On This Day: Willi Besmanoff Remembered

By Peter Silkov


Willi Besmanoff was a tough and game heavyweight boxer, who fought many of the division's top fighters during the 1950s and 60s. Born William David Besmanoff, on October, 4, 1932, in Munich, Bayen, Germany. Besmanoff was of Jewish heritage, and at the age of 11 years old, he was imprisoned in a concentration camp in Buchenwald, Germany. His salvation was that his mother renounced her Jewish faith and converted to protestant. At 13 years old, Willi worked at a bakery, where his boss suggested he take up boxing.

Besmanoff turned professional in 1952, beginning his career as a light-heavyweight, but moving up to heavyweight by the late 50s. In 1956, Besmanoff would move to America, where he would have many of his fights. Besmanoff fought fighters such as Alex Buxton, Bob Baker, Archie Mcbride, Alex Miteff, Yvon Durelle, Roy Harris, Willie Pastrano, Pat McMurty, Archie Moore, Harold Carter, Mike Dejohn, Zora Folley, Eddie Machen, Sonny Liston, Tom McNeely, Marty Marshall, Howard King, Pete Rademacher, Alejandro Lavorante, Muhammad Ali, Bob Foster, Amos Johnson, Dave Zyglewicz and George Chuvalo.

Willi never became a top contender or gained a world title shot, but he had the reputation as a very tough, value for money fringe contender, who always gave his all in every fight.

Besmanoff’s final fight came on August 1, 1967, when he was stopped in 3 rounds by Dave Zyglewicz. Besmanoff retired with a final record of (51-34-8, 19koes).

Besmanoff, who learned to bake when he apprenticed at a bakery, would go on and open several bakeries around the U.S.

Willie Besmanoff died on October 20, 2010, aged 78 years old.

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Big Fight Report: Carl Frampton Comes Alive And Dethrones Leo Santa Cruz

 

Photo: Skysports

By Peter Silkov 

The Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, was witness last night, July 30, to one of the fights of the year, as challenger, Carl Frampton (23-0, 14koes), produced the performance of his career, to tear the WBA world featherweight championship away from Leo Santa Cruz (32-1-1, 18koes.)  In a match that, for a change, lived up to all expectations, as Frampton proved to be the better all-round boxer, and was able to control the action more, especially in the early rounds.

Photo: Beacher Report

The fight started fast and kept up a good pace all the way throughout its 12 rounds. The key to Frampton’s victory was the balance that he was able to achieve, between using his superior boxing skills to frustrate and negate Santa Cruz, and his ability to stand and trade with Santa Cruz when he had to. Most telling was that Frampton was able to hurt the champion, staggering him in the 2nd round, after which Santa Cruz was always a little circumspect in his attacks. Frampton’s jab was also an important weapon in this match, as it allowed him to score points, and keep the defending champion from launching his usual non-stop attacks. The match featured a number of exciting exchanges, but Santa Cruz was unable to build up the kind of non-stop windmill attacks for which he is most known. Frampton’s intelligent use of the ring and his accurate and potent counter attacks saw him build up a clear lead in the first half of the fight. 

In the second half of the match, Santa Cruz, realizing that he was behind, stepped things up and tried to drag Frampton into the kind of toe-to-toe action that would suit him more. Frampton traded punches well and kept his boxing together to emerge a deserving winner.  The scores were 117-111, 116-112, and 114-114.  The Boxing Glove scored the fight 115-113.  After the fight, an unhappy Santa Cruz indicated that the pro-Frampton crowd had influenced the judges, and that he wanted a rematch in Los Angeles. This is certainly a fight that could be done again, whether it will be though is another thing entirely.  Frampton now will have a number of lucrative options for his future fights and is liable to take his time before jumping into a rematch with Santa Cruz.

Photo: The Guardian

For all the criticism that he has had (deservedly so) leveled at him due to his avoidance of Guillermo Rigondeaux, and his performances in his last two fights, Frampton performed brilliantly last night, showing guts, strength, and skill.  Santa Cruz, on the other hand, showed why he is a good fighter rather than a great fighter, as he was exposed as being one-dimensional at times against the Irishman.

Certainly this was a career-best performance so far from Frampton, and indicated that the extra weight at featherweight may well make him a better fighter, than he was at super-bantamweight.  Watching Frampton’s performance, it become even more disappointing that he has been steered away from a match with Gullermo Rigondeaux.

It is hard not to feel sympathy for the exiled Cuban, who has spent the past couple of years searching for fights, while fighters whom he is very capable of beating, fight each other instead of him, for purses he is probably still dreaming about.
Yes boxing is a business, a very cruel business.  The biggest loser of last night’s fight was neither of the two boxers in the ring.

Photo: belfastlive.co.uk

With this win, Frampton annexed the same WBA world featherweight championship that was won by his manager and mentor, Barry McGuigan, back in 1985. After Frampton had been declared the winner, McGuigan, who had been an emotional spectator of the fight at ringside, was finally overcome, and in tears. After the let down of the Quigg match, this was finally a fight and a performance to be proud of ,and one which is likely to make Frampton an international star.

On the under card of the Santa Cruz vs. Frampton showdown, Mikey Garcia (35-0, 27koes) made his long awaited return to the ring, after being sidelined for over two and a half years, by a bitter legal dispute with his former promoters, Top Rank.

Photo; Edward Diller/DiBella Entertainment

Garcia stopped former world champion Elio Rojas (24-3, 14koes) in the 5th round.  After a slow start in the first 2 rounds, Garcia started connecting, and showed that his punching-power had no rust on it whatsoever. Rojas was floored heavily twice in the 3rd round, and then again in the 5th, as it was clear that he just could not take Garcia’s power and strength. The referee wisely stopped the contest after the 4th knockdown with Rojas having regained his feet, but indicating that he’d had enough.

In one of the performances of the night, Philadelphian, Tevin Farmer (21-4-1, 5koes), gave favourite Ivan Redkach (19-1-1, 15koes) a 10 rounds boxing lesson, winning 99-89, 98-92, 98-92.  Farmer only started boxing at the age of 19 and turned professional at the age of 21 in 2011. He lost 4 of his first 12 fights (with one draw and 7 wins), but instead of taking the road of becoming a journeyman, he has now won his last 15 contests in a row. His win over Redkach has shown he is a genuine world class talent.  Farmer’s victory was even more impressive given that he usually fights at junior lightweight.  This is definitely a boxer to keep an eye upon.

Paulie Malignaggi (35-7, 7koes) scored a 96-94, 98-92 and 98-90 10 rounds point’s win over Gabriel Bracero (24-2, 5koes.)

Northern Ireland middleweight, Conrad Cummings (10-0-1, 4koes), won an entertaining, and sometimes bad tempered, 6-rounds brawl with the game, Dante Moore (9-2-2, 4koes).  Moore, from Cleveland Ohio, is one of those fighters who looks as if he could do more than just be a semi-journeyman, while Cummings is strong and entertaining, but will have limited progress unless he works on his defence.



Copyright © 2016 The Boxing Glove, Inc. Peter Silkov Art. All Rights Reserved. Peter Silkov contributes to www.theboxingglove.com

Preview & Prediction: Guillermo Rigondeaux vs. James ‘Jazza’ Dickens

By Peter Silkov

This Saturday, July 16th, will be the return of Guillermo Rigondeaux (16-0, 10koes) to the ring, defending his WBA world super-bantamweight championship against England’s James ‘Jazza’ Dickens (22-1,), at the Ice Arena in Cardiff, Wales.  Rigondeaux is very possibly the best, pound-for-pound, boxer in the world when it comes to pure boxing skill.  Yet, he can also claim to be the worst treated boxer in the world as well.  For all his ability, indeed because of it, Rigondeaux has become the most avoided boxer in the sport, with other fighters stating that he is too boring, and too unpopular with the fans, to merit fighting.

Since he out-classed Nonito Donaire in April 2013, Guillermo Rigondeaux has been essentially blacklisted.  After he beat Donaire, promoter, Bob Arum, turned what should have been a breakthrough victory for The Jackal, onto its head. Arum, who promoted both Rigondeaux and Donaire seemed to take great exception to Rigondeaux beating Donaire, and from that point on set out to criticize, belittle, and discredit Rigondeaux.  Eventually ’The Jackal’ cut his promotional ties with Bob Arum and Top Rank, but the damage has already been done to his reputation.  When your own promoter is branding you too ‘boring’ and describing executives as being prone to ‘throwing up’ when your name is mentioned, then the effect can be quite devastating.

In the 3 years and 3 months since his bittersweet victory over Donaire, ‘The Jackal’ has fought just 4 times, and the big fights that he had wished for against the likes of Carl Frampton, Scott Quigg, and Leo Santa Cruz, have been no where to be seen.  Rigondeaux’s prospective opponents excuse themselves from fighting him by citing the fact that he is boring and cannot draw big money for fights.

Ironically, Frampton and Quigg ended up fighting each other in a ‘super fight’ showdown, which tunrned out to be a dud, and showed just why both boxers had been so keen not to meet Rigondeaux in the ring.

Jazza Dickens, who holds the British Super-bantamweight title, deserves a great amount of respect for taking on the fight that so many ’big names’ have avoided.

Dickens is a boxer with a nicely balanced style, but in Rigondeaux he will be meeting a man who is in a class by himself in many ways.  ’The Jackal’ is a counter-puncher with exceptional speed, accuracy, and power, when he chooses to use it.

Against Dickens, we should see ’The Jackal’ produce a dominating performance, which will culminate in him stopping Dickens by the mid-way point of the fight.

For Dickens, this is the kind of fight that can enhance his career, even if he loses, but for Rigondeaux, this fight represents a chance for Rigondeaux to show just what so many fighters at super-bantamweight are so afraid of.



iFL TV Interviews Rigondeaux from Cardiff, Wales:

iFL TV Interviews Dickens from Cardiff, Wales:
 

Copyright © 2016 The Boxing Glove, Inc. Peter Silkov Art. All Rights Reserved. Peter Silkov contributes to www.theboxingglove.com

On This Day: Eddie Wimler: The Fair Haven Terror Remembered

By Peter Silkov

Eddie ’The Fair Haven Terror’ Wimler was a rough and tough featherweight fighter, who stood just 4’ feet 11” and a half inches, but was a little powerhouse of a fighter.  Born on January 15, 1892, in Sachsen, Germany, (Saxony) but moved with his parents as a child to America, where they settled in Fair Haven, Pennsylvania.

After working for some time in the mines as a youngster, like his father had, Eddie Wimler became a professional fighter in 1910, and showed that it was a profession for which he was well suited.  Over the next 14 years he fought a busy campaign, against bantamweights and featherweights. Wimler was always a journeyman rather than a genuine challenger for the world title, but he was always a tough proposition for any of his opponents, and a very popular crowd-pleaser with the fans.  Some of the fighters whom he fought, included, Patsy Brannigan, Babe Picato, Johnny Ray, Eddie Carver, Jack ’Kid’ Wolfe, Johnny Fundy, Joe Lynch, Memphis Pal Moore, Joe Burman, Ko Circus, Danny Kramer, Al Corbett, and Johnny Fundy. 

Wimler was the older brother of Chalky Wimler, who also had a successful boxing career, and for much of his boxing career his older brother Billy Wimler managed him.

Eddie Wimler’s final fight was a 6 rounds point’s defeat to Johnny Fundy on April 14, 1924.  The toughness of ‘The Fair Haven Terror’ can be measured by the fact that in well over 170 recorded bouts during his career, Wimler was never stopped or knocked out.  Wimler’s final verified record, including news paper decisions, 74(13koes)-66-44.

Copyright © 2016 The Boxing Glove, Inc. Peter Silkov Art. All Rights Reserved. Peter Silkov contributes to www.theboxingglove.com

On This Day: The Alabama Kid the Boxer Who Had a Knock Out Punch Remembered

By Peter Silkov

Alabama Kid was one of the toughest and most dangerous fighters of his era, being one of the most formidable middleweight and light-heavyweight contenders of the 1930s and 40s.  The Alabama Kid scored a prodigious 108 knockouts during his career, a career in which he started as a flyweight, and fought in every division up to heavyweight.

Born Clarence Reeves on January 1, 1914, in Concord, Georgia, the Alabama Kid turned professional in 1928, fighting as a flyweight. By 1931, Alabama Kid had grown into a middleweight and was an established crowd favourite.  He often had to give away weight in matches, fighting men who were naturally bigger than him, as those of his own size often avoided him.  Ironically, despite his name, the Alabama Kid did not have very strong connections with Alabama. He never lived in Alabama and there are no verified records of him ever fighting in Alabama, (although that doesn’t mean that he did not fight there), but he took on the name so that his parents would not know that he was boxing.

During his career, Alabama Kid met top fighters such as Ko Kelly, Frankie Palmo, Paul Pirrone, Tommy Freeman, Sammy Slaughter, Joe Sekyra, Buddy Knox, George Nichols, Gus Lesnevich, Gorilla Jones,  Buddy Walker, Bob Amos, Dave Sands, Lee Q Murray, Arturo Godoy, Archie Moore, and Sid Peaks.

In 1938, Alabama traveled to Australia for some fights. Originally he planned to have just two fights there, but he found himself so popular with the Aussies that he ended up staying for over two years, before he decided to head home.  When he did decide to head back to America in 1940, fate took a hand when Alabama’s ship hit a mine, and sunk within half an hour.  Luckily all the passengers on board, including Alabama, were saved and put into lifeboats.  Instead of returning to America, Alabama went to New Zealand for a couple of fights, and then returned once more to Australia.

In a twist of fate, which would turn out to be tragic, Alabama Kid met a white Australian woman, whom he soon married.  This should have been a happy turn of events, especially when Alabama’s wife gave birth to two children.  For a while everything went well for Alabama, he continued to fight regularly, both in the ring, and also toured Australia with ’tent’ troupes, which were ran by his manager, Harry Johns. It is said that when Alabama tried to leave Harry Johns' Boxing Troupe over poor working conditions and low wages, he was threatened by Johns that he would turn Alabama into the immigration department. Ironically when he did leave the tent shows it was shortly there after that the Australian authorities caught up with Alabama and swiftly deported him.

However in 1947, Alabama Kid was told by immigration that he would have to leave Australia, as his marriage violated the ‘white Australian’ rule, which was intended to guard against white Australians marrying black partners.  Alabama Kid protested at being deported and underlined his love for both his wife and babe’s and Australia. even though his wife begged and pleaded to the authorities to allow her husband to stay in the country. “She said to the court “We are without a bread winner in a strange city and I do not want to die,” said Mrs. Reeves in Sydney following the arrest of her husband on a deportation order. The Alabama Kid, whose real name is Clarence Olin Reeves, burst into tears when he was arrested after having been beaten in a boxing bout.’"

But despite this and the outcry that his deportation raised amongst many Australians, especially within the boxing community, Alabama Kid was detained in April of 1948 at the Long Bay Jail and deported from Australia within a week, leaving his wife and children behind.  He would never see them again. They didn’t even allow his wife and children to say goodbye to him. He was placed on the ship Marine Phoenix' on April 16th, heading to San Francisco. He tried many times over the following years to get back to Australia. 

Once he returned to America, Alabama Kid continued to fight for a while, but he was a pale shadow of the fighter that he had been previously.  The Alabama Kid had his final fight on March 8, 1950, when O’Dell stopped him in 3 rounds.

The Alabama Kid’s final record is 178(108koes)-59-20.

After his retirement from boxing, the Alabama Kid worked as a trainer, and also ran a liquor store. Alabama would write Harry Johns in 1952 and said “he was managing a beer, wine, and food saloon in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio. The Kid sends his regards to his many fans.”

Clarence ‘Alabama Kid’ died on April 22, 1970. 

Copyright © 2016 The Boxing Glove, Inc. Peter Silkov Art. All Rights Reserved. Peter Silkov contributes to www.theboxingglove.com

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