Cecil Payne was an extremely active boxer, in and around the top level, in the 1930s Lightweight scene. He fought Tony Canzoneri three times, and also scored draws and wins against Boxers such as Chalky Wright and many others. He was a noted Boxer competing out of Louisville, Kentucky. This is another of my pet threads for compiling info on obscure Boxers.
Boxing Shows Its Better Side In Payne Benefit Tonight By LARRY BOECK It could happen only in the fight racket, where a curious chemistry of the passions blends charity and malevolence, sentimental-ism and callousness, nobleness and baseness. Tonight, boxing reveals itself in one of its more sublime aspects when Joe Paglina steps into the ring as a referee on the Cecil Payne Benefit Show. Back in the mid-1930's, Paglina and Payne were antagonists, with Payne twice knocking out Paglina. Now Payne is desperately ill and Paglina is one of the old timers in the mitt colony eager to help. Paglina will referee one of the amateur bouts on the 8 p.m. Shawnee Post American Legion show. Other old-time fighters who'll be third men in the ring are Walter '"Soldier Buck" Buckrop, Jimmy Dell Lovell, Henry Firpo and Wishy Jones. A couple of kids to watch tonight at the Legion Post (28th and. Main) are the Watson brothers, sons of ex-pugilist Reece Watson, Sr. . . . Reece, Jr., is 12 and at that tender age hast had 54 amateur fights winning 47. , . . Eight-year old Donnie Reece has triumphed in nine of 10 bouts. Leaving tonight for New Orleans are welterweight Rudell Stitch and Manager Bud Bruner. Stitch fights No. 6-ranked middle weight Holly Mims Monday night in the Mardi Gras city. Some observers have questioned the wisdom of highly-ranked welter Stitch meeting middleweight Mims, giving away around eight pounds. Says Bruner: "If this was Just another fight, we wouldn't have taken it. However, if Stitch wins, we could set up a big pay-day in New Orleans in a return fight with Ralph Dupas (highly-ranked welter whom Stitch recently decisioned here). "The promoter in New Orleans believes the Dupas-Stitch fight would be a natural for Sugar Bowl week. Especially if it's the first to break the color line a Negro against a white. New Orleans appears ready for such a fight. "If Rudell loses, his ranking won't be affected much not as a welter fighting a leading middleweight. 'If he wins, there's another angle: Mims has split trio fights with Spider Webb. In early December Webb will fight Gene Fullmer for the middleweight title. And if Webb wins, why, we have a good argument to ask him to fight Stitch for the title. The way things are going, we won't get a look at the welter title for a long while, "Outside of all this, we took the Mims fight because Mims is a natural middleweight, weighing 155. He's a light-middleweight at that. And he hasn't scored many knockouts. So, all-in-all, we figure it's a good fight for Stitch."
Had to type this one myself since the text scanner was faulty. _____________________ DECEMBER 5. 1959 Payne, 53, Dies, Was Ring Great By LARRY BOECK Cecil Payne, one of Louisville's all-time Boxing greats, died here yesterday at 53. He died as he had lived - and he lived without once, say friends, ever having fought a bad fight. Payne fought his lengthy illness as hard and with as much determination and courage as he ever had fought an opponent. And during his featherweight-lightweight career he encountered some of the ring's best. Top Ring Product Payne died of leukaemia. The illness had hospitalized him about five months ago. He was the father of two sons and a daughter, the youngest five years old. The Louisville Boxing colony, which in late October had held a boxing benefit for him, regarded Payne as one of the more outstanding ring products of the area. "Payne answered the bell to more than 200 fights in a span of 14 years," recalled Toad Franklin, former fighter and promoter, "He won 85 percent of his fights and was knocked out only twice. "His style was unique and colorful. He was a master of deception, with plenty of speed and body rhythm. "He fought five world champions in 11 overweight matches. He won four of those bouts. "He never fought a bad fight in his life." Oldtimers remember that Payne fought the great Tony Canzoneri, the Featherweight champion who hit like a Heavyweight, three times. Payne dropped two decisions and was stopped once by Canzoneri. Other ring standouts Payne fought were Freddy Miller (a feather champ), Battling Battalino, Tod Morgan, Bushy Graham, and others. Payne twice beat feather champ Battalino, defeated bantam titlist Graham and junior lightweight king Morgan. Fought To Draw Payne, who died at 11:15 a.m. at Veterans Hospital, Boxed in the late 1920's and early 1930's. He fought his last match in October, 1937, at the Armory in Louisville, drawing with Lousivillian Wishy Jones. Payne lived at 920 S. 32nd St., and for the last several years before his illness operated the Cecil Payne Tavern at 1010 S. 32nd. He is survived by his wife, June; a sone, Donald, 31, of Arlington, Va.; a son, Vaughn, 8; a daughter Cecilia Ann, 5; a brother, Arnold Payne of Las Vegas, Nev., and five sisters -- Mrs. Christa Powell of Nashville, Mrs. Awby Sadler of Glasgow, Ky.; Mrs. Edward Nicholson of Louisville; Mrs. Harry W. Polston of Louisville, and Mrs. Louis Hazel of Louisville. Funeral services are 8:30 a.m. Monday, at the Owen Funeral Home, 2611 Virginia Ave. Burial will be at his birthplace in Orlinda, Tenn, at 2:30 p.m. Monday. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25661981/1959-12-05-cecil-payne/
NO GLASS IN THIS PAYNE But Cecil Payne is shown in the glass practising an orthodox style of boxing. Payne, who boxes Eddie Mack at the Olympic Tuesday night, is as unorthodox in style as Bushy Graham. Mack, on the other hand, had a system from which he never varies -- a book fighter. [Image linked below] https://img.newspapers.com/img/img?...eUfocDGMei5Hi5PGajQX47nF1k4BX1g&ts=1615379454
Tony Canzoneri 134 lbs beat Cecil Payne 138 lbs by KO at 1:07 in round 5 of 10 Date: 1933-12-04 Location: Public Hall, Cleveland, Ohio, USA Referee: Matt Brock Canzoneri was having his way with Payne, when he caught Payne back-pedalling with a left to the heart region. Canzoneri shot a long right hand to the head that sent Payne sprawling to the canvas for the count. Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer ---------------- Cecil Payne 137 lbs beat Henry Woods 139 lbs by PTS in round 10 of 10 Date: 1934-02-13 Location: Civic Auditorium, Seattle, Washington, USA Woods boxed well in the first five rounds, winning three rounds, with two even. Woods began to clinch more and offer only wild swings in the 6th round, as the crowd booed him. In the 7th round, a left hook to the head sent Woods down for a six-count, as the bell ended the count, though Woods appeared capable of rising. Payne appeared tired in the 8th and 9th rounds, as Woods took those rounds. Entering the 10th, it appeared Woods just had to stay off the canvas to win the fight. In the 10th, though, a right-hand from Payne floored Woods, almost without a count. Woods was hurt this time, and bleeding from the mouth, Payne battered Woods, who went down again, though it appeared to be from a slip. Source: Seattle Times
BOWL'S OPENER IS ANNOUNCED King Meets Cecil Payne in Main Event at New Boxing Emporium With the new Wilmington bowl In final stages of completion Matchmaker Cecil B. Glascock today announced that he had completed his card for the grand opening, June 4. Cecil Payne, the Louisville lightweight who came here unheralded and unsung several months ago to electrify Los Angeles fight fans by taking a decision over Goldie Hess, expects to leave Louisville either today or tomorrow for his bombardment with Ritchie King. They are down for the ten-round top with Joe Bell and Tommy Huffman, a pair of popular local welters, slated to step six heats or less in the semi-finals. Besides these two scraps, Glascock has signed Sid “Red” Grigry to meet "Smiling Mickey” Thomas, sensational Santa Ana welter, in the six-round special. The fours show “Wildcat” Abedlno vs. Elliott Padilla and Jimmy Benway vs. Al Cook. BANQUET FOR SCRIBES According to Manager Jay M. Love, the seats for the new club are due to arrive here from Chicago the latter part of this week, and the contractors expect to have them Installed in time for the club’s preopening banquet, May 28, which will be held at the Pacific Coast club for newspapermen and stockholders of the organization. Practically every sports editor and boxing writer in the Southland has been Invited. An inspection tour by the news writers will be made during the afternoon of May 28. It also was announced by Mr. Love that negotiations were about to be completed for semi-monthly wrestling bouts. “Wrestling, like boxing, should prosper in this section,” stated Mr. Love, “and while we have no desire to handle the wrestling promotion, we feel that it will become a big thing with the right parties behind it—and I assure you that the organization with which we are dealing is 'right.' ’’ https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SPNP19300520.2.150&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1
Cecil Payne rated as the 4th best active Jr Lightweight Boxer in the world, 1930, alongside a Boxing article. Page 7: https://virginiachronicle.com/?a=d&d=SNH19300118.1.7&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN--------
If anyone cares, here are some photos of Canzoneri vs Payne. I wish there was some film. https://digitallibrary.usc.edu/asset-management/2A3BF1OAFW9HZ?FR_=1&W=412&H=736
