BoxRec

Jack Delaney the former Light-Heavyweight Champion of the World hardly gets mentioned on these pages so I thought I would try and start a thread about him.

From what I have read he had an outstanding jab and was a very clever Boxer who beat such fine fighters as Tiger Flowers, Johnny Risko, Maxie Rosenbloom, Mike McTigue and the bull strong Paolino Uzcudun.

Any other thoughts, stories or opinions on this former Champion?

this is a good way to start things of, I have several more of these by the way


The Morning Herald, Hagerstown Maryland
12 December 1925

BERLENBACH
Awarded Judges Decision
Over Delaney After Fifteen
Gruelling Rounds.

New York, Dec. 11. —Paul Berlenbach of New York, world's light heavyweight champion, successfully defended his title in a last 15-round match against Jack Delaney, of Bridgeport, Conn., at the first boxing show ever held in the new Madison Square Garden here tonight.

Berlenbach staked the world's light heavyweight championship he gained since being knocked out by Delaney in their last encounter, fought a year and a half ago in the old Garden.

The champion won a judges' verdict by a narrow margin in a furious battle in which both fighters went down for a count during the fierce encounter. The champion measured his length when Delaney landed squarely with a mule-kicking right to the jaw in the fourth round. The challenger went down in the twelfth when Berlenbach's bone crushing left found its mark. Twenty-three thousand spectators jammed the new area to see the match.

ROUND 1

Delaney was given rousing ovation as he was introduced to the throng which packed the new Garden. The challenge was forced to rise and bow three times before the cheering subsided.

Delaney danced around the champion for half a minute before landing a blow . Delaney crossed his right, but Berlenbach caught it going away. Both appeared cautious and the crowd roared for action, Delaney landed two weak left jabs and the .champion countered with a left to the body without damage. They were dancing at the bell. It was a tame round.

ROUND 2

The dancing, continued, neither man appearing willing to open up. Delaney bounced a left jab off Berlenbach's jaw and stumbled as he evaded the champion's return, falling to the ring, but he was up immediately. Delaney missed with his left and Berlenbach landed a right to the jaw Jack jarred the champion with a stiff left to the face. They continued to dance and jab weakly as the bell rang.

ROUND 3

Delaney' scored with his left twice. A hard jab to Delaney's face brought a flurry of' blood from the challenger's nose. -It was the best blow of the battle.-;.Delaney lifted the champion off his feet with a stinging left to the ear. Both landed lefts to the head. Delaney lifted a neat uppercut and drove the champion to the ropes. Delaney landed three jabs to the head and took one just as the bell rang.

ROUND 4

The champion landed solidly to the challengers head and body and Delaney countered with left to face. Berlenbach rushed Delaney to a corner and had the better of a wild exchange. Delaney knocked Berlenbach down with a well timed right to the jaw, and the champion took a count of three before he came up. Blood trickled from his mouth. It was a vicious knockout blow. Delaney was cool as he Started to deliver the blow that could change the championship. but Berlenbach covered completely. The bell rang with the fighters dancing cautiously.

ROUND 5

Delaney jabbed with, his left and Berlenbach backed away. A tantalizing jab brought fresh blood from Delaney's nose. Delaney cleverly blocked a left lead and kept sticking his left jab into Berlenbach's face. Another stinging jab sent the champion into a clinch. A well delivered right sent Berlenbach to his heels. Both bled as the fight assumed faster proportions. Delaney staggered Berlenbach with his wicked right just before the bell.

Round 6

Berlenbach stuck his right jab into Delaney's face and the challenger slipped to the ring in going away. Delaney continued to torment the champion with his jab. Delaney was boxing cleverly and the champion could not get set for a punch. Another well timed right to the jaw forced Berlenbach to clinch. A second one backed him to the ropes.
Berlenbach landed his left to the nose and blood flowed more freely. Berlenbach landed a vicious body blow as the bell ended the round.

ROUND 7

Berlenbach rushed at the challenger with flying fists, landing both to the face, but Delaney boxed himself away. Berlenbach sank a left to Delaney's midsection but Delaney turned the champion around with a right to the Jaw. Two smacking left jabs stung Berlenbach. Another crashing right caught Berlenbach on the jaw and he backed away. The challenger started an uppercut but it went wild. Delaney was stabbing away as the bell rang.

ROUND 8

Both poked away with weak jabs. A vicious left jab bounced off Berlenbach's brow and before he could counter another arrived. The third left jab caught Berlenbach coming in and he landed two good blows to the body. Delaney was landing his jab frequently crossing-with his right at intervals and the blood streamed from the champions' nose and mouth. Delaney swung Berlenbach around with a straight left just before the bell.

ROUND 9.

Delaney danced and jabbed around the champion. Berlenbach missed a left hook. They wrestled and clinched as the crowd booed. Delaney slipped as he danced away from Berlenbach, but he get right up.
Delaney stung over his right again and Berlenbach faced the opposite direction. Another right staggered Berlenbach and he grabbed at the ropes to hold himself up. The bell found them sparring.

ROUND 10

Delaney jabbed Berlenbach all over the ring with a light left, waiting for the chance to put over his mule kicking right. Using his left to jab, Berlenbach peppered his challenger with a jab which kept blood running. Berlenbach sank a hard right to Delaney 's heart and the challenger clinched. .A stiff uppercut lifted Berlenbach but the bell prevented Delaney from following it up.

ROUND 11

Berlenbach slowed his challenger with his left to the stomach. Then he staggered him. with a left to the head. Delaney missed an uppercut by inches, but landed a left jab followed by a hard right to the jaw. Delaney landed a weak right to the jaw, the champion countering with two good body blows. Delaney staggered the champion with a right and Berlenbach clinched as the bell rang.

ROUND 12.

Berlenbach's right eye was puffed double as he came up. The champion was moving away when Delaney crossed a right. Delaney put over another Jab and the champion's right eye ail but closed. Delaney punched
Berlenbach at will in a fierce exchange in the center of the ring, rocking his head back and forth with straight leads and uppercuts. Delaney's right eye started to swell as berlenbach’s left played a tattoo on the cheek bone. A short jabbing left floored Delaney as he was coming in but he was up without a count just before the bell rang.

ROUND 13

Berlenbach started to punch wildly and chased his challenger around the ring. A stinging left spun Delaney around, but he pulled into a clinch. Both continued to jab away with lefts. The champion was growing stronger, as he battered Delaney with both hands. The blood flowed freely from Delaney's nose as Berlenbach's jabs landed to the face. Delaney landed a weak right at the bell.

ROUND 14.

Both landed good jabs to the head. Berlenbach's left glanced off Delaney's ear but he plugged away at the- champions' ribs with his right hand. Berlenbach staggered Delaney with a vicious left to the body
and Delaney went to one knee, but was up immediately. The blow hurt the challenger. Delaney lifted up a right uppercut and followed with a jab and Berlenbach got over an upper out in return. They were clubbing
away at the body at the bell.

ROUND 15

They touched hands. Delaney sped over his jab to Berlenbach's eye and danced away from a return. A right to the body doubled Delaney. They clinched. Another right to the jaw and Berlenbach, sagged. They hammeded away mercilessly to Berlenbach's comer. An uppercut drove Berlenbach into a clinch. Both landed crushing drives to the face and jaw. The fans roared at the furious exchange. A weak right to the heart caught Berlenbach coming in. They stood toe to toe and punched at the face. They were dancing at the bell.

Reading the round by round account, didn't it sound like Delaney was the clear winner ? I've noticed that in alot of r by r reports, the guy you think should have won, quite often doesn't.

Cheers Rob.

hi mate the others I have partly finished are the fights with Bogas,Fisher,McTigue, Uzcudun,Heenan, Maloney .as and when they are completed I will put them on to read. I will email you a couple of them later today.

the original newspaper article has a lot mor detail but not easy to read sadly.will seek a better copy



The Bridgeport Telegram
18 December 1927


Fight Is Stopped In Seventh Round
After Referee had Warned Spaniard

Delaney Had Made No Protest
When referee Stopped Bout
Crowd Of 35,000 Astonished


Yankee Stadium – New York - Starting a come-back in his debut as a full fledged heavyweight. Jack Delaney scored a hollow victory tonight over Paulino Uzcudun, the Spanish woodchopper,
on a foul In the seventh round of a 15-round match.

Coming on top of the disputed Dempsey-Sharkey battle and ending, by coincidence in the same round but
with a different result, the finish aroused almost as much uproar and controversy.

Paulino was disqualified by Referee Jimmy Crowley after three warnings for hitting low with left hooks but Delaney did riot appear to be hurt by any of the blows. Neither had he made any protest when the referee waved Paulino to his corner to the complete astonishment of ringside critics as well as a crowd of about 35.000 spectators.

Delaney Piled Up Margin.

Delaney had piled up a substantial margin on points cutting and Jabbing his opponent with a clever boxing exhibition, but there had been little real action and comparatively slight damage done when the battle
came to Its unexpected end.

So dissatisfied did a big share of the crowd appear that fully 5.000 swarmed about the ring and booed the verdict while Paulino to show his annoyance, somersaulted and performed a series of acrobatic stunts while straw hats sailed about the ring.

While perhaps not quite as heated, because less was involved, newspaper opinion at ringside was sharply split as it was over the Dempsey-Sharkey fight. A majority of the critics, apparently ,while believing that Paulino had technically transgressed the rules, did not regard the infractions as serious enough for disqualification.

Referee Crowley. however, declared flatly he had no other recourse after Paulino had failed to obey his warnings to "keep em up" while Pete Reilly. Delaney's manager to support the referee's decision showed newspapermen a dented protective cup to show that the French Canadian had received blows in the region of the groin. To make it exact. Crowley and Reilly agreed that there were four low blows all left hooks.

Six Rounds Were Tame.

The finish was no more convincing to most observers than the six previous rounds of comparatively tame action, although there was no question that Delaney. In spite of being outweighed 16 pounds was giving the Spaniard an artistic boxing lesson and leading by a decisive margin on points.

Four of the first six rounds went to Delaney while one, the second, seemed even, and the other, the fourth on Paulino's side of the ledger.

In the fifth and sixth. Delaney. showing at his best. Jarred Paulino several times with a combination of left jabs and right uppercuts. the weapons which the Bridgeport boxer found most effective in piercing the Spaniard's defense.

Few of Delaney's punches, however. more than momentarily checked the weaving rushes of Paulino, who seemed unhurt as he charged In. head lowered in bull-like fashion and encircled by his arms in a protective screen that Jack found difficult to penetrate.

They were a picturesque and sharp contrast in style as they maneuvered, Delaney. bronzed, tall and handsome, boxing with cool confidence as Paulino head down or bobbing plunged to keep the fight at close range.

Occasionally, as in the second and fourth. Paulino let loose the round house right that had knocked out Harry Willis a few weeks ago. Twice it connected with some degree of Solidness and once In the fourth round, sent Delaney flying back to the ropes. But the lighter man either laughed it of in a somewhat disdainful manner or danced lightly out of reach.

Delaney, getting the range with more effect in the fifth and sixth, not only shook his opponent with a few solid smashes to the head but brought blood from the Spaniard’s nose and mouth.

Continued Boring In

Paulino seemed little the worse for wear, however, as he came charging out in the seventh, boring in close. The referee's first warning or two seemed to be for Paulino's tendency to hit on the break rather than for hitting below the belt. This was not the case, he said, afterward.

On what he said was the fourth low blow, Crowley stepped in and shoved the puzzled Spaniard to his corner. There was a moment or two of confusion before the official decision became clear. Delaney walked to his corner and from the ring a few minutes later unruffled, unmarred by the conflict and seemingly unhurt In spite of his manager's explanation to the ringsiders. The finish came after 1 minute and 57 seconds of action in the seventh round.

Paulino's setback was the first he has sustained since he began a colorful invasion of this country's heavyweight ranks. Unless he gets a return match, however, it may mean his elimination from the punching parade which already is forming to determine next year's title challenger.

Delaney showed marked improvement over his last battle when he met decisive defeat at the hands of Jimmy Maloney in February at Madison Square Garden.

The erstwhile "Rapier of the North." a stalwart ring picture, flashed all of his old speed and ring craft but In the few opportunities he had to land It, his punch did not appear to have the crashing power it has frequently possessed. He was barely out of the light heavyweight class, scaling 177 1-2 as compared with Paulino's 193 1-2

KOJOE90 wrote:Jack Delaney the former Light-Heavyweight Champion of the World hardly gets mentioned on these pages so I thought I would try and start a thread about him.

From what I have read he had an outstanding jab and was a very clever Boxer who beat such fine fighters as Tiger Flowers, Johnny Risko, Maxie Rosenbloom, Mike McTigue and the bull strong Paolino Uzcudun.

Any other thoughts, stories or opinions on this former Champion?

Delaney was tall as a heavyweight, a master boxer and KO puncher.

KO'd Tiger Flowers twice and had great battles with Paul Berlenbach.

He had an extremely cool, relaxed, deceptively dangerous boxing style as a lightheavy.

He didn't do well when he tried to move up to heavyweight because Jack Sharkey was in his way.

That is a terrible photo of Delaney posted. I can't really recognize him.

robert.snell1 wrote:hi mate the others I have partly finished are the fights with Bogas,Fisher,McTigue, Uzcudun,Heenan, Maloney .as and when they are completed I will put them on to read. I will email you a couple of them later today.

Keep them coming, Robert.

Always appreciated.

granberry wrote:

robert.snell1 wrote:hi mate the others I have partly finished are the fights with Bogas,Fisher,McTigue, Uzcudun,Heenan, Maloney .as and when they are completed I will put them on to read. I will email you a couple of them later today.

Keep them coming, Robert.

Always appreciated.

Agreed......Hell is now due to freeze over any second.

Jack Delaney is an all time great that deserves his due. Thanks to Bert Randolph Sugar, I got to know more about his career and it was amazing,. He fought the very best fighters of his era

He is on my 100 greatest fighters list of all time

Name: Tom Heeney
Career Record: click
Alias: The Hard Rock from Down Under
Nationality: New Zealander
Birthplace: Gisborne, NZ
Hometown: Gisborne, NZ
Born: 1898-05-18
Died: 1984-06-15



Delaney v Heeney


The Helens Independent
2 March 1928

by Edward J Neil

Heeney – Delaney Fight By Rounds

Round One

Delaney was a picture of bronze majesty as he danced from his corner and dug a solid left hook into Heeney's body. Heeney drove into the ropes with a volley of rights and lefts to the head. As they wrestled awav. Heeney threw his whole weight on Delaney and nearly -wrestled him to the floor. The Anzac piled in with a solid right to the head but Delaney tracked him full on the chin with a right uppercut. Heeney belted left and right to Delaney's body and the Bridgeport warrior hung on tightly. Heeney was using his weight to great advantage, driving close through, Delaney's guard to smash the French-Canadian about the head. They were swapping clouts freely, both hands flashing to the head and body at the bell.

Round Two.

Heeney's bull-like aggressiveness never slackened. He tore and slashed at Delaney's body but Jack nearly upset him with two crackling left hooks to the chin. Tom never batted an eyelash. Flailing right back at the brown body of the tall and imperious dancing master. They danced in the center of the ring for a few seconds and again Delaney lashed a pretty left hook to the chin. The Anzac stormed in and they slugged like a pair of longshoremen. Heeney smashed Delaney's ribs with a solid right and clipped his left twice to the chin before the bell.

Round Three.

Delaney began to box his heavy slugging rival and did a little better until Heeney's short right chugged solidly to his chin. Delaney cracked two left hooks on the Anzac's granite chin but Tom just bowed his head and drove Delaney into a corner with a ripping head whack. Tom was relentless, a plunging, swinging fury as Delaney tired and backed into the ropes. Delaney danced out, took a new hold and Hashed both hands to Heeney's thin. Delaney lost his mouth-piece as the round ended and had to chase around the ring during the minute of rest to get it back.

Round Four.

Heeney whipped a solid right to Jack's chin at the bell, but took the short clubs of both hands as he fell into a clinch. The Anzac dug a left hook into Delaney's body that sounded all over the arena. Jack stabbed with his left and Heeney bounded far back out of danger as Delaney cocked his mighty right. Heeney tore right back and they smashed at short range to each other's head. They were still pounding at close quarters when the bell rang.

Round Five.

Tom -whaled in again but looked extremely foolish as Delaney jarred him off balance with a left and cuffed him around the ring. The Anzac roughed and wrestled to an advantage, but Delaney tied him up neatly. As they wrestled near the ropes, Tom broke his right hand loose and smashed Delaney full in the mouth. Jack lost his mouth piece and some of his confidence as Heeney whaled him with both hands. Delaney's left hook banged into close quarters again but Tom wrestled him around, threw him into the ropes and had blood .oozing from Jack's nose when the round ended.

Round Six

The durable Heeney was fresh and unmarked as he brushed Delaney's smashing left and right aside and pounded into close quarters. Delaney adopted a new style of attack, whipping his left hook to Tom's head and then dropping into a tight clinch. He did it a half dozen times before Tom drove him into a corner and dug a deep right into Jack's body. Delaney was spearing Heeney neatly with a left and crossing a solid left effectively at the bell.

Round Seven.

Delaney came out to box his man and clinched when the going became too rugged. Not once in the first period of the fight had Delaney landed his crushing right full on Heeney's chin. Tom would not box and shook Delaney with a left and right to the head as he pinned him on the ropes. Delaney fought his way clear, left hooks and clubbing lights beating a steady staccato on the invader's body. Jack infuriated his man with three stinging left hooks to the ear. Heeney piled into him like an angry grizzly, but Delaney
danced away and was sparring at the bell.

Round Eight

For the first time Delaney took a full right hand shot at Heeney's chin. but the Anzac just stormed ahead, his short arms crashing through Delaney's guard to the chin. Jack wobbled a bit under the clouting. The fight degenerated into a clinching duel with each hitting and holding until pried apart by the referee. There was scarcely a bit of open fighting or any damage done up to the gong.

Round nine

The splendid condition of both fighters was apparent when they came up, fresh and eager, at the bell with Delaney still plying his left hook to head and body. Tom bruised in, ramming short drives to the ribs But Delaney tied him up rather effectively. Heeney twisted Delaney half way around and slipped him solidly with a right and left to the chin. Delaney smashed his right uppercut full into Tom's chin as the Anzac missed a long overhand right. They wrestled and bulled at close quarters, with the crowd shouting disapproval, until the hell sent them to their corners.

Round Ten.

Heeney did his best to make a fight o£ it, swinging free with both hands, but Jack insisted on tying him up. Delanev complained of foul and danced around the ring in pain, when Heeney shot a punch into borderland territory. The referee sent him back into action but he was a bit slow and Heeney rocked him with solid hooks to the chin Delaney shot a stinging right uppercut to Heeney's head and this time the Anzac was holding. Heeney was hurt, quite obviously, as he swayed a bit, coming into close
quarters. Delaney lashed him with both hands right up to the bell but could not catch him clean again.

Round Eleven.

Delaney lashed Heeney's head with left hooks and jabs and the crowd roared as the lighting form they had expected of the picturesque Canadian appeared at last. Undismayed, Heeney came right back with his short, pudgy arms, stroking steadily to the body. As Delaney missed a left, Heeney sprayed him with lefts and rights to the head. The tide was turning again as the sturdy Irishman from down under belted Delaney into a corner and worked on his head and body. Jack appeared tired and was holding quite strenuously at the gong.

Round Twelve

Heeney, wasting not a second, drove Delaney into a neutral corner to pound for the ribs. Jack blocked all but one right hand that Tom whipped into his chin Delaney tied the Anzac up helplessly at aim's length and the crowd laughed. Breaking a hold, Heeney slipped inside with perfectly timed right and left uppercuts to the head. Jack came back with a looping left hook to the body but Tom brushed him to the ropes again for more short clips on the chin. Tom ran full into Delaney's left smash to the mouth as the gong rang.

Round Thirteen.

Right at the gong they fell together, tugging, slashing, and slipping over surreptitious clouts at cheek-to-cheek range. Tom threw caution to the winds and tore into Delaney head down, in a desperate effort to reach a vital spot. Delaney smeared him with a vicious left uppercut as he came in, poked him away with the left and flashed another left hook to the head. Tom nearly wrestled Delaney from his feet with an arm hold but took a solid clubbing that brought blood from a cut on the bridge of his nose, right up to the bell.

Round Fourteen.

There was an ugly gash in Heeney's nose as he pounded forward, vigor and stamina undiminished. The crowd booed heartily as Heeney wrestled Delaney in a half circle with his right, meanwhile clouting him with his lefts to tho body. The booes turned to cheers as they met in the center of the ring and hammered each other about the head.

The exchange was vicious but even, and Delaney went back to long range, plugging for Heeney's chin.Tom would not have it, however, and they -wrestled back to close quarters "With Heeney connecting occasionally with overhand rights to Delaney's neck, they were locked tightly at the bell.

Round Fifteen.

With the match still in doubt, the fighting was still close and bruising. Delaney missed a terrific right uppercut but fell into a clinch. Heeney took a long left hook to Jack's chin, one of the few clean open punches the recent rounds had furnished. Heeney, still the plugging power, swung Delaney about with both fists and mauled at his body on the ropes. Heeney's short left hook drummed on Delaney'schin. An overhand right stung the French-Canadian but they were still belting in good condition at the final bell.