Pete Sanstol vs. Joe Scalfaro (1st meeting)
Pete Sanstol 117 lbs beat Joey Scalfaro 118 lbs by UD in round 10 of 10
- Date: 1930-08-06
- Location: Baseball Stadium, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
On the evening of August 6, 1930, Pete Sanstol faced, for the first of three times, the man who would give what he later described as one of the three most difficult fights he ever had during his entire professional boxing career. It is unknown at present whether that challenging fight occurred on this evening or during one of their other two fights together.
According to the August 2nd edition of Montreal's The Gazette:
Pete Sanstol Is At Hard Training
Boxer Working Out in Prefontaine Club's
Gymnasium for Wednesday's Bout
The scene of blonde Pete Sanstol's training activities for his battle at the baseball stadium Wednesday night with the redoubtable Italian star, Joe Scalfaro, were [sic] shifted yesterday to the Prefontaine A.C. gymnasium up the east side. This is a headquarters and hotbed of boxing, both amateur and professional, in the centre of a populous French-Canadian district and the gymnasium was jammed to capacity for the occasion.
Sanstol's initial appearance at this gymnasium proved to be quite a notable fistic event as the little Norwegian donned the mitts with Arthur Giroux, crack east-side bantam, and these two blazed through three sizzling rounds that had the crowd enthused. It was a most useful preparatory work for both of them as Giroux is making his first appearance here in months on the same card, being matched with the crack Chilean fighter, Routhier Para, who comes here with a record of many victories, several by the knockout route, over the high-ranking flyweights and bantams. Giroux and Para clash over the ten-round route as a semi-final to Sanstol and Scalfaro. Yesterday's work showed both the fighters at top form, Sanstol travelling like a miniature cyclone as if refreshed by the considerable lay-off he has had, while Giroux was counter-punching with deadly accuracy, precision and plenty of steam. Sanstol, not contented with this workout, also sailed into a two-rounder with the Belgian Lepion, a welterweight, and took on shifty Art Gagne for a couple of rounds. All in all, it was a brilliant afternoon's work for the popular Norwegian lad.
The bout is by far the most important bantam tussle ever staged in Canada, and one which is of world's titular importance. Sanstol's class has been more thoroughly proven, of late, than ever. The little Norwegian plastered a workmanlike defeat on Dominic Bernasconi in their ball-park clash, following which Bernasconi returned to New York to give champion Al Brown a terrific struggle. In the course of which Brown was dropped for a count of nine. Scalfaro, who has drawn with Kid Chocolate, knocked out Vincent Peppe, Pancho Dencio, Willie Spencer, Jimmy Doyle, Johnny McGregor, Sammy Tisch and Benny Brostoff, is rated one of the hardest hitters in the brigade. He is a heavy puncher who floors nearly every fighter he meets and Sanstol's showing against a fighter of this class will go far to establish the Norwegian's real status....
The Gazette reported the following day:
Sanstol Finished Up Hard Training
Ready to Battle Scalfaro at Stadium
Wednesday Night -- Other Boxers Worked
"Following a week-end of intensive training, Pete Sanstol last night reported himself at the peak of physical condition for the most important engagement of his spectacular boxing career -- his ten-round battle on Wednesday night at the baseball stadium with heavy-hitting Joe Scalfaro, New York Italian bantam, who is ranked among the leaders on the continent.
"Sanstol divided his training activities of the week-end between two gymnasiums, the Ste. Brigade A.C. and the Prefontaine A.C., both east-side organizations where professional and amateur boxing is the leading sports industry. Keying his speed to the highest pitch, Sanstol devoted most of his boxing clashes with the fast and clever east-side flyweight, [[Arthur Giroux, who furnishes the blonde Norwegian flash with the perfect foil. Sanstol is aiming for speed, which will make him an elusive target for the heavy punching of Scalfaro, who comes here with the reputation of having floored practically every fighter he has met. Sanstol, a miniature Harry Greb in action, a veritable fury of flying fists and dazzling speed, will attempt with the latter commodity to offset Scalfaro's terrific punching, and from the fashion in which he travelled in the week-end bouts, he has achieved this point.
"The match is the most important Sanstol has ever undertaken. With some thirty straight victories behind him on American soil, in addition to his array of European successes, Sanstol proved his titular worth by beating Dominic Bernasconi, champion of Europe, in clean-cut fashion here. Bernasconi immediately afterwards met Al Brown, the recognized world's champion, in New York, and not only gave the elongated negro a terrific battle, but floored him for a count of nine. Off that bout, Sanstol comes in for titular consideration which a victory over Scalfaro, best of the New York bantams, would clinch beyond any dispute. Sanstol is backed by strong interests in his bid for the world's title and if the blonde tornado wins on Wednesday night, it is entirely likely he will have the backing of the Athletic Commission of the city in his bid for title honors, now that he has established residence here. A Labor Day open-air title battle between Sanstol and Brown would be a tremendous card for the city, and it is quite possible that this might materialize.
"Giroux, pride of the east end and hailed as the coming flyweight king consequent upon his victory over Frankie Genaro, has improved immensely consequent upon his work with Sanstol, and will be at top form for his ten-rounder Wednesday night with Routhier Para, the Chilean star. The latter's three fights this year were with such stars as Black Bill, Midget Wolgast and Willie Davies, with each of whom he went the route. Giroux is hitting in terrific form, and his management is looking for a knockout victory...."
Then, the day before the fight, The Gazette reported:
Forty Rounds of Boxing Tomorrow
Contracts Filed for Bouts at Stadium
Fighters Taper Off with Light Work
"Forty rounds of boxing are scheduled for the Baseball Stadium tomorrow night according to contracts filed with and accepted by the Athletic Commission of the city of Montreal in routine session yesterday. The card of boxing, one of the more important staged here this season, is headed by the ten-round match between Pete Sanstol, outstanding contender from Europe for the world's bantamweight crown, and Joe Scalfaro, high-ranking American contender, with the possibility that the winner will be matched with Al Brown, the elongated negro titleholder here in September. A ten-round match between Arthur Giroux, crack local flyweight, who holds verdict over Champion Routhier Para in a non-title match; and eight-rounder between Joe Marciente and Eddie Burl, California star; six-rounders between Lou Farber, clever New York fighter, and Art Gagne, who made a gallant battle last week against Edward Ouelette; Henri Legros and Rene Taillefer, heavy-hitting local lightweights, completes the card. Heavy slugging and action, the essential points of outdoor boxing, seem destined to occupy a large part in the proceedings.
"After a torrid week-end, in which his bouts with Arthur Giroux, Gagne and other local battlers indicated that he was at top speed and form, Sanstol, eased off in his work yesterday, and went through only routine exercises. Because of the heat, Sanstol feared that further heavy work would weaken him, as he already is right at the class weight mark of 118 pounds. The Norseman could ill-afford to take any chances on weakening himself for a fighter of Scalfaro's tremendous hitting powers. Scalfaro comes here rated as the hardest hitter in the whole division, not excepting Brown. In fact, he floored Brown in their one match [Our Note: Strange. We could not locate this fight in Brown's fight record.], has had Bernasconi on his back, and has knocked down or out every fighter he met, regardless of whether he won or lost. He will pit straight hitting power against the Nordic's blazing speed and incessant, terrier-like attack."
Finally, on the day of the fights, The Gazette continued:
Record Crowd May See Bouts Tonight
Biggest Outdoor Gathering of Season
Expected to See Sanstol Meet Scalfaro
"With fair weather promised, indications point to the biggest outdoor boxing crowd of the season at the baseball stadium tonight to see a ring battle that will draw fistic attention of eastern America towards Montreal. The bout brings together Pete Sanstol, colorful blonde Norwegian, whose dynamic fists have pounded a pathway to the door of the title-room, ranking him the outstanding contender from overseas for world's honors, and Joe Scalfaro, heavy-slugging New York Italian, undoubtedly the high-ranking contender from that sector for the crown which is generally conceded to Al Brown. Sanstol's blazing speed of foot, eye and fist against Scalfaro's wicked and deadly hitting is the technical outlook for the struggle in which the two exponents of different schools of fistic skill will seek to prove their claims for titular recognition in the bantamweight division. The class of both is unquestioned. Sanstol has behind him an unbroken string of some thirty victories in rings on this continent, his last being in Montreal, when he flashed to an impressive win over the rugged, hard-hitting Dominick Bernasconi, champion of Italy and one of Europe's greatest, smothering the heavily-built Italian with sheer speed and battering attack. Bernasconi indirectly proved Sanstol's class a fortnight later by giving Brown a terrific fight in New York, in the course of which he had the champion on the floor for a count of nine.
"Sanstol has met all the stars of the division. He, too, floored Brown, knocked out Pancho Dencio, Willie Spencer, Johnny McGregor, Leo Murphy, Sammy Tisch, Benny Brostoff and other noted stars in the past twelve months, and beat the crack English bantam, Nels Tarleton, at Madison Square Garden a few weeks back. [BoxRec note: This reporter has his fight records confused, as Sanstol had not fought a single one of these boxers, although he would face Brostoff a year later.] The bout will be a turning point in the careers of both fighters. Local experts are almost unanimous in picking Sanstol to win and he will enter the ring tonight a sound favorite to score on points. If there is a knock-out ending to what promises to be a whirlwind battle, Scalfaro is favored to be the winner.
"A change in programming made yesterday adds strength and interest to the bill, as Arthur Giroux, crack east side flyweight, re-signed to meet Victor Ferrand, recent invader from Spain, which country has been sending numerous high-class battlers to America in the past year. Ferrand replaces Routier Para, who damaged a hand in his final training, but the show gains rather than loses interest and importance by the shift. Ferrand in his brief stay in America has whipped Phil Tobias, one of the best of the brigade, and in two rounds knocked out rugged Frisco Grande, who has given Giroux two hard fights. Giroux showed his willingness to meet the best when he signed for Ferrand without hesitation."
Although a day-after report of the fight could not be located, probably because it was contained in a "Fight Extra" edition, Sanstol did win the decision over Scalfaro. Scalfaro wanted another crack at him, and Sanstol apparently was happy to oblige. But Sanstol wouldn't be as fortunate the next two times he and Scalfaro met.