117-2-1 heavyweight who never got a shot.

Here is another article suggesting Paul had over 100 wins.


“From Paterson, N. ]., Paul Cavalier, called the cleverest heavyweight in the world by Gene Tunney, was active in the squared circle for 15 years as a lightheavy and heavyweight contender. Started his boxing career in 1920 and won 15 straight bouts before losing his first fight in Madison Square Garden.

In 1927 at Arcola Park in Paramus, Paul de’ cisioned Jimmy Braddock for the light heavyweight championship of New Jersey, after Jimmy had a winning streak of 21 consecutive knockouts. As a heavyweight Paul won over Humberto Arce, Pietro Corri, Jack Roper, Phil Mercurio and defeated Tony Galento for the state heavyweight championship, after the famed Tony had scored 13 straight knockouts. Paul boxed over 100 rounds with Joe Louis while touring the New England states and Canada with the champion.

Feared and respected for his boxing talents by champions and top contenders, to remain active, Cavalier helped train seven former world champions, Gene Tunney, Jack Sharkey, Max Baer, Jack De’ laney, Mickey Walker, Primo Camera and Joe Louis.

Engaged in 115 bouts, won 111, lost three and boxed one draw. Knocked down only twice during his entire career, Paul arose and won both fights. Gene Tunney was certainly right.

Married in 1930 to the former Florence Lota, an active bowler and golfer, the Cavaliere’s reside in Wayne, N.]. They have a son, Paul Jr., a practicing lawyer in Paterson, N. ]. and four grandchildren.

Today Paul is a top boxing referee in New Jersey, and has worked the last four championship bouts held in our state. Also, he is Chief of the Attendance Dept., Board of Education, Paterson School System.

Welcome into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame, Paul Cavaliere, congratulations and good luck.

(Boxing name Cavalier, real name Cavaliere.)

Paul Cavalier was a clever, sharp-punching heavyweight, noted as a “master of defense.” He claimed to have been knocked down only twice, by Englishman Charley Smith and by George LaRocco.

After retiring from the ring, he also was an attendance officer in the Paterson, New Jersey, school section, rising to become chief of the attendance section. Cavalier is best known as an outstanding referee in his home state, working “hundreds” of main events according to his own estimate. His officiating careerwas chronicled in Boxing Illustrated’s December 1961 issue.

An article on Cavalier, by Lester Bromberg, appeared in the New York Post, August 31, 1968.”

 

I don’t think that rules anything out. Boxrec has found a few more losses but has less wins. It is incomplete record. Two articles claim over 100 wins.

I shall look up my 1961 issue of Boxing Illustrated tomorrow to see the original article.

 

That’s already a better Resume than Cleveland big cat Williams isn’t it? Paul Cavalier was at a similar age and similar stage of career when he beat Braddock and Galento in a shut out in Madison Square Garden. When Ike Ibeabuchi beat two guys before they blossomed into noted fighters what’s the difference here? Probably the difference is Cavalier continued largely unbeaten and unnoticed beyond that point for many years with no serious loss worth talking about. How can you not say Cavalier wouldn’t or couldn’t have made the grade when he was making the grade so early on?

And that’s not even a correct total number of fights. That’s a portion of the total. We know he couldn’t get fights beyond beating Galento so easily. Paul said in an interview that “I’d be a rich man if I had a dollar for every time I’ve been approached by some front man for a crooked manager.”

Galento was not some 21 year old novice by modern standards. At 21 Galento was already a veteran of 36 recorded fights at age 21. Paul was a similar age to Tony and giving away 28 pounds to him.

Galento was always a well known, colourful fighter. He had fought at Madison Square Garden a few times already back when only fighters who made it could fight there.

you neglect to mention Braddock was already unbeaten in 27 fights and earmarked for great things.

Cavalier was 22 years old and at a similar stage of his career. Braddock had enough wins, he was unbeaten, to be taken as seriously as he was at that time.

 

The 1961 Boxing Illustrated article that lists Paul Cavalier as having won 117 of 120 fights was penned by Edward Brennan.

 

Actually some of these losses were officially during the no decision period.

Later newspaper reports were relied upon to create definitive results for bouts that officially went down without any. By the time of the 1961 article no decision fights with no result did not go down as a loss. They were/are not decisive.

Even so, looking at the boxrec list, If you trace the men listed as beating Cavalier on these newspaper results at least one of them had previously went down as a draw and 4 others previously listed as outright losing to Paul by official decision in other fights. He was perhaps not decisively beaten ever. Certainly not by stoppage.

The quality of opposition was no doubt bad for most of his career but he undoubtedly had so many more fights within the reported 21 boxing clubs of New Jersey during his 18 years as a pro.

 

How about Edward Brennan?