Some years ago the pro debut for Jeff Bumpus (January 10, 1984) was removed from his record on BoxRec apparently at the request of his opponent, Pete Podgorski, who claimed the fight was a NC Exhibition bout. Mr. Podgorski may well have been told that it was an exhibition bout, but everyone else involved, including Jeff, the referee, the judges, the audience, and the press, considered it to be Jeff's pro debut. There is video footage of the fight clearly showing the scores being read at the conclusion of a hard fought bout and Jeff's hand being raised in victory. The local paper the next day has a headline stating "Bumpus Wins Decision in Pro Debut" with an account of his victory over Pete Podgorski. The article also states that Jeff's second pro bout is scheduled for February 7th. This is the bout BoxRec incorrectly lists as his debut (he stopped Pete's brother Leo in the first round).
I point this out for the sake of the proper recording of history, not to disparage Pete Podgorski. Jeff Bumpus wrote a memoir of his career (Becoming Taz: Writing from the Southpaw Stance) which garnered quite a bit of attention (being named, among other accolades, as "Book of the Year" by the West Coast Boxing Hall of Fame), and as a result of the book's popularity Jeff has been recognized as a positive spokesman for the sport, and as such is often interviewed and consulted by the media. The book obviously mentions his pro debut as being the bout against Pete Podgorski, and since the data supports this claim, a correction seems warranted.
BoxRec has justifiably become recognized as the "go to" source for boxing history; any assistance in correcting this small but significant blip would be appreciated.
I have included a link to the data, but if it doesn't work properly I can provide the data via email.
http://canopicjar.com/?p=7454
Thank you
Phil Rice