was, but probably a toughie you didn’t play around with).

Jan 10, 1899: Strauss v Kid Carter.
Strauss had the better of Carter going into the sixth round when Carter tried to wring his neck at which point the referee disqualified Carter.

Oct 29, 1900: Strauss v Jack Bennett.
The fight was stopped and declared no contest because both fighters were fouling each other flagrantly.

Nov 18, 1902: Strauss v Charley Mulhall.
The referee declared the fight no contest because the fighters were fouling each other.

Jan 22, 1904: Strauss v Billy Devine.
Devine won by disqualification.

Mar 13, 1905: Strauss v Tommy Clearly.
Cleary and Strauss were fouling each other, causing the referee to stop the fight and call it no contest.