Barney Ross

To have a movie made about you starring Cameron Mitchel (****** on my Back) as BARNEY DID YOU MUST BE KIND OF FAMOUS

 

This is getting rediculous how is M. O. N. K. E. Y. A word that gets edited. Children!

 

You need to go to rehab

 

Yeah, who did Barney Ross ever beat? Tony Canzoneri? Never heard of him! Jimmy McClarnin? Who was he? A Club fighter? Ceferino Garcia? Some bum from the Phillipines, probably.

So, yeah, apart from these all-time greats, who did Barney Ross actually beat?

 

Yes, the Light Welterweight Title is murky, but is fun to follow its history origins:

Pinky Mitchell was Voted the Lt. Welterweight Title by a magazine in 1922, held it for 4 years before losing it
to Mushy Callahan in 1926. Callahan held it for 4 years and lost it to Jackie Berg in 1930. Berg was recognized as Champ by the NBA & NYSAC in 1931. Berg then lost the title to Tony Canzorneri later in 1931. Tony C loses the title to Johnny Jadick in 1932. Battling Shaw wins the title from Jaddick in 1933, but loses the title to Tony Canzorneri in the same year (5/21/33). Tony C. loses title to Barney Ross on 6/23/33. Ross claims Jr. WW title basically from 1933-1935 when Ross formally vacates the "crown".

Ross was known as a smart fighter with great stamina. He retained his Jr. WW title by decision against Sammy Fuller to finish 1933 and against Peter Nebo to begin 1934. Then he defended against former world champion Frankie Klick, against whom he drew in ten. Then came the first of three bouts versus Jimmy McLarnin. Ross vacated the light welterweight title to go after McLarnin's welterweight title and won by a 15-round decision, his third world championship. However, in a rematch a few weeks later, McLarnin beat Ross by a decision and recovered the WW title. After that, Ross went back down to light welterweight and "reclaimed ?" his title with a 12-round decision over Bobby Pacho. ("Barney Ross, Chicago, successfully defended his junior welterweight title tonight by taking a well-earned decision over Bobby Pacho of California per United Press") After beating Klick and Henry Woods by decision to retain that Jr. WW title, he went back up in weight for his third and last fight with McLarnin; he recovered the welterweight title by outpointing McLarnin again over 15 rounds on 5/28/1935.

Mushy Callahan
On September 21, 1926, Callahan fought Pinky Mitchell for Mitchell's [List of lineal boxing world champions#Light welterweight|World Light Welterweight]] crown. Mitchell was the first champion Light Welterweight, a class created in 1922. At the time of the fight, he had held it almost continuously from its inception in 1922 until his fight with Callahan. At the time the two boxers met, few recognized the legitimacy of a championship in this weight class. Nevertheless, Callahan beat Mitchell over ten rounds in Vernon, California and won the title.[3]

Callahan said in an interview of his subsequent title bout with Andy Di Vodi, "My biggest thrill came when I fought Andy Di Vodi in Madison Square Garden on March 14, 1927. The New York papers were full of Di Vodi...I knocked him out in the second round." Callahan defended his title again in 1927 against Spug Myers in Chicago, and on May 28, 1929, against Fred Mahan in Los Angeles. In the Andy Divodi win on March 14, 1927, NBA recognized the bout as being for the World SuperLightweight Title. This was also the title recognized by the NBA in Callahan's winning ten round points decision against Spug Myers on May 31, 1927 in Wrigley Field in Chicago.[1][2]

Callahan fought a variety of non-title fights from 1927 to 1929. He fought 1925 NYSAC Lightweight Champion Jimmy Goodrich, in Vernon, California, in April and May 1926, winning in each ten round bout. One notable loss was his ten-round bout with Olympic Champion Jackie Fields on November 22, 1927 at Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. Some boxing writers attribute the Jackie Fields loss to the abdominal injuries he sustained in his bout with Sergent Sammy Baker four months earlier on July 27.

Of his March 28, 1928 ten round win over Dick Hoppe of Glendale, the Montreal Gazette wrote, that he had won "in the opinion of ring siders seven of the ten rounds." He had previously lost to Hoppe in ten rounds on November 10, in Legion Stadium. Hoppe was not the quality of competition he would later face in Jackie Berg.[1][4]

On July 24, 1929 Callahan first fought British boxer Jack "Kid" Berg, in a non-title fight. The ten round unanimous decision in favor of Berg at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York, did not bode well for Callahan's chances in a title match with Berg. On February 18, 1930, Callahan put his title on the line against Jack "Kid" Berg again in Royal Albert Hall in London, England. Berg knocked him out in ten of fifteen rounds to take the title for his own. He held it for the remainder of the year. There is some dispute as to whether the Light Welterweight title was actually on the line in this fight. The National Boxing Association (NBA) had stripped Callahan of its version of the Light Welterweight Title before the Berg fight. Furthermore, at the time of the Berg fight, Britain did not recognize the light welterweight division. The New York State Athletic Commission recognized the Berg-Callahan fight as being for the Light Welterweight title, however, and Berg won NBA recognition in 1931.[2]

 

Papp top 5 middle of all time!lol

 

Good info ^....I remember when I first started following boxing history....I was confused about the MW title in the late 30's and WW2 era.

 

Thanks....compadre. I enjoy reading your perspectives and supplemental info.

 

This was an... interesting thread.

At 140, he's #1. Bar none. Maybe not H2H, but definitely in terms of accomplishments/pedigree. P4P, I have him at #17, and completely interchangeable from anyone between Pep and Walker imo.

1. Sam Langford
2. Harry Greb
3. Henry Armstrong
4. Ezzard Charles
5. Sugar Ray Robinson
6. Roberto Durán
7. Muhammad Ali
8. Bob Fitzsimmons
9. Willie Pep
10. Joe Louis
11. Archie Moore
12. Ray Leonard
13. Packey McFarland
14. Tommy Loughran
15. Benny Leonard
16. Jimmy McLarnin

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18. Jimmy Wilde
19. Tony Canzoneri
20. Mickey Walker

He was a very consistent fighter, minimal losses. His résumé is truly insane, wins over McLarnin, Canzoneri, Garcia, Farr Petrole, Manfredo, Woods, Fuller, Pacho ect, ect. He was also a 3 weight champion at a time where that really meant something. He didn't have the best longevity, only having a 9 year career but God doesn't give everyone everything.

And after watching the Canzoneri, McLarnin, Armstrong and Petrole fights, recently; I thought he was eerily similar to Del a Hoya, with his stance, brilliant left and cagy movement. Unlike Del a Hoya, Ross was as well conditioned as they come. He exchanged with some of the best ever for 15 rounds straight, the guy had stamina in spades. His footwork was real good too, the lots of mini shifts and positioning, as well his milling/posturing with his left to set up his offence and keep himself semi-safe. He had an awesome, short right hand that he could set up and land consistently with when up close. Very entertaining style, but not a cataclysmic puncher, although he was seemingly carved from granite. They didn't come much tougher than Ross. Hearns is my pick for greatest puncher at 147, and I'm not sure if he would've stopped Ross. That's how tough Ross was.