Tommy Bell, Youngstown, Ohio - Welterweight Played 'second banana' to Sugar Ray Robinson. The 5' 10" - Tommy Bell, was the 'consumate professional', who was one tough battler. The 1942 National AAU Champion at Welterweight, led Tommy into the Professional Ranks at age 19 in July 1942. Tommy got off to a 'rocky start' as a pro, by going 1-4-1 in his fist '6-bouts', but he turned it around quickly, and went on a '28-bout' winning streak to improve to 29-4-1. Unfortutanely, he ran into 'Sugar Ray' Robinson in Cleveland, Ohio on January 16, 1945 - and the 'Sugan Man' did a 10-Round number on Tommy, snapping his streak. But, Tommy plugged away, and by the end of 1946 had worked his way to the #2 Welterweight. By December 1946, 23 1/2 year-old - Tommy had compiled a record of 39-10-2 (26 KO's), by fighting nearly every top fighter around, and emerged as the #2 Welterweight. This content is protected
Tommy Bell's second matchup against 'Sugar' Ray Robinson, surely, cannot be forgotten. Youngstown Vindicator - Dec 21, 1946 Headline reads "Robinson Defeats Tommy Bell in Torrid 15-Round Welterweight Title Battle" "Ray (Sugar) Robinson donned his new welterweight crown...he gained it the "hard way"--in the toughest brawl of his career..." "The two tall Negroes fought for the crown... And what a fight it was!" "[Tommy] Bell, a 5-1 underdog, shook Robinson with crisp left hooks that had him groggy again and again." "Bell...--had the Garden in pandemonium in the second round when he floored the pride of Harlem (Ray Robinson) with a left hook to the chin for a count of seven." "Going into the seventh, Bell...was ahead on the United Press score sheet, three rounds to two, with one even." After a sound beating from Robinson in rounds 7-12 which included surviving "the 12th round verged on a miracle of ruggedness...[Bell] amazingly rallied to win the 13th..." Bert Sugar stated in his Boxing's Greatest Fighters, when referring to Tommy Bell, "...the same Tommy Bell who had given Ray Robinson a life-or-death struggle for the welterweight crown."
Tommy Bell, A 5' 10" tall, pressure fighter, who was willing to 'take one' to 'give one'. Not a wreckless brawler, but a calculating pressure fighter. Somewhat like a heavier version of Antonio Cervantes. Good power in both hands, and was clearly the next best Welterweight, behind Sugar Ray Robinson from 1945 thru 1947. This content is protected After getting to 29-4-1 by January 1945, including a 28-bout winning streak, Tommy Bell went 10-6-1 (7 KO's) in '17-bouts' over the next 2-years. On paper, it doesn't look impressive, but his losses were to Sugar Ray Robinson, and Middleweights Ceceil Hudson, Jake LaMotta (2x), Ossie Harris, and a 'close' Decision loss to highly regarded Jimmy Doyle. But, Tommy had impressive wins over California Jackie Wilson, and Middleweight - Cecil Hudson. Following the 'bruising battle' with Sugar Ray Robinson for the 'vacant' Welterweight Championship on December 20, 1946 - Tommy was 'foolishly' over-matched in the majority of his bouts, as his manager Solly King put him in with Middleweights, and forced him to travel to fight in other fighters hometowns.
He and his brother Bobby Bell were both professional boxers, I am sure Bobby was the father of Robert and Ronald Bell from the band Kool and the Gang.
