Profile on the ATG (and sadly forgotten) Newsboy Brown, former Flyweight champion. http://www.jewsinsports.org/profile.asp?sport=boxing&ID=66 Brown fought in the 1920s and 1930s as a flyweight and bantamweight. One of the most popular boxers of his day, he beat world champions in both weight classes, but none of the fights were for titles. In January 1928, he won the flyweight championship as recognized by the state of California (New York recognized another champ), but lost it eight months later. Born in Russia, Brown emigrated to the U.S. as a boy with his parents. Raised in Sioux Falls, Iowa, he learned to fight while selling newspapers on street corners and then began boxing professionally in 1922. In one of his early fights, he acquired the name "Newsboy Brown" when the ring announcer began introducing him before realizing he had not learned his name. Only knowing that he had been a newsboy, the announcer said, "in this corner...the brown-skinned newsboy...Newsboy Brown." His first eight fights ended in no decisions, but then Brown registered his first official win with a third-round knockout of John Walker in April 1924. 1925 proved to be a big year for Brown as he was on the card at the grand opening of the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles in August. The event, attended by celebrities including Jack Dempsey and Rudolph Valentino, featured several six-round bouts and Brown won his over Frankie Grandetta. A resident of Los Angeles by this time, Brown gained a major following with his victory and became a popular fighter for the rest of his career. In October 1926, he fought world flyweight champion Fidel La Barba to a 10-round draw, but the bout was not for the title (he had previously drawn with La Barba in April 1925). The draw brought Newsboy to the center of the boxing world and he was considered the top challenger in the flyweight division.
Newsboy Brown's first recorded fight was against Connie Curry in Sioux City on February 7, 1922. It was undoubtedly not the first time either opponent had fought professionally though. In those days it was difficult to distinguish between an amateur fight and a professional one. The first time young Davie Montrose had fought for money was probably on a Sioux City street corner when the local newsboys collected coins from passersby to watch two of them slug it out. Brown and Curry fought officially before Sioux City boxing fans at least five times. Curry had become a local favorite after working with Jack Dempsey during his vacation at Great Falls, Montana when the champion was preparing to defend his world heavyweight title against Tommy Gibbons on July 4, 1923. Curry had even scored a big defeat over Pat Moore, a bantamweight who had beaten several champions in his weight classification. Montrose, fighting under the moniker of "Newsboy Brown," was managed by Johnny Lynn, and even at the age of 17 had acquired a reputation as a cool ring general with a good punch in either hand. By the time of their fourth official matchup, neither fighter had scored a decisive victory over the other. When they fought at the Veterans Auditorium in Sioux City on June 23, 1923, Curry was hoping for a win in order to further his chances of taking on some major contenders in Chicago during the coming year. Brown also hoped a decisive win would mean good matches for him with some of the best boys in the division. As with their three previous fights, however, the June 23, 1923 bout resulted in "no decision." But the following year, in what was at least the fifth time the two boys had fought, in Omaha Nebraska, Brown finally scored a ten round decision over Curry. http://newsbrown.tripod.com/brownvcurry.html
David "Newsboy Brown" Montrose met Diosdado "Speedy Dado" Posadas in Los Angeles on February 10, 1931 to battle it out for the California bantamweight championship, a title created by boxing promoter Jack Doyle and sanctioned by the State Athletic Commission. Both fighters weighed in at 115 lbs. Brown, who was generally considered the mythical champion, went to the post heavily favored at 10 to 6 and 2 to 1 odds. Brown thought he would be Dado's master at infighting, as he had always been against other Filipinos, but Dado flashed a brand of boxing, punching and speed that never let Brown into the running. Working from a crouch, Brown fought for Dado's body throughout the entire ten rounds, but early in the fight Speedy fought his way out of the clinches with strength he had never shown before. Brown's manager, Emmett Ledwith, thought that Dado would slow down after the half way mark and that Brown would come on to take back ground lost in the early rounds. But Dado never cracked. His right arm which collapsed from an old injury against Midget Wolgast the preceding year kept working like a fast piston. There were several different versions of the battle. Some of the spectators thought the Newsboy was very much in the running for a draw or even a shade. Although not all agreed, in the end, Referee Billy Burke awarded the decision clearly to Dado, giving Brown one round, Dado six and calling three even. For three weeks after taking possession of the new belt, Dado enjoyed the hero worship of his fellow countrymen like a king. Demonstrations were staged for him wherever he went, and he was reported to be as proud of the belt as a child over a new toy. The Second Fight -- March 3, 1931 His ecstacy was short lived, however, for three weeks later, on March 3, 1931, with the title on the line the two fighters met again at Los Angeles' Olympic Auditorium, this time at 118 lbs. Speedy was in fine form. At age 20, he was five years younger than the Newsboy. However he had always appeared to lack stamina, in hard going situations. While it lasted, the scrap was a thriller with Dado assuming the aggressive from the start, upsetting the Newsboy for a two count in the first round and in general pasting him about the ring furiously, with Brown peddling in and out and up against the ropes with reckless abandon to save himself. In the second round, Dado kept dancing, stabbing and jabbing Brown almost at will to take the heat by a wide margin. But in the third round Brown came out of his corner swinging both hands. He landed two sweeping rights to the Filipino's head, and followed it with a half dozen wicked jolts to the stomach. A left hook to the body, a right cross that landed below the heart and a one-two punch to the chin sent the Filipino boxer reeling in a corner one minute and 35 seconds after the round opened. As Dado coiled up, Brown uncorked a series of rights and lefts to finish his task. At the time he collapsed, Dado lowered his gloves to his groin and the fans believed he was claiming foul. Referee Jack Kennedy picked him up, carried him to his corner, examined the aluminum protector and began tolling off the count. As he passed seven Dado fell from his stool and amid a chaotic scene that followed, Kennedy raised the hand of Brown. Referee Kennedy was on top of both fighters and saw the punches where and when they hit. That his decision was just and fair was later borne out by Dado's own acknowledgment. In his dressing room afterwards, Dado acknowledged he had been knocked out fairly and squarely and denied he claimed foul. He offered no explanation for why his hands dropped to his groin. His managers likewise made no protest. Robert Endgren and Dr. Harry Martin, boxing commissioners, who attended the bout, also insisted Brown had won fairly. Newsboy Brown had snatched back the California bantamweight title after three short weeks and robbed Dado of his goal of becoming another Pancho Villa.'
I have always been intrigued by this guy. His record reads like a who's who of the best fly's and bantams of the era. That might have been something of a golden age of flyweights!
Newsboy Brown's California boxing debut was against Fidel LaBarba at the Hollywood American Legion Stadium on April 17, 1925. La Barba had won a gold medal in the 1924 Olympics and after turning professional later that year had put up some sensational bouts in the local ring against Jimmy McLarnin, Georgie Rivers and Young Nationalista. Brown, also undefeated, had himself chalked up some impressive victories on the east coast and was managed by one of the most successful managers in the country. La Barba was the local favorite, but the Newsboy was also well backed by a crowd of fans who had recently watched him upset Kid Kaplan and Ace Hudkins in workouts at the local "Newsboys' gymnasium." That night the two bantamweights put up one of the most interesting bouts ever seen between fighters of their class in a local ring. Although there was some razzing on the part of the fans early in the bout, the regulars around ringside enjoyed every minute. The first three rounds of that fight were relatively devoid of action but, when the Newsboy got moving, Fidel started to fight. La Barba used his right effectively in the fifth round and started out in the same manner in the sixth. In the seventh, Fidel tried hard to get an edge on the speedy newsboy, and was a little ahead when Brown again rallied and did enough inside work to win the round. The eighth was the best of the bunch. LaBarba socked Brown on the chin with a left. The latter's legs were tangled and he sat sown, but was up again before the referee even got started to count. La Barba then put rights and lefts to Brown's head and body and was going good, until he walked into one of the Newsboy's lefts to the body, and had to slow a little. The ninth was even, filled with much mixing and pummeling. Both men scored repeatedly with both hands. Brown was simply too good a boxer to get far behind. He was clever at covering and was always ready to lash out with a snaky left when Fidel got a bit incautious. Although none of the rounds were won or lost by a big margin, La Barba was credited with rounds 2, 5, 8, and10; Brown got rounds 4 and 7; and rounds 1, 3, 6, and 9 were even. Referee Larry McGrath, however, called the fight even. * * * * * * Later that year, on August 22, 1925, La Barba won the American Flyweight title from Frankie Genaro. Ever since his earlier draw with La Barba, Newsboy Brown had been clamoring for a rematch. Indeed, a few weeks after La Barba won the championship from Genaro, in an action packed bout in Los Angeles, Brown had beat Genaro almost as cleanly as La Barba had. So the rematch was a natural. Several months later, on October 5, 1926, he got the chance. But the title was not on the line because La Barba had decided to weigh in above the 112 lb limit, and La Barba's manager insisted that the Newsboy take the fight at catchweights or go without it. Looking for a chance to prove that he was entitled to a shot at La Barba with the title at stake, Brown agreed to the terms and planned to weigh as much as his opponent. By fight time, La Barba weighed 116 and Brown weighed 115 . La Barba had just returned form a barnstorming tour of the East, but Brown had a long siege of idleness due to a sick spell since winning a decision over Teddy Silva in Hollywood several weeks prior. But both boxers entered the ring in splendid condition, and neither could claim any excuses. La Barba was favored by odds at anywhere between 10 to 7 and 2 to 1, but more fans wanted to bet on Brown and he was the sentimental favorite. Here is a round by round description of that fight. Right at the opening gong La Barba came rushing from his corner and missed a wild right to the head. He carried the fight to Brown and stung him with a left to the chin, forcing Brown into a clinch. Midway in the round La Barba landed another sharp left hook to Brown's chin, then missed a right cross. Brown stung the champion with a left hook as they came out of a clinch, but Fidel showed no disposition to back up. Both boys were putting all they had into every punch. They went the balance at top speed with L Barba having a very slight edge. It was noticeable to those who watched La Barba closely that he threw more right hands in the first round than he usually throws in seven. La Barba fought a ferocious second round. He swarmed all over Brown from the start, pounding teriffic lefts to the body and crossed several rights to the head. He forced Brown to give ground on every exchange. Those who had been critical of the champion's counterpunching saw him in a new aspect. La Barba had a shade on the round. Brown managed to make a better showing in the third round, but La Barba beat him to most of the punches, hooking those short lefts to Brown's mid-section and out-punching him in the clinches. Brown smacked Fidel with a right hand over the left eye and caused a big swelling. The newsboy also landed some good body punches. You had to give Brown the fourth round. He decided to take the fight to La Barba, and the champion was content to counter punch which made it considerably slower than the preceeding rounds. Brown took the round by his superior work in the clinches. La Barba missed several wild swings. La Barba brought a right hand from the floor in the fifth that caught Brown rushing in and landed on his mouth. He staggered but did not go down and rushed into a clinch. Fidel hooked tow hard lefts to his stomach, and in shoving Brown off, Newsboy spun La Barba almost completely around with a left hook to the chin. Fidel closed in on him and at close range peppered Brown's body with rights and lefts, taking the round easily. The newsboy was out in front in the sixth until he stuck his chin out too far and La Barba nailed him with a stiff left hook. Brown bounced into the ropes, and on the rebound La Barba hooked him with another left to the stomach that shook him to his shoetops. Fidel pressed his advantage for the balance of the round, which he took easily. The seventh round was even. The eighth was best of all, Brown, starting at top speed and beating La Barba to the punches at the outset until Fidel hooked a right and left to his stomach midway in the round that slowed him up. The champion drove him into the ropes, drove two rights to the body and two to the head. Each punch had a sting to it. Then he missed a left to the body and brown hooked a left to the head that hurt. They were slugging it out at the bell. It was an even round. Brown had the ninth round, which was a solid three minutes of slugging, the newsboy getting the shade because of his aggressiveness. The house was in an uproar when the final round got under way. Brown came in with two swinging lefts to the head. La Barba smacked him with a nice left to the head and a right to the body. In a clinch both used lefts to the body. They were throwing punch for punch with neither boy showing a disposition to back up. Most of the work was done in the clinches. They fought it out desperately. Brown took the tenth round. La Barba had thrown more right hands in the first three rounds than in previous fights, and had punched Brown's body red and black in the last four rounds. While Brown's winning rounds were not so pronounced as those of the champ, this was forgotten in the public fervor. Twice La Barba had scored punches that had the newsboy on the verge of going down, but the rugged little scrapper showed plenty of heart, plenty of recuperative powers and much willingness to slug it out at either long or short range. The referee called the fight a draw. Many said the decision was more popular than correct, but to many others the fight demonstrated that Newsboy Brown was the logical contender for La Barba's crown.
"Newsboy Brown, veteran of many a ring battle, achieved one of his greatest triumphs, and also provided one of the season's fistic upsets, on December 15, 1931 when he defeated "Panama" Alphonse Brown, bantam champion of the world, in a 10 round thriller at the Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium. No title was at stake, however, because both fighters were over the 118 pound bantamweight limit, the Newsboy going in at 120 ½ pounds, while the Panama boxer weighed 122. Giving away almost a head in height to the gangling Panamanian, and 4 inches in reach, the Newsboy turned in a fine performance, outscoring his opponent with stinging rights and lefts to the body. Although the Panamanian drew several cautions for head butting during the melee, he also showed flashes of sterling offensive work with hard rights, but the Newsboy always came back to give more than he received. Newsboy Brown assumed and maintained the aggressor's attitude from start to finish. It took him one round to size up the situation. Then he moved into close quarters, beating his two fists mightily to the champion's midriff. The Newsboy took the second, third, and forth rounds handily. In the fifth, Al Brown managed to land several stiff rights, looping punches that caught the Newsboy by surprise. Again in the seventh and eighth rounds the champion rallied with fury to beat his smaller opponent back and bombard him with punches. They came to the tenth and final round on fairly even terms. But the Newsboy went whaling away, tore right into the Panamanian and bombarded him viciously about the stomach, now and then crossing things up with snappy left hooks to the chin. In the end, referee Harry Lee passed by the outstretched arm of the surprised champion and hoisted the arm of the fighting Newsboy of Boyle Heights. A sympathetic crown cheered his victory to the echo. The Newsboy had taken 6 rounds to the champion's 3, with one even."
