The Best Fighters of the 1930s

[elmersalsa]

It was the era of The Great Depression. By the end of the 1930s fascist German leader Adolf Hitler was threatening world wide and the Second World War was coming.

But, the decade of the 1930s brought some fantastic fighters. Two of them, were American blacks born in the Southern US and changed the face of boxing: Henry Armstrong and Joe Louis. Both of them made lots of noise and history to the sport.

Armstrong, one of the greatest boxers ever, won 3 world titles in different weight classes simultaneously. It was something that has never been done before nor after his arrival. And because of today's rules, a champion now can't hold two or more titles at different weight divisions at the same time. What he did in the decade was unprecedented. Louis, The Brown Bomber, revived the heavyweight class with spectacular knockout wins, especially, his greatest win of his career avenging his only loss on that unforgettable June 22, 1938 night in New York's old Yankee Stadium over former champ Max Schmeling of Germany. He became the first black heavyweight world champion after a long time since the great Jack Johnson, ending a twenty-two year drought without a heavyweight champion being black.

But, they were not the only champions making headlines. The great Tony Canzoneri, from Slidell, LA became the first American fighter to win 3 world titles in 3 weight classes. He was also the first fighter to win two world crowns in one night. Other great champions were Panama Al Brown, the Enlogated Panamanian bantamweight champion of the world. He fought and defended his bantam crown 11 times! He fought in 18 countries all over the world, becoming a true world champion and international star. And The Cuban Bon Bon, Kid Chocolate, a great boxer that dazzled the featherweight and jr. lightweight divisions. And from Europe, the underrated great Jack "Kid" Berg was probably the best fighter England has produced in a long time. The great Benny Lynch became Scotland's first world champion and retired undefeated champion of the flyweights.

All this happened in the Franklin D. Roosevelt years. It was a depression all over America. But the sport of boxing was still alive and kicking.

These boxers in my view were the top ten best of the 1930s decade:

1. Henry Armstrong
2. Joe Louis
3. Barney Ross
4. Tony Canzoneri
5. Panama Al Brown
6. Kid Chocolate
7. Billy Conn
8. Benny Lynch
9. Maxie Rosenbloom
10. Jack "Kid" Berg

Honorary Mention:
Fidel LaBarba: Fantastic little dynamo from New York City that came back to fight after retiring undefeated flyweight champ. He jumped up to bantamweight and later to featherweight and had 3 scraps with the great Kid Chocolate. He beat Santiago Zorrilla, Tommy Paul, Chocolate in the second fight, Petey Sarron, Bud Taylor, Kid Francis and Bushy Graham. He lost twice to the great Battling Battalino and also twice to Chocolate. But, coming from the flyweight class to challenge bantams and featherweights was remarkable.

Jimmy McLarnin: Born in Ireland, but fought out of Canada, and later San Francisco, was a two-time world welterweight king. Had a three-fight series with the great Barney Ross, losing two out of three. He only had 16 bouts in the decade, but, beat 7 world champions and 7 hall of famers. He beat Sammy Mandell, Young Jack Thompson, Billy Petrolle (two out of three), Ross (2nd fight), Sammy Fuller, Tony Canzoneri, Lou Ambers and stopped cold in one round Young Corbett III for the welter crown and the great Benny Leonard! What a resume of victims, right?

Max Schmeling: The only man to beat the great Joe Louis in his prime. Was the first fighter to defeat The Brown Bomber. He did it in spectacular fashion in 1936, stopping Louis in 12 rounds! He also sent the great Mickey Walker to the middleweights stopping The Toy Bulldog in eighth round. Won the world heavyweight championship interestingly by a foul against future champion Jack Sharkey in 1930. Lost crown to Sharkey in the rematch and lost in the rematch against Louis in '38.

Battling Battalino: Was the World Featherweight Champion for three years. He didn't lose his title, defending it 7 times. Beat Freddie Miller, Eddie Shea, Bushy Graham, Bud Taylor, Kid Chocolate, Fidel LaBarba (twice), Al Singer, Lew Feldman and Cocoa Kid. The PROBLEM with Battalino in the decade, he lost 25 times! That's unacceptable!

Freddie Miller: The southpaw from Cincinnati, OH could be one of the most underrated or overrated boxers ever depending how you look at his career. He was the NBA World Featherweight Champion for 3 years (1933-36). He made 11 title defenses and won 142 fights in the decade, beating Panama Al Brown, Chalky Wright, Baby Arizmendi, Tommy Paul, Len Wickwar, Neal Tarleton, Baby Casanova, Speedy Dado, Lew Feldman, Eddie Shea, Petey Sarron plenty of times, and a young and green Freddie Cochrane. But, he also lost 28 times in the decade. His controversial fight with Battling Battalino was a question mark. Battalino beat him the first time and Sarron took his title. Don't ask me why he never fought the great Henry Armstrong.

Mickey Walker: From Elizabeth, NJ, he was more suited in the 1920s decade. He failed to shine with the 1930s elite. But had great wins. Won only 39 bouts in the decade. Beat the great Maxie Rosenbloom in their second meeting, but lost to Slapsie Maxie in the first match for the world light-heavyweight laurels, preventing the Toy Bulldog to become champion in three weight divisions. He was so great, that he even tackled the heavyweights. He made his reputation fighting bigger men. Among them, he beat top heavyweight contenders like Paulino Uzcudun of Spain, King Levinsky, Johnny Risko and Leo Lomski. His defining bout? He drew with future heavyweight champion Jack Sharkey in '31. But, Max Schmeling reminded him that he could not hang with THE BIG DOGS, the heavyweights, stopping him in 8 brutal rounds.

[butterflykat]

What about Young Jack Thompson?

[Controversial]

It was the era of The Great Depression. By the end of the 1930s fascist German leader Adolf Hitler was threatening world wide and the Second World War was coming.

But, the decade of the 1930s brought some fantastic fighters. Two of them, were American blacks born in the Southern US and changed the face of boxing: Henry Armstrong and Joe Louis. Both of them made lots of noise and history to the sport.

Armstrong, one of the greatest boxers ever, won 3 world titles in different weight classes simultaneously. It was something that has never been done before nor after his arrival. And because of today's rules, a champion now can't hold two or more titles at different weight divisions at the same time. What he did in the decade was unprecedented. Louis, The Brown Bomber, revived the heavyweight class with spectacular knockout wins, especially, his greatest win of his career avenging his only loss on that unforgettable June 22, 1938 night in New York's old Yankee Stadium over former champ Max Schmeling of Germany. He became the first black heavyweight world champion after a long time since the great Jack Johnson, ending a twenty-two year drought without a heavyweight champion being black.

But, they were not the only champions making headlines. The great Tony Canzoneri, from Slidell, LA became the first American fighter to win 3 world titles in 3 weight classes. He was also the first fighter to win two world crowns in one night. Other great champions were Panama Al Brown, the Enlogated Panamanian bantamweight champion of the world. He fought and defended his bantam crown 11 times! He fought in 18 countries all over the world, becoming a true world champion and international star. And The Cuban Bon Bon, Kid Chocolate, a great boxer that dazzled the featherweight and jr. lightweight divisions. And from Europe, the underrated great Jack "Kid" Berg was probably the best fighter England has produced in a long time. The great Benny Lynch became Scotland's first world champion and retired undefeated champion of the flyweights.

All this happened in the Franklin D. Roosevelt years. It was a depression all over America. But the sport of boxing was still alive and kicking.

These boxers in my view were the top ten best of the 1930s decade:

1. Henry Armstrong
2. Joe Louis
3. Barney Ross
4. Tony Canzoneri
5. Panama Al Brown
6. Kid Chocolate
7. Billy Conn
8. Benny Lynch
9. Maxie Rosenbloom
10. Jack "Kid" Berg

Honorary Mention:
Fidel LaBarba: Fantastic little dynamo from New York City that came back to fight after retiring undefeated flyweight champ. He jumped up to bantamweight and later to featherweight and had 3 scraps with the great Kid Chocolate. He beat Santiago Zorrilla, Tommy Paul, Chocolate in the second fight, Petey Sarron, Bud Taylor, Kid Francis and Bushy Graham. He lost twice to the great Battling Battalino and also twice to Chocolate. But, coming from the flyweight class to challenge bantams and featherweights was remarkable.

Jimmy McLarnin: Born in Ireland, but fought out of Canada, and later San Francisco, was a two-time world welterweight king. Had a three-fight series with the great Barney Ross, losing two out of three. He only had 16 bouts in the decade, but, beat 7 world champions and 7 hall of famers. He beat Sammy Mandell, Young Jack Thompson, Billy Petrolle (two out of three), Ross (2nd fight), Sammy Fuller, Tony Canzoneri, Lou Ambers and stopped cold in one round Young Corbett III for the welter crown and the great Benny Leonard! What a resume of victims, right?

Max Schmeling: The only man to beat the great Joe Louis in his prime. Was the first fighter to defeat The Brown Bomber. He did it in spectacular fashion in 1936, stopping Louis in 12 rounds! He also sent the great Mickey Walker to the middleweights stopping The Toy Bulldog in eighth round. Won the world heavyweight championship interestingly by a foul against future champion Jack Sharkey in 1930. Lost crown to Sharkey in the rematch and lost in the rematch against Louis in '38.

Battling Battalino: Was the World Featherweight Champion for three years. He didn't lose his title, defending it 7 times. Beat Freddie Miller, Eddie Shea, Bushy Graham, Bud Taylor, Kid Chocolate, Fidel LaBarba (twice), Al Singer, Lew Feldman and Cocoa Kid. The PROBLEM with Battalino in the decade, he lost 25 times! That's unacceptable!

Freddie Miller: The southpaw from Cincinnati, OH could be one of the most underrated or overrated boxers ever depending how you look at his career. He was the NBA World Featherweight Champion for 3 years (1933-36). He made 11 title defenses and won 142 fights in the decade, beating Panama Al Brown, Chalky Wright, Baby Arizmendi, Tommy Paul, Len Wickwar, Neal Tarleton, Baby Casanova, Speedy Dado, Lew Feldman, Eddie Shea, Petey Sarron plenty of times, and a young and green Freddie Cochrane. But, he also lost 28 times in the decade. His controversial fight with Battling Battalino was a question mark. Battalino beat him the first time and Sarron took his title. Don't ask me why he never fought the great Henry Armstrong.

Mickey Walker: From Elizabeth, NJ, he was more suited in the 1920s decade. He failed to shine with the 1930s elite. But had great wins. Won only 39 bouts in the decade. Beat the great Maxie Rosenbloom in their second meeting, but lost to Slapsie Maxie in the first match for the world light-heavyweight laurels, preventing the Toy Bulldog to become champion in three weight divisions. He was so great, that he even tackled the heavyweights. He made his reputation fighting bigger men. Among them, he beat top heavyweight contenders like Paulino Uzcudun of Spain, King Levinsky, Johnny Risko and Leo Lomski. His defining bout? He drew with future heavyweight champion Jack Sharkey in '31. But, Max Schmeling reminded him that he could not hang with THE BIG DOGS, the heavyweights, stopping him in 8 brutal rounds.

Nice post, missed this first time around

[Ambling Alp II]

Some great fighters mentioned. Would also add John Henry Lewis, Lou Broulliard, and Freddie Apostoli.

Lewis had a great series with Rosenbloom.
Brouillard fought a ton of good-great fighters and beat McLarnin, Walker and Corbett III.
Apostoli beat Corbett III, Marcel Thil, and Freddie Steele.

Amazing how often the top guys would fight each other during this period.

[kasimirkid]

Freddie Steele
Billy Petrolle
Tiger Jack Fox
Fred Apostoli