Benny Bass
Posted: 15 Jun 2004, 08:17
Benny Bass aka Little Fish
He was born in Kiev, Russia 15 Dec 1904 .
Died 25 June 1975
Won 138 ( 56 ko)
Lost 31
Draw 5
Total 188-197
1923-1940
A very active boxer who carried plenty of power in his punches . In 1927 he won the vacant world featherweight title by outpointing Red Chapman ( aka Morris Kaplan) over 10 rds in Philadelphia. In his first defence some 5 months later he lost it to Tony Canzoneri in New York in a 15 rd points verdict. At the end of 1929 he took the world junior lightweight title from Tod Morgan in just 2 rounds.
He kept hold of the title for some 19 months until he was knocked out by Kid Chocolate in the 7th . He never again fought for the championship but did continue for some further 8 yrs before he retired in 1940 aged 36.
1927
The Red Chapman fight – held at the Sesqui-Contennial Stadium – almost ended in a simultaneous knockout in the 9th round when both men fell to the floor from the impact of a head on rush at the start .Bass recovered more quickly but Chapman stayed down for 8 and was already a bloody figure with a gash over his left eye following a bump By Bass’s head in the 7th. Chapman went down again for the count of 8 and although in a bad way lasted the round. In the 10th both men were exhausted and did little more than stab and clinch. Bass got the unanimous decision of the judges and gained the $1000 belt.
1928
It was said that Canzoneri ran up such a points lead in the first 10 rounds that it was hardly necessary to fight the other 5 and “He folded up like a tobacco pouch for 6 rounds after Canzoneri dropped hi for the count of 8 in the 3rd.” With the exception of the 12th it was Bass from the 10th round on Bass landed seven hard rights to take the 11th and after blowing the 12th he was all over Canzoneri for the final 3 rounds.
“ You knock this Tony down as readily as you tip over the average freight car”
1929 – this a copy of the report from the Appleton – Post-Crescent dated 20 Dec 1929
PICK MORGAN TO BEAT BENNY BASS
“ The betting fraternity is willing to give odds that the junior lightweight championship will transfer its headquarters from Seattle to Philadelphia tonight when Tod Morgan defends his somewhat synthetic title against Benny Bass in Madison Square garden.
Overnight odds made the deadly punching Bass 8 to 5 favourite but these were expected to narrow to 6 to 5 at ring time.
Morgan will have an advantage in weight, height and reach, but the stockily built Hebrew is much the harder puncher. Bass last encounter was against Tony Canzoneri for the featherweight championship. On that occasion Bass suffered a broken bone in the shoulder early in the fight but fought so savagely that he barely dropped the decision to the New York Italian. Morgan is a frail looking fighter who can box with any of them but whether he can stand up under Bass punishing blows the experts are inclined to doubt.”
After the fight , which Bass won, the New York State Athletic withheld the purses of both men pending investigation. They had warned the ref Jim Crowley to be on the lookout for “anything suspicious” and who did not hesitate in declaring Bass the winner on a ko in the 2nd.
The match had some amazing reversals of form. In the 1st round Morgan several times staggered Bass with right hand punches to the chin, only to go down himself under sweeping right hand punch to the head at the start of the 2nd. He rose at the count of 9, protected himself for a few seconds and was then floored again for the ko.
1931
Kid Chocolate then 24 yrs ( born Eligio Sardinias , Cuba ) came close to winning the crown by a clean knockout in the second round when he got in a hard right to the jaw which staggered Bass. Bass put on a great comeback in the early stages of the 3rd and 4th but was much to wild in his swings. I the 5th his left eye started to bleed which was to give him more problems in the 6th . from the 5th Kid Chocolate he had Benny Bass on the run and rammed his left jab into Bass’s face with ease. Kid Chocolate failed to score an actual ko but he had the champion virtually out on his feet when Referee Leo Hacuk stopped the fight after 2.38 minutes of the 7th round as it appeared certain he would drive bass to the floor with another punch.
His was the first time that Bass was ever stopped, he entered the ring at 128.5 pounds with the new Champion some 3 pounds lighter.
He was born in Kiev, Russia 15 Dec 1904 .
Died 25 June 1975
Won 138 ( 56 ko)
Lost 31
Draw 5
Total 188-197
1923-1940
A very active boxer who carried plenty of power in his punches . In 1927 he won the vacant world featherweight title by outpointing Red Chapman ( aka Morris Kaplan) over 10 rds in Philadelphia. In his first defence some 5 months later he lost it to Tony Canzoneri in New York in a 15 rd points verdict. At the end of 1929 he took the world junior lightweight title from Tod Morgan in just 2 rounds.
He kept hold of the title for some 19 months until he was knocked out by Kid Chocolate in the 7th . He never again fought for the championship but did continue for some further 8 yrs before he retired in 1940 aged 36.
1927
The Red Chapman fight – held at the Sesqui-Contennial Stadium – almost ended in a simultaneous knockout in the 9th round when both men fell to the floor from the impact of a head on rush at the start .Bass recovered more quickly but Chapman stayed down for 8 and was already a bloody figure with a gash over his left eye following a bump By Bass’s head in the 7th. Chapman went down again for the count of 8 and although in a bad way lasted the round. In the 10th both men were exhausted and did little more than stab and clinch. Bass got the unanimous decision of the judges and gained the $1000 belt.
1928
It was said that Canzoneri ran up such a points lead in the first 10 rounds that it was hardly necessary to fight the other 5 and “He folded up like a tobacco pouch for 6 rounds after Canzoneri dropped hi for the count of 8 in the 3rd.” With the exception of the 12th it was Bass from the 10th round on Bass landed seven hard rights to take the 11th and after blowing the 12th he was all over Canzoneri for the final 3 rounds.
“ You knock this Tony down as readily as you tip over the average freight car”
1929 – this a copy of the report from the Appleton – Post-Crescent dated 20 Dec 1929
PICK MORGAN TO BEAT BENNY BASS
“ The betting fraternity is willing to give odds that the junior lightweight championship will transfer its headquarters from Seattle to Philadelphia tonight when Tod Morgan defends his somewhat synthetic title against Benny Bass in Madison Square garden.
Overnight odds made the deadly punching Bass 8 to 5 favourite but these were expected to narrow to 6 to 5 at ring time.
Morgan will have an advantage in weight, height and reach, but the stockily built Hebrew is much the harder puncher. Bass last encounter was against Tony Canzoneri for the featherweight championship. On that occasion Bass suffered a broken bone in the shoulder early in the fight but fought so savagely that he barely dropped the decision to the New York Italian. Morgan is a frail looking fighter who can box with any of them but whether he can stand up under Bass punishing blows the experts are inclined to doubt.”
After the fight , which Bass won, the New York State Athletic withheld the purses of both men pending investigation. They had warned the ref Jim Crowley to be on the lookout for “anything suspicious” and who did not hesitate in declaring Bass the winner on a ko in the 2nd.
The match had some amazing reversals of form. In the 1st round Morgan several times staggered Bass with right hand punches to the chin, only to go down himself under sweeping right hand punch to the head at the start of the 2nd. He rose at the count of 9, protected himself for a few seconds and was then floored again for the ko.
1931
Kid Chocolate then 24 yrs ( born Eligio Sardinias , Cuba ) came close to winning the crown by a clean knockout in the second round when he got in a hard right to the jaw which staggered Bass. Bass put on a great comeback in the early stages of the 3rd and 4th but was much to wild in his swings. I the 5th his left eye started to bleed which was to give him more problems in the 6th . from the 5th Kid Chocolate he had Benny Bass on the run and rammed his left jab into Bass’s face with ease. Kid Chocolate failed to score an actual ko but he had the champion virtually out on his feet when Referee Leo Hacuk stopped the fight after 2.38 minutes of the 7th round as it appeared certain he would drive bass to the floor with another punch.
His was the first time that Bass was ever stopped, he entered the ring at 128.5 pounds with the new Champion some 3 pounds lighter.