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Willie Pep vs. Sandy Saddler
Notes on the Boxing Legends and Epic Rivalry
By Doug Werner Tracks Publishing
Copyright © 2014 Doug Werner
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-935937-64-7
CHAPTER 1
Historical overview
Bare-knuckle boxing was a mix of punching, grappling (from the waist up) and throwing.
Bare-knuckle beginnings
Fencing begat bareknuckle boxing in 18th century England. It was thought that the finality of a fencing bout was too final. One could fight another day (albeit often following a long, long rest) after a boxing match.
Bare-knuckle boxing was a mix of punching, grappling (from the waist up) and throwing. A round ended when one of the fighters hit the turf. Matches were held outside in a roped-off area to keep the howling throngs at bay. Seconds or assistants helped the fallen man back to his corner for a 30-second rest, and he had another eight seconds to toe the mark (on his own) in the center of the ring. If he could not come to scratch, he was considered knocked out and lost. A bare-knuckle bout was a fight to the finish by said KO or disqualification via fouling. Fouls included kicking, gouging, striking a man when down, head butting and biting.
Queensberry Rules
By the mid-1800s a new set of boxing rules were introduced that greatly refined the sport. The Marquis of Queensberry Rules disallowed throwing and wrestling, established the three-minute round with a minute respite between each round, and the 10-second count after a knockdown.
The most important change by far was the requirement of padded gloves. Gloves protected the hands and allowed fighters to strike temple and jaw with a force and frequency that would have broken unprotected fingers before. Unhesitant boxers unleashed powerful, crowd-pleasing punches.
Fights moved indoors and boxers performed on a raised platform. Fighters tossed the spikes and wore leather-soled shoes that led to swifter and more mobile footwork. Promoters began to charge admission. The new arrangement allowed for greater crowd control and a safer, more genteel environment suitable for a wider audience.
Science
The end of the bare-knuckle era is usually associated with the first heavyweight championship fight conducted under Queensberry Rules in 1892 when Gentleman Jim Corbett defeated Boston Strong Boy John L. Sullivan in New Orleans. The bout is also significant because the "Boxer" beat the "Slugger" (although Corbett could indeed punch, knocking out Sullivan in the 21st round). Wearing five-ounce gloves, Corbett used footwork, counterpunching and a constant left jab to confuse and conquer the powerful champion.
What Gentleman Jim did that evening so many years ago is what so many great boxers have done since in similar circumstances. As Mike Silver says in his wonderful book, The Arc of Boxing, Corbett used, "the effective application of the art of boxing to defeat an opponent possessing superior strength and power ..."
Corbett influenced other fighters to use the brainier, more tactical approach. His refined technique (relative to the age) is the reason he is remembered as the father of scientific boxing.
Breaking the color barrier in the 19th century
The Corbett vs. Sullivan match was held over a three-day period called the Carnival of Champions and also featured featherweight champion George Dixon, who happened to be the first-ever black titlist. This is significant (and a little amazing) because he was, indeed, a black champion who fought caucasians (openly) before the turn of the century.
It certainly can be argued that boxing, in it's own stumbling way, led the sports world in this regard. Boxing was rife with racism as the new century unfolded, but increasing numbers of blacks built substantial careers with their fists. This is especially noteworthy if compared with African-American acceptance in other sports (or most any other endeavor with a degree of status). For example, Jackie Robinson didn't break the color barrier in major league baseball until he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1946.
Wild West
Until the 1920s, public prizefighting was illegal in most states. Matches had to be held in secret locations or as so-called "sparring sessions" in private clubs. Boxers were sometimes jailed and some fights fixed. Events could be dangerous to spectators due to police raids or eruptions of violence.
Because states in the western United States had fewer restrictions, activity there dominated boxing in the early 20th century. From 1910 to 1919, 60 title fights were held in California (compared to 10 in New York and six in England). The west also saw the rise of promoters James Coffroth and Tex Rickard — the latter arguably promoting the biggest and most influential boxing extravaganzas ever.
New York and boxing from 1900 to 1920
A bewildering slew of New York state laws were of considerable influence from around 1900 to 1920 (New York, especially New York City, being the center of the universe). New York had criminalized most aspects of prizefighting in 1859. Not that it stopped the boys from mixing it up — bouts went underground.
The Horton Law sort of legalized boxing from 1896-1900. Prizefighting was still out, but "... sparring exhibitions with gloves of not less than five ounces each in weight may be held by a domestic incorporated athletic association in a building leased by it for athletic purposes only for at least one year, or in a building owned and occupied by such association." NY Laws, 1896, Ch. 301, Sec. 458.
The Horton Law was repealed by the Lewis Law and officially expired in 1900. Then Governor Teddy Roosevelt endorsed this, and it should be noted that it was because of the corrupting influence of gambling — specifically fight fixing — that motivated him. The former Rough Rider was in truth a boxing advocate having boxed at Harvard and encouraged law enforcement and the YMCA to include it in their fitness programs. TR kept it up later in life until a thumb detached a retina. After that he wrestled in the White House and took all comers.
The Frawley Act permitted professional boxing from 1911 to 1917 until a fighter, Young McDonald, was killed in the ring. Boxing was then prohibited in the state until the 1920 Walker Law. The Frawley Act is remembered mostly for its insistence on no-decision fight results. That is, if no fighter was knocked out after the final bell, the match was rendered a no-decision — no winner, no loser. It was thought that if only a KO could decide a match, the chance for illicit influence would be curtailed. But as things worked out, newspaper reporters took it upon themselves to pick a winner, gamblers took their cue, and in a number of ways, this proved a wobbly way to do things and thus corrupted the game.
The Walker Law legalized professional boxing in New York State, established a number of regulations including standard weight divisions and called for an agency to oversee the sport. This was to be the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC). It is said that the Walker Law was heavily influenced by the rules and weights established for the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) Boxing Tournament of 1919 in England.
The Walker Law stood and influenced several states to adopt similar programs. With the Walker Law, the center of boxing activity shifted to New York. Boxing became a legitimate athletic pursuit and drove to new heights of popularity. There came the million dollar gates and the larger than life heroics of Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney. Of course, this is of a piece with the "Golden Age of Sport" — the 1920s — that produced baseball's Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig; Tennis's Bill Tilden; footballs's Red Grange; Golf's Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen.
The first main event conducted under this new law was the Joe Welling vs. Johnny Dundee bout. (Dundee, the "Scotch Wop," is a featured featherweight in the next chapter.)
Classic eight
The first decade of the 20th century began with six weight classes and ended up with eight (much to the relief of the smaller boxer).
Flyweight (112 lbs.)
Bantamweight (118 lbs.)
Featherweight (126 lbs.)
Lightweight (135 lbs.)
Welterweight (147 lbs.)
Middleweight (160 lbs.)
Light Heavyweight (175 lbs.)
Heavyweight (unlimited)
Modern boxing
By the second decade of the century the majority of bouts were limited to 10 rounds or less — and boxing went uptempo. Characteristics of the new era fighting included mobile footwork, counterpunching, effective use of power and defensive skills such as slipping, parrying and blocking. The public loved the science and lapped it up — fighters and their fights were brought to a wider audience via film, radio and newspapers.
During WWI, boxing was used to entertain and condition troops headed for duty in Europe. The Ring magazine, established in 1922, became the advocate, arbitrator and beacon for boxing and remains so to this day.
Tex Rickard, Jack Dempsey and the Golden Age
Times were ripe for a riproaring promoter like Tex Rickard. This guy was a singular character — he operated a gambling house in the Alaskan Klondike during the 1890s gold rush, punched cows in Texas and even sheriffed for a spell. Like Buffalo Bill Cody, he brought some of the Wild West into the American mainstream, albeit roughneck boxers instead of thundering calvary.
He promoted the Joe Gans vs. Battling Nelson lightweight title fight in Goldfield, Nevada in 1906. In 1910 he promoted the first of his "Fights of the Century" between heavyweights Jim Jeffries and Jack Johnson. Then he came east and sparked the aforementioned "Golden Age of Sport."
On July 4, 1921, he promoted the Jack Dempsey vs. Georges Carpentier title fight in New Jersey (just across the Hudson River from New York City). The crowd of 90,000 was the largest ever for a sporting event up to that time and was the first million-dollar gate. Dempsey earned $300,000 for 12 minutes of work (it took him four rounds to demolish Carpentier). And this was the first time a championship bout was broadcast on radio. The July 5, 1921 The New York Times featured the fight in all eight columns on the front page. Almost overnight Rickard "transformed professional boxing into popular entertainment for a mass audience."
Boxing arrives
The money generated by these boxing events did not go unnoticed by other states. The tax revenues became a glittering prize. The anti-boxing forces were trampled. In 1917, 23 states allowed professional boxing. By 1925 there were 43. Boxing became a growth industry and, in the first half of the 20th century, it would rival baseball as America's most popular spectator sport. Stars of the ring were the highest paid athletes in the world. A popular boxer could earn $10,000 per bout. An average professional baseball player made $8,000 a year. Babe Ruth made $80,000 each season. Gene Tunney made a million for his second fight with Dempsey.
And there was a bit of trickling down from the upper reaches. Silver says, "A lowly bucket carrier could earn a modest living working corners up to six nights a week."
In cities across America, countless young men took up boxing. Arenas popped up. Inner city gyms were filled with aspiring fighters. New York City became the center of the boxing universe. In the 1920s, more than two dozen arenas operated on a weekly or bimonthly basis within 10 miles of Times Square.
In 1925 the NYSAC annual report stated that 1,890 licensed pro fighters resided in the state, up from 1,654 the year before. In 1927 the number was 2,000 with over 900 boxing shows throughout the state. During the 1920s and 1930s, 8,000 to 10,000 pro boxers were licensed annually in the United States.
Into mainstream America, boxing in the 1920s
Boxing was mainstream and had been so since the dramatic rise of heavyweights Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney and the million dollar gates of the 1920s. Some 120,000 people saw their first fight in Philadelphia in 1926 and more than 104,000 witnessed the second in Chicago in 1927.
Besides these legends, the decade was full of more Hall of Famers. Benny Leonard, lightweight champion, was known for his speed, technical ability and intelligence. Harry Grebe won middleweight and light heavyweight belts and was the only boxer to defeat Gene Tunney. He fought his last 90 fights blind in one eye. Tiger Flowers became the first African American middleweight champion. Mickey Walker won middleweight and welterweight titles. Tommy Loughran was a light heavyweight champion known for his footwork, defensive skills and counterpunching.
Boxing in the 1930s
The Great Depression of the 1930s dampened the numbers, but enthusiasm for boxing was mighty. After all, these years saw the rise of Joe Louis. As these things go, heavyweight events led the way: Jack Sharkey and Max Schmeling drew 61,863 in 1932. Max Baer and James Braddock scrapped in front of 35,000 in 1934. Joe Louis and Braddock attracted 45,500 in 1937. Eighty thousand delirious fans watched Joe Louis defeat Max Schmeling at Yankee Stadium in 1938, and The New York Times made that battle front page news the next day. Of course, millions of fans worldwide listened to these events on their radios.
It would be a mistake to ignore the careers of some of the lighter class fighters. Tony Canzoneri and Barney Ross each won titles in three divisions or weight classes. Canzoneri, an Italian American hero, won the featherweight, lightweight and light welterweight titles.
Ross, a hugely influential and popular Jewish American, won the lightweight, light welterweight and welterweight titles.At a time when the Jew was especially denigrated here and abroad, his fighting career shattered stereotypes and inspired a generation to stand tall.
Boxing for boys in the 1930s
Willie Pep was born in 1922. He was 10 years old in 1932. Sandy Saddler was born in 1926 and would be 10 years old in 1936. What was the state of sports in America like back then?
For boys growing up in the 1930s, boxing was a popular and organized pursuit. Little League Baseball didn't exist. Pop Warner Football was only beginning. There was zero soccer. No skateboarding, snowboarding or surfing. No video games! Pep's Connecticut (and New England) and Saddler's NewYork City were especially rife with boxing activity. Boys were encouraged to learn the manly art at venues such as the YMCA, Young Mens Hebrew Association (YMHA), Police Athletic League (PAL), Catholic Youth Association (CYA) and various other clubs and gyms. In 1923,the Chicago Tribune sponsored the first Golden Gloves Tournament and challenged boxers from New York City. Soon it would grow into a much respected national organization. There was boxing across the land in high schools and colleges.
Glory days and heros to emulate
Boxing was on the upswing and its unseemly, unsafe reputation was in the past (or at least varnished for the time being) and in the future. In the 1930s, champions like Barney Ross,Tony Canzoneri, Henry Armstrong and especially Joe Louis were highly regarded and considered worthy role models.
Why they got serious about boxing
First generation kids of immigrant parents saw boxing prowess as a means to gain status in the city neighborhoods and a way to make a buck during hard times. For a select few, among them Willie Pep and Sandy Saddler, it meant fame and fortune or at least a fair shot at success in a depressed world with few options.
CHAPTER 2
Fine feathers
Although the two fighters brought their own unique personalities and boxing styles into the ring, there certainly were a passel of commonalities with their feather forebears.
Finest feathers from 1900 to 1942
From the turn of the last century until the reigns of Willie Pep and Sandy Saddler, there were a number of great feathers. Included in the next few pages are some of the best. They were chosen for a variety of reasons. All won at least a featherweight title, a few won titles in other weight classes as well. Most held on to their belt or belts for more than a few weeks or months. All are ranked highly by boxing historians and over time have maintained or gained stature. So they were great boxers.
This overview also provides foundation for understanding the fighting and the fighting world of Pep and Saddler. Although the two fighters brought their own unique personalities and boxing styles into the ring, there certainly were a passel of commonalities with their feather forebears. And it can be shown that there was a bit of foreshadowing of things to come before their time.
Immigrants
The group includes a cross section of America or, to be more precise, New Americans during the first 40 years or so of the 20th century. Most were sons of immigrants. A couple were fresh off the boat. Those who were not citizens and chose not to stay were American enough in their ambitions. They each saw boxing as a way to get ahead.
From everywhere
They were a diverse bunch — Irish, Jewish, Sicilian, Welsh, West Indian, French ...
Henry Armstrong was African American, Native American and Irish all by himself.
Kid Chocolate was Cuban (certainly a descendant of African slaves), and for a heady time about as American or Americanized as a temporary transplant could be.
Jim Driscoll was Welsh (cauliflower ears and all).
Eugene Crique was French.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Willie Pep vs. Sandy Saddler by Doug Werner. Copyright © 2014 Doug Werner. Excerpted by permission of Tracks Publishing.
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