On this Day: Andre Routis: A World FeatherWeight Champion Remembered

By Peter Silkov

Andre Routis was a very quick and clever boxer, with heart and durability, who during the 1920s fought the best bantamweights and featherweights in the world.  Born on July 16, 1900, in Bordeaux, Gironde, France. Routis won the French Amateur Bantamweight title in 1918, before turning professional in 1919. 

Starting his career as a bantamweight, Routis was soon facing top class opposition, and would go on to face the very best at both bantamweight and featherweight.  Routis would fight top fighters such as, Charles Ledoux, Bugler Harry Lake, Johnny Brown, Kid Francis, Harry Corbett, Jack Kid Berg, Cowboy Eddie Anderson, Tony Canzoneri, Joe Glick, Panama Al Brown, Johnny Cuthbert, Sammy Dorfman, Dick Finnegan, Buster Brown, Al Singer, and Battling Battalino.

Routis was a busy fighter and fought around the world against the best opponents available, and was very popular wherever he fought.  In addition to boxing in his native France, he also appeared regularly in rings throughout England and America.

On September 28, 1928, Routis caused a huge upset when he won the NBA and NewYork State World Featherweight title, with a 15-rounds point’s win over Tony Canzonerei, after a thrilling fight.  Routis held the title until September 23, 1929, when Battling Battalino out-pointed him over 15 hectic rounds. Battalino would go on to say that he was not crying from happiness after winning the title, he was crying because he had broke both his hands in the 4th round, while boxing Routis.

After losing his world title, Routis had just one more fight.  On November 5, 1929,  he was out-pointed over 10 rounds by Davey Abad.  Routis retired with a final record of 54(12koes)-25-7. Andre Routis would go on to own a bar in France, and upon his 69th birthday, died from a heart attack.

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

On This Day: Remembering Jack Kid Berg: The Whitechapel Whirlwind

By Peter Silkov

Jack ‘Kid’ Berg was one of the most exciting, all-action fighters ever to come out of Britain.  Born Judah Bergman, he was inspired to become a boxer by the ring exploits of Ted ‘Kid’ Lewis. Berg turned professional at the age of fifteen, in 1924, and soon became a top attraction in London due to his relentless, non-stop, windmill-style of fighting, which gained him the nickname ‘The Whitechapel Windmill.’ In 1928, Berg moved to America to fight, where he was trained by Ray Arcel. Berg’s style and out-of-the-ring charisma made him an instant hit in America, and he was soon fighting the top lightweights in the world, including Tony Canzoneri, Billy Petrolle, Mushy Callaghan, Joe Glick, Buster Brown, Sammy Fuller and Kid Chocolate. 

On February 18, 1930, Berg won the World light-welterweight championship when he out-pointed Mushy Callahan in London. Over the next 14 months, Berg defended the world title successfully nine times, before losing his championship to Tony Canzoneri, when he was knocked out in the 3rd round.  Berg’s defeat to Canzoneri was controversial, as Canzoneri’s World lightweight championship was also at stake. Both men scaled under the lightweight limit, so Berg argued that his light-welterweight title was not at stake in the fight. However, according to Berg, his light welterweight title was not supposed to be at stake, but it was, so Berg lost his championship.

Five months later, Berg and Canzoneri fought again, with both Lightweight and Light-welterweight world titles at stake once more, and this time Canzoneri won a narrow 15 rounds point’s decision.  Berg returned to London to fight in 1933, and won the British lightweight title on October 29, 1934, when he knocked out Harry Mizler in 10 rounds; a title he held for two years.  Berg would return to fight in America in 1938 to 1939, although he failed to secure another world title shot. Berg carried on fighting until 1945, when he finally retired with a record of 157(57koes)-26-9.

After he retired Berg had a new career as a movie stuntman in various films, and remained a well known character in the boxing scene until his death in 1991 at the age of 82. 








Watch Jack 'Kid' Berg "This is your Life":

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

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