US Inter-Service Championships, 1954

[williefromrichmond]

1954 INTER-SERVICE CHAMPIONSHIPS; May 12-13, Lackkland Air Force Base, Texas.

Semifinals, May 12, with military records in parenthesis

Flyweight - Jesse Herrera, Air Force/San Antonio (85-13) outpd. Preston Jenkins, Army/Washington, DC (63-2); Cliff Eskridge, Navy/Cairo, Illinois (18-2) outpd Philip Ortiz, Marines/Kaneohe, Hawaii (14-1).

Bantamweight - Ray Wharton, Navy/Norfolk, Virginia (30-7) outpd. Ward Yee, Air Force/Youngstown, Ohio; George W. Davis, Army/Long Beach, New Jersey (99-19) outpd. Basil Blackson, Marines/Aliquippa, Pennsylvania (43-3).

Featherweight - Harold Conklin, Marines/New York (54-8) outpd. Norris Shepppard, Army/Saginaw, Michigan (33-6); Harry Smith, Air Foce/New York (38-1) outpd. Bob Nicholls, Navy/Pontiac, Michigan (21-5).

Lightweight - Ray Lancaster, Navy/Spartanburg, South Carolina (124-12) outpd. Walter Byars, Marines/Boston (24-4); Jim Hornsby, Air Force/Los Angeles (25-3) outpd. Leon Upshur, Army/Willow Grove, Pennsylvania (28-2).

Light-Welterweight - Abe Haynes, Navy/Selma, Alabama (59-5) outpd. Sammy Johnson, Army/Newark (29-5); Willie Morton, Air Force/Kansas City, Missouri outpd. Yancia Horne, Marines/Washington, DC (37-4).

Welterweight - Herbert Mickles, Army/Toledo (85-5) outpd. Warren Peterson, Navy/Brooklyn (52-8); Harry Fleck, Marines/Frankfort, Germany (22-3) outpd. Arthur Cooper, Air Force/Pittsburgh (26-4).

Light-Middleweight - Joseph Davis, Marines/Brooklyn (78-11) outpd. Edward Crook, Jr., Army/Detroit (38-4); Paul Wright, Air Force/Flint, Michigan (88-6) won by rsc 2 Henry Brown, Navy/Wichita, Kansas.

Middleweight - Bryant Thompson, Air Force/Philadelphia (105-9) won by ko 2 Charley Butler, Navy/Metuchen, New Jersey (56-6); Richard Hill, Marines/Brooklyn (82-7) outpd. Roscoe Elliott, Army/Long Beach, California (78-5).

Light-Heavyweight - Orville Pitts, Air Force/Milwaukee (45-3) outpd. Don Lee, Navy/New York (185-11); Edward Jenkins, Army/Detroit (21-2) outpd. Jesse Barber, Marines/Los Angeles (75-7).

Heavyweight - James Stewart, Air Force/Washington, DC (84-6) outpd. Jake Solus, Navy/Chicago (25-8); Aubrey “Bud” House, Marines/Haggerstown, Indiana (24-6) outpd. John Johnson, Army/Pompano, Florida (21-2).

Finals, May 13

Flyweight - Eskridge outpd. Herrera.
Bantamweight - Davis outpd. Wharton.
Featherweight - Smith outpd. Conklin.
Lightweight - Hornsby outpd. Lancaster.
Light-Welterweight - Morton outpd. Haynes.
Welterweight - Mickles won by rsc 1 Fleck, nose injury.
Light-Middleweight - Wright outpd. Davis.
Middleweight - Hill outpd. Thompson.
Light-Havyweight - Pitts outpd. Jenkins.
Heavyweight - Stewart outpd. House.

[williefromrichmond]

Lackkland Air Force Base should read Lackland Air Force Base.

[williefromrichmond]

"Yancia Horne," consistently misspelled in every article about the tournament, should read Randy Horne.

[delisa]

Interesting stuff -- got any more military tourneys? How about 1952 & 53?

[williefromrichmond]

Hi, Mike. I'm working on 1952, 1953, and 1956. The services had some really solid boxers during the 1950's, 1960's and 1970's.

[williefromrichmond]

Janusz, I have the 1957 and 1959 CISM tournaments and will try to post both results in the next couple of days.

[wesperon]

Hi Willie, Here is the best Air Force Team ever.

1975 US Air Force Team, Lackland AFB and 1975 Armed Forces Team Champions – Coach Gene Cooper, Asst Osmar Alaniz
Fly weight: Wilfredo Esperon – Champ
Light welter: Juan Ruiz - Runnerup
Welter weight: Roger Leonard - Champ
Light-Middle Weight: Jerome Bennett - Champ
Middle weight: Tommy Brooks - Champ
Heavyweight: Nick Well - Champ
1975 CISM
Esperon: Runnerup
Leonard: Champ
Bennett: Champ
Brooks: Champ
USAF -1975 Team, US National AAU 3rd place Finisher
Esperon – Bronze
Leonard – Silver
Bennett – Silver
Brooks – Champ
From the above – Multiple Interservice Champs and Runner-ups (21 Interservice medals combined)
Esperon – 3 times-Champ, 2 times-Runner-up (2- weight classes- Champ in both)
Ruiz – 2 times Champ, 1 time-Runner-up 2 – weight classes
Leonard – 2 times Champ, 1 time Runner-up
Bennett – 2 times Champ, 1 time Runner-up
Brooks – 2 times Champ
Well – 2 time Champ, 3 time runner-up

By Wilfredo Esperon.

[gravelman]

I announced the 1953 Inter-Service Boxing Tournament which was the 1st Inter-service boxing tournament. I have my recording of the Bill Tate vs Dick Hill 165 lb match in Bainbridge MD I have my recording of the match on a 78 record. I can copy it to my computer if anyone is interested.

You can reply to me at [email protected]
or Call me - Rod Gallagher 608-212-5207

I was stationed in the Navy at the time and announced all the matches for Armed Service Radio Service