It somehow totally slipped past me that this guy had a second stint as Bantamweight champ, until this morning. What an achievment that is. Can someone enlighten me a little more about this guy? Apart from the wonderful win over Wilde and his reputedly fearsome body punching, i really don't know that much about him. It seems he was a stinging rather than a great puncher. I'm sort of forming a picture that sees him as not disimliar to Ricky Hatton in style and exectution. Is this at all acurate? Is there any film of Herman? Do any of you guys rate him particularly high as a Bantam?
Herman was a fast, durable fighter with power in both hands, and was particularly good fighting at close range. During his 1916-20 peak he suffered a severe eye injury in a charity match. His defeat to Lynch probably was in part down to his eye sight, not helped by thick tobacco smoke in the building. His revenge victory over Lynch, was even more amazing for Herman's lack of vision; reports put his win down to him staying close in and attacking Lynch's body. Herman retired aged 26 and shortly there after went totally blind. Fleischer for what it is worth had him his #2 Bantamweight.
He seems like an astonishing man. I was just reading about the Lynch loss just now, and Herman doesn't mention the eye - though he does mention the smoke. However, a little earlier I was reading somewhere else that Gussie Lewis did indeed thumb him in the eye at a charity event of some sort. Knocked down only once according to what I have. This guy seems lethal.
I stumbeled accross this amazing little man a couple of years ago and read up a lot on him. I don't have my sources handy but I remember reading that early on he was strictly a fast moving 'outside' boxer and after his eyes started going he kept getting closer and closer to his opponants and developed himself into a great infighter with a lethal body attack partly in response to his failing eyesight. It is reported that when Johnny Buff won the title from Pete Herman he beat a blind man. Whenever it happened Pete Herman did go completely blind and ran a night club in his hometown of New Orleans. As far as I know he was the only blind member of the Louisiana State Athletic Commission in its history. I will see if I can find my notes on this almost forgotten little fighter with the heart of a lion...
Herman was a great fighter ,particularly effective inside,his win over Wilde shouldnt be lauded too highly as Wilde was giving away a lot of weight.
