Did Colin Bell beat Joe Jeanette?

I recall reading that he also floored and badly hurt Sam Mcvey in their first clash so he certainly could say he held his own with that trio of legendary fighters.

He also fought a draw with Battling Levinsky, ko'd Gus Ruhlin but losses to Dave Smith (Darcy's sparring partner) and Bombardier Billy Wells certainly show just how inconsistent he could be.

Also his wins over George Cook and Tom Heeney whilst good ones on paper came just as these two were starting out and need to be put into perspective. Plus a proposed fight with Les Darcy for the Australian Heavyweight title never came off which would've been massive for his legacy one way or the other (I'd say the other as Darcy would likely have trounced him).

That said his display's against Langford and Jeanette must be two of the best ever by an Australian heavyweight so he deserves massive kudos for them.

 

He broke his ankle in that fight with McVey, which resulted in a second round stoppage.

I think Colin Bell is very underrated and on his day would have been more than a handful for most guys in that era. For someone to have his first (recorded) fight at 27 years of age and then just four years later be mixing it up and more than holding his own against the likes Langford, McVey and Jeanette speaks volumes. I've also heard that Foley had actually stopped taking pupils, but after meeting Bell, made an exception for him and took him under his wing. I know Foley thought very highly of him, thats as good as an endorsment as one could get i would think.

Would love to hear more on Colin Bell

 

There used to be a poster here called Joe Jeanette.

It was a different person.

The real fella would be too old, or even expired, to post here, I think.

 

Are you sure?

I really am Young Griffo and boxrec listing me as dying in 1927 is just another example of that sites many inaccuracies and I wouldn't be surprised if they got it wrong about Joe either.:-(

 

Can you still do that trick with the fly? :think

 

No I've lost a step, after all I am 140.

But I can still stand on a hanky when pissed and dodge punches with the best of them

 

Bell claimed he broke his ankle when he fought me but he didn't.
He quit because I was too good for him.:yep

 

lol, that's good stuff

 

Heeney was a novice at that time.Bell was certainly inconsistent.

 

A primary report:

BELL VS JEANNETTE.

MAY 4, 1914 LONDON.

AUSTRALIAN BEATEN ON POINTS.

Joe Jeannette (America) beat Colin Bell (Australia) on points in a
20-round contest at Premierland last night.

The term sensational might be justly applied to this fight. Collin Bell, the Australian heavyweight champion, is a fine all-round athlete, beautifully made, and extraordinarily quick on his feet for a man weighing just under (196)14st. It may be judged how fit he was last night when it is stated that, after 20 rounds fought at a tremendous pace against one of the four most famous black boxers in the world, he was able to jump clean over the ropes out of the ring.

Bell is certainly the victim of misfortune. He was disqualified in a fight against P.O. Curran, which he was winning easily, for an alleged low blow, about which there was at least reasonable doubt and last night Bell lost the decision in his second venture after he had apparently won by a fair margin of points. It is difficult for anyone who saw the fight to understand the reasoning by which this decision was reached. The refereeing of the fight was admirable — up to the last moment—' for Mr. J. Palmer, who was in the ring all the time, was quiet and cool, and interfered only when it was necessary, in fact, he was all that a referee should be during the progress of the fight.

Jeannette was never his real, best self until the last round, but this was partly because he was opposed to an opponent far quicker than most of those he has met, and who was clever and could take punishment with equanimity. Not that the Australian got a great deal of punishment. It was only when he got in a corner that Jeannette was really able to reach him with his heavy swings, and even then Bell's defense was superb. Time after time Jeannette led with his formidable left, only to miss by inches. The Australian was always out of danger in plenty of time; He is probably the quickest on his feet of all 'the big men since Charlie Mitchell. It must be said that Jeannette had had a fight on Saturday, not a very serious affair, but it took him seven rounds to win, and he must have been a very tired man before the final gong sounded; he certainly looked it.

JEANNETTE'S GOOD START.

The fight started quietly with a lot of in-fighting in which Jeannette seemed decidedly the better of the two; for the first four rounds, indeed, he looked like winning fairly comfortably. Bell was a slow starter, but after the fifth round he began to improve, and won round after round, scoring repeatedly by left punches to the jaw and body. There was probably a good deal more weight in his blows than was apparent — these heavy-weights are often deceptive in this respect— but it was only occasionally that Jeannette winced.

In the eighth round Bell got in a left, right, left to Jeannette's jaw, which, evidently shook the Mulatto. From the fifth to the 12th round Bell scored 'most points, but Jeannette clearly won the 12th, in which a heavy right-handed punch opened a cut under Bell's right eye. Bell again won the next two rounds, but the 16th round was practically level. Jeannette scored at first, and Bell seemed to be tiring, but, then picked up at the end of the round. The Australian was stronger in the next two rounds, and though there was not much in it was just ahead on points. In the last three rounds Jeannette was the stronger of the two, and in the 19th and 20th rounds gained a good lead. Bell was tottering at the end, and Jeannette was doing all he could to secure a knock out, evidently thinking that this was his only chance of winning.

When the decision was announced the huge crowd, which packed the hall, was at first stunned with surprise, and then expressed its disapproval in no uncertain way. The future appearance of Bell will be watched with the greatest interest.