Sammy Mandell

[Jpreisser]

In the long line of Italian boxers, "Rockford Sheik" seems to fly under the radar. With wins over Kansas, Petrolle, Fields, McLarnin, and Canzoneri in his heyday, was he in the class of his Italian brethren? How high could he potentially rate at 135?

[dempseyfire]

A top contender in one of the deepest divisions ever in THE golden age of boxing; all of those guys don't get the credit they deserve. I haven't made a top 20 at lightweight but he'd probably make mine.

[jaclem3]

i knew a guy who fought sammy mandell....in 1927, so it was before my and box buzz's time. name midge guery...he said mandell was a very good boxer...and gave him a boxing lesson for ten rounds. ND fight....newspaper decision. midge stayed connected with boxing in various capacities long after his combat days....in the network tv era he was on local .....cincinnati.....broadcasts commenting on the fights when their was enough time after the fights. nice fellow, very smart and a good source of boxing history for me.

[Jpreisser]

i knew a guy who fought sammy mandell....in 1927, so it was before my and box buzz's time. name midge guery...he said mandell was a very good boxer...and gave him a boxing lesson for ten rounds. ND fight....newspaper decision. midge stayed connected with boxing in various capacities long after his combat days....in the network tv era he was on local .....cincinnati.....broadcasts commenting on the fights when their was enough time after the fights. nice fellow, very smart and a good source of boxing history for me.

Interesting story and quality input. Did Query say much more about Mandell or how he rated against the best of his day? On film Mandell sports many qualities that make a great pure boxer: a great jab, good movement of his feet and head, fast hands, etc. And his resume seems to be better than a number of men normally rated above him.

[Ambling Alp II]

Meant to comment on this earlier.
Mandell was a truly great fighter. He has some major wins (Canzoneri, McLarnin newspaper wins over Dundee and Petrolle.)
I have him at #14 alltime at lightweight.

[jaclem3]

the only thing midge said to me about sammy mandell was that he...midge...wasn't in the top tier of boxers and he knew it...but he had never been so totally outclassed in any fight except the one with mandell..he just couldn't do anything against him but at last he knew he did his best and didn't dog it...

midge appeared at just about all of the local fights and our conversation was mostly






















































































































































































































































































































































































i never had much of a conversation with midge....mostly when we saw each other at a local,,,cincinnati....fight was...

"hello...what did you think of the fight"..he was always surrounded by the fans to get his opinion of the decision and he had to keep moving. the one i recall the most was the night wallace bud smith got robbed in his own home town against joe micelli....his terse comment as he pushed through the mob was "i thought smith was ahead.....i thought smith was ahead"...he kept repeating until he got clear.

i did get some brief time with him when i'd stop him on the street.....and i'd pester him with questions and he was always nice but on his way somewhere ...and he gave me quick answers ....i don't recall the details but i wish i did.










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