Crunching the Numbers, Montgomery vs Jack in 1944 Drew a Larger Gate than Mayweather-Pacquiao

Published

6 months ago

August 7, 2024

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The 2015 bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas stands as the richest prizefight in history by a hefty margin. A crowd of 16,219 (paid) produced a gate of $72,198,500.

Eighty years ago this week, on Aug. 4, 1944, a show at Madison Square Garden generated a larger gate, notwithstanding the fact that the main event was a non-title fight girded by a flimsy 5-fight undercard.

Yes, it takes some creative bookkeeping to say that this boxing card grossed more revenue on-site than Mayweather-Pacquiao, but before we finagle with the data, let’s meet the principals in the featured attraction, Bob Montgomery and Beau Jack.

Bob Montgomery

One of nine children born to a South Carolina sharecropper and a Cherokee mother, Bob Montgomery moved to Philadelphia in his mid-teens and was working in a laundry when he first ventured into a boxing gym. The “Bobcat” made his pro debut in Atlantic city at age 19 and was 26-1-2 when he secured his first good payday, locking horns with world lightweight champion Lew Jenkins in a non-title bout at Philadelphia’s American League baseball park.

That didn’t go well for Montgomery. He had Jenkins on the canvas in the third round, but Jenkins came on strong and won a unanimous decision.

Two fights later, Montgomery lost again, losing a narrow 10-round decision to Sammy Angott, his first of three losses to the future world lightweight champion. But Montgomery persevered and on May 21, 1943, he won the New York State version of the 135-pound title with a 15-round decision over Beau Jack at Madison Square Garden.

This would be the first of their four meetings, all of which were closely contested affairs at Madison Square Garden and all of which produced an upset. Jack turned the tables on Montgomery later that year, regaining the title, and the Philadelphia Bobcat took it back in March of 1944, rebounding from a devastating knockout (Al “Bummy” Davis flattened him in the first round) to edge Jack by a split decision.

Beau Jack

Beau Jack was born Sidney Walker in Waynesboro, Georgia, and raised on a farm on the outskirts of Augusta by his maternal grandmother who hoped that he would become a preacher. Lore has it that he first attracted notice fighting in battle royals at the Augusta National Golf Club and that the famous golfer Bobby Jones put the bite on the club’s wealthy white members to sponsor the lad who was packed off to Springfield, Massachusetts, to be tutored in the finer points of the sweet science. Beau never did learn the art of defense – he was a high-octane fighter who threw punches from all angles with no regard for what was coming back at him – and that made him America’s top box office attraction (cumulatively) during the World War II era.

Jack had his early pro fights in Augusta and nearby Aiken, South Carolina, and had 25 fights in Holyoke, Massachusetts, before making his New York debut in a 6-rounder at Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field on Aug. 5, 1941. Later that month, he made his first appearance at Madison Square Garden, the Mecca of Boxing, and within 15 months would be headlining shows at the fabled Big Apple sock palace.

Jack would eventually appear in 20 main events at Madison Square Garden, a record that will be hard to beat. Thirteen were compressed into a 33-month span preceding his fourth and final meeting with Bob Montgomery.

Montgomery-Jack IV

Non-title fights were common in this era. John Henry Lewis had a ridiculous 52 non-title fights during the three years (1935-38) when he was recognized as the world light heavyweight champion. In theory, no title was necessary to make Montgomery-Jack IV an alluring match-up. Styles make fights and their styles meshed well. And neither man had an advantage in terms of preparation. Both were mustered into the Army on the same day and both were furloughed on the same day to return to New York to finish their training and make the rounds with the boxing writers.

Now let’s cut to the case. What made Montgomery-Jack so unique from the standpoint of gate receipts?

To procure a ticket to the event, one had to purchase a war bond. A pew in the first row cost $100,000. The second row sold for $50,000 and the third row for $25,000. But no one who purchased a pew in these rows was allowed to sit there. These choice seats, 164 in total, were reserved for wounded servicemen recently returned from battlefields in Europe and the Pacific. Their seats were donated to them by wealthy philanthropists who had to sit farther back if they had any interest in attending the show.

Beyond these three rows, the arena was divided into three tiers corresponding to war bonds in $100, $50, and $25 denominations. According to post-fight reports, when the receipts were tabulated, fight-goers contributed $35,804,900 to Uncle Sam to help pay for the cost of the war. Montgomery and Jack fought for free as did the other boxers and their handlers. Promoter Mike Jacobs supposedly earned nothing and other expenses were born by the radio sponsor, the Gillette Safety Razor Co.

—

Montgomery-Jack IV was a good but not great fight. Beau Jack won a majority decision, knotting the series at 2-2 where it would remain. Altogether they fought 55 rounds and even after 55 rounds it was hard to separate them. A reporter summed the total of all the scorecards and the tally was 78 rounds for Jack, 77 for Montgomery, and 10 even.

Bob Montgomery post-fight

Montgomery successfully defended his title twice before losing it to Ike Williams on a sixth-round stoppage before an announced crowd of 30,500 at Philadelphia’s Municipal (formerly Sesquicentennial) Stadium. His loss to Williams was his first of seven defeats to close out his career, reducing his final record to 75-19-3 (37 KOs). In retirement, he found work in a brewery when his savings ran out and dabbled in fight promotions. In 1995, with a big push from Philadelphia promoter J. Russell Peltz, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, joining his old rival Beau Jack in the Canastota shrine. The Bobcat died three years later at age 79 (some say 77) from complications of a stroke at a Coatsville, Pennsylvania VA hospital

Beau Jack post-fight

Beau Jack continued fighting until 1955, leaving the sport with a record of 91-24-5 (44 KOs). He was inducted into the IBHOF with the second class of 1991 and passed away nine years later at age 78 at a nursing home in Miami, succumbing to complications of Parkinson’s disease.

As a boy in Georgia, Jack worked as a shoeshine boy to help his grandmother make ends meet. After boxing, he returned to that occupation, operating a shoeshine stand at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach. In his spare time, he trained amateur boxers at the 5^th Street Gym before that iconic establishment was shuttered in 1993. He had a wife and children in the area, but lived alone in a furnished room.

Jack, who purportedly never learned how to read, became Exhibit A whenever there was a movement to create a pension plan for boxers, but Beau wasn’t embarrassed by his circumstances. Photos of him in his boxing togs ornamented his shoeshine stand and he enjoyed talking with people who were familiar with his boxing exploits. Moreover, the Fontainebleau was brimming with big tippers and he undoubtedly made more money than any bootblack in the country. (But, yes, the image of a once-popular boxer, especially a black boxer, shining shoes is an image freighted with uncomfortable symbolism.)

About That Gate:

World War II war bonds were series e bonds that matured in 10 years. The announced gate for Montgomery-Jack IV ($35,804.900) was the face value of the bonds if all were turned in on the day of maturity. However, these particular bonds were sold at 75 percent of face value. That reduced the total amount collected to $26,898,675. Adjusted for inflation, that equals approximately $481 million in today’s dollars which leaves the Mayweather-Pacquiao gate in the dust.

Granted, we are comparing apples and oranges. Those in attendance at the “War Bonds Fight” essentially gained admission by loaning money to the U.S. government, money that would eventually be returned to them or their heirs with interest. But it speaks well of boxing fans and the boxing community that they stepped up to the plate in our nation’s time of need.

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Arne K. Lang

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Skylar Lacy Blocked for Lamar Jackson before Making his Mark in Boxing

Published

2 days ago

January 19, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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Skylar Lacy, a six-foot-seven heavyweight, returns to the ring on Sunday, Feb. 2, opposing Brandon Moore on a card in Flint, Michigan, airing worldwide on DAZN.

As this is being written, the bookmakers hadn’t yet posted a line on the bout, but one couldn’t be accused of false coloring by calling the 10-round contest a 50/50 fight. And if his frustrating history is any guide, Lacy will have another draw appended to his record or come out on the wrong side of a split decision.

This should not be construed as a tip to wager on Moore. “Close fights just don’t seem to go my way,” says the boxer who played alongside future multi-year NFL MVP Lamar Jackson at the University of Louisville.

A 2021 National Golden Gloves champion, Skylar Lacy came up short in his final amateur bout, losing a split decision to future U.S. Olympian Joshua Edwards. His last Team Combat League assignment resulted in another loss by split decision and he was held to a draw in both instances when stepping up in class as a pro. “In my mind, I’m still undefeated,” says Lacy (8-0-2, 6 KOs). “No one has ever kicked my ass.”

Lacy was the B-side in both of those draws, the first coming in a 6-rounder against Top Rank fighter Antonio Mireles on a Top Rank show in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, and the second in an 8-rounder against George Arias, a Lou DiBella fighter on a DiBella-promoted card in Philadelphia.

Lacy had the Mireles fight in hand when he faded in the homestretch. The altitude was a factor. Lake Tahoe, Nevada (officially Stateline) sits 6,225 feet above sea level. The fight with Arias took an opposite tack. Lacy came on strong after a slow start to stave off defeat.

Skylar will be the B-side once again in Michigan. The card’s promoter, former world title challenger Dmitriy Salita, inked Brandon Moore (16-1, 10 KOs) in January. “A capable American heavyweight with charisma, athleticism and skills is rare in today’s day and age. Brandon has got all these ingredients…”, said Salita in the press release announcing the signing. (Salita has an option on Skylar Lacy’s next pro fight in the event that Skylar should win, but the promoter has a larger investment in Moore who was previously signed to Top Rank, a multi-fight deal that evaporated after only one fight.)

Both Lacy and Moore excelled in other sports. The six-foot-six Moore was an outstanding basketball player in high school in Fort Lauderdale and at the NAIA level in college. Lacy was an all-state football lineman in Indiana before going on to the University of Louisville where he started as an offensive guard as a redshirt sophomore, blocking for freshman phenom Lamar Jackson. “Lamar was hard-working and humble,” says Lacy about the player who is now one of the world’s highest-paid professional athletes.

When Lacy committed to Louisville, the head coach was Charlie Strong who went on to become the head coach at the University of Texas. Lacy was never comfortable with Strong’s successor Bobby Petrino and transferred to San Jose State. Having earned his degree in only three years (a BA in communications) he was eligible immediately but never played a down because of injuries.

Returning to Indianapolis where he was raised by his truck dispatcher father, a single parent, Lacy gravitated to Pat McPherson’s IBG (Indy Boxing and Grappling) Gym on the city’s east side where he was the rare college graduate pounding the bags alongside at-risk kids from the city’s poorer neighborhoods.

Lacy built a 12-6 record across his two seasons in Team Combat League while representing the Las Vegas Hustle (2023) and the Boston Butchers (2024).

For the uninitiated, a Team Combat League (TCL) event typically consists of 24 fights, each consisting of one three-minute round. The concept finds no favor with traditionalists, but Lacy is a fan. It’s an incentive for professional boxers to keep in shape between bouts without disturbing their professional record and, notes Lacy, it’s useful in exposing a competitor to different styles.

“It paid the bills and kept me from just sitting around the house,” says Lacy whose 12-6 record was forged against 13 different opponents.

As a sparring partner, Lacy has shared the ring with some of the top heavyweights of his generation, e.g., Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte. He was one of Fury’s regular sparring partners during the Gypsy King’s trilogy with Deontay Wilder. He worked with Joshua at Derrick James’ gym in Dallas and at Ben Davison’s gym in England, helping Joshua prepare for his date in Saudi Arabia with Francis Ngannou and had previously sparred with Ngannou at the UFC Performance Center in Las Vegas. Skylar names traveling to new places as one of his hobbies and he got to scratch that itch when he joined Whyte’s camp in Portugal.

As to the hardest puncher he ever faced, he has no hesitation: “Ngannou,” he says. “I negotiated a nice price to spend a week in his camp and the first time he hit me I knew I should have asked for more.”

Lacy is confident that having shared the ring with some of the sport’s elite heavyweights will get him over the hump in what will be his first 10-rounder (Brandon Moore has never had to fight beyond eight rounds, having won his three 10-rounders inside the distance). Lacy vs. Moore is the co-feature to Claressa Shields’ homecoming fight with Danielle Perkins. Shields, basking in the favorable reviews accorded the big-screen biopic based on her first Olympic journey (“The Fire Inside”) will attempt to capture a title in yet another weight class at the expense of the 42-year-old Perkins, a former professional basketball player.

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Mizuki Hiruta Dominates in her U.S. Debut and Omar Trinidad Wins Too at Commerce

Published

4 days ago

January 18, 2025

David A. Avila

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Japan’s Mizuki Hiruta smashed through Mexico’s Maribel Ramirez with ease in winning by technical decision and local hero Omar Trinidad continued his assault on the featherweight division on Friday.

Hiruta (7-0, 2 KOs), who prefers to be called “Mimi,” made her American debut with an impressive performance against Mexican veteran Maribel Ramirez (15-11-4) and retained the WBO super flyweight world title by unanimous decision at Commerce Casino in Commerce, Calif.

The pink-haired Japanese southpaw champion quickly proved to be quicker, stronger and even better than advertised. In the opening round Ramirez landed on the floor twice after throwing errant blows. On one instance, it could have been ruled a knockdown but it was not a convincing blow.

In the second round, Ramirez again attacked and again was met with a Hiruta check right hook and down went the Mexican. This time referee Ray Corona gave the eight-count and the fight resumed.

It was Hiruta’s third title defense but this time it was on American soil. She seemed nervous by the prospect of getting a favorable review from the more than 700 fans inside the casino tent.

For more than a year Hiruta has been training off and on with Manny Robles in the L.A. area. Now that she has a visa, she has spent considerable time this year learning the tricks of the trade. They proved explosively effective.

Though Mexico City’s Ramirez has considerable experience against world champions, she discovered that Hiruta was not easy to hit. Often, the Japanese champion would slip and counter with precision.

It was an impressive American debut, though the fight was stopped in the eighth round after a collision of heads. The scores were tallied and all three saw Hiruta the winner by scores of 80-71 twice and 79-72.

“I’m so happy. I could have done much more,” said Hiruta through interpreter Yuriko Miyata. “I wanted to do more things that Manny Robles taught me.”

Trinidad Wins Too

Omar Trinidad (18-0-1, 13 KOs) discovered that challenger Mike Plania (31-5, 18 KOs) has a very good chin and staying power. But over 10 rounds Trinidad proved to be too fast and too busy for the Filipino challenger.

Immediately it was evident that the East L.A. featherweight was too quick and too busy for Plania who preferred a counter-puncher attack that never worked.

“He was strong,” said Trinidad. “He took everything.”

After 10 redundant rounds all three judges scored for Trinidad 100-90 twice and 99-91. He retains the WBC Continental Americas title.

Other Bouts

Ali Akhmedov (23-1, 17 KOs) blasted out Malcolm Jones (17-5-1) in less than two rounds. A dozen punches by Akhmedov forced referee Thomas Taylor to stop the super middleweight fight.

Iyana “Roxy” Verduzco (3-0) bloodied Lindsey Ellis in the first round and continued the speedy assault in the next two rounds. Referee Ray Corona saw enough and stopped the fight in favor of Verduzco at 1:34 of the third round.

Gloria Munguilla (7-1) and Brook Sibrian (5-2) lit up the boxing ring with a nonstop clash for eight rounds in their light flyweight fight. Munguilla proved effective with a slip-and-counter attack. Sibrian adjusted and made the fight closer in the last four rounds but all three judges favored Munguilla.

More Winners

Joshua Anton, Tayden Beltran, Adan Palma, and Alexander Gueche all won their bouts.

Photos credit: Al Applerose

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 309: 360 Promotions Opens with Trinidad, Mizuki and More

Published

5 days ago

January 16, 2025

David A. Avila

Avila Perspective, Chap. 309: 360 Promotions Opens with Trinidad, Mizuki and More

Best wishes to the survivors of the Los Angeles wildfires that took place last week and are still ongoing in small locales.

Most of the heavy damage took place in the western part of L.A. near the ocean due to Santa Ana winds. Another very hot spot was in Altadena just north of the Rose Bowl. It was a horrific tragedy.

Hopefully the worst is over.

Pro boxing returns with 360 Boxing Promotions spotlighting East L.A.’s Omar Trinidad (17-0-1, 13 KOs) defending a regional featherweight title against Mike Plania (31-4, 18 KOs) on Friday, Jan. 17, at the Commerce Casino in Commerce, Calif.

“I’m the king of L.A. boxing and I’ll be ready to put on a show headlining again in the main event. This is my year, I’m ready to challenge and defeat any of the featherweight world champions,” said Trinidad.

UFC Fight Pass will stream the Hollywood Night fight card that includes a female world championship fight and other intriguing match-ups.

Tom Loeffler heads 360 Promotions and once again comes full force with a hot prospect in Trinidad. If you’re not familiar with Loeffler’s history of success, he introduced America to Oleksandr Usyk, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and the brothers Wladimir and Vitaly Kltischko.

“We’ve got a wealth of international talent and local favorites to kick off our 2025 in grand style,” said Loeffler.

He knows talent.

Trinidad hails from the Boyle Heights area of East L.A. near the Los Angeles riverbed. Several fighters from the past came from that exact area including the first Golden Boy, Art Aragon.

Aragon was a huge gate attraction during the late 1940s until 1960. He was known as a lady’s man and dated several Hollywood starlets in his time. Though he never won a world title he did fight world champions Carmen Basilio, Jimmy Carter and Lauro Salas. He was more or less the king of the Olympic Auditorium and Los Angeles boxing during his career.

Other famous boxers from the Boyle Heights area were notorious gangster Mickey Cohen and former world champion Joey Olivo.

Can Trinidad reach world title status?

Facing Trinidad will be Filipino fighter Plania who’s knocked off a couple of prospects during his career including Joshua “Don’t Blink” Greer and Giovanni Gutierrez. The fighter from General Santos in the Philippines can crack and hold his own in the boxing ring.

It’s a very strong fight card and includes WBO world titlist Mizuki Hiruta of Japan who defends the super flyweight title against Mexican veteran Maribel Ramirez. It’s a tough matchup for Hiruta who makes her American debut. You can’t miss her with that pink hair and she has all the physical tools to make a splash in this country.

Mizukii Hiruta

Two other female bouts are also planned, including light flyweight banger L.A.’s Gloria Munguilla (6-1) against Coachella’s Brook Sibrian (5-1) in a match set for six rounds. Both are talented fighters. Another female fight includes super featherweights Iyana “Right Hook Roxy” Verduzco (2-0) versus Lindsey Ellis (2-1) in another six-rounder. Ellis can crack with all her wins coming via knockout. Verduzco is a multi-national titlist as an amateur.

Others scheduled to perform are Ali Akhmedov, Joshua Anton, Adan Palma and more.

Doors open at 4:30 p.m.

Boxing and the Media

The sport of professional boxing is currently in flux. It’s always in flux but no matter what people may say or write, boxing will survive.

Whether you like Jake Paul or not, he proved boxing has worldwide appeal with monstrous success in his last show. He has media companies looking at the numbers and imagining what they can do with the sport.

Sure, UFC is negotiating a massive billion dollar deal with media companies, as is WWE, both are very similar in that they provide combat entertainment. You don’t need to know the champions because they really don’t matter. Its about the attractions.

Boxing is different. The good champions last and build a following that endures even beyond their careers a la Mike Tyson.

MMA can’t provide that longevity, but it does provide entertainment.

Currently, there is talk of establishing a boxing league again. It’s been done over and over but we shall see if it sticks this time.

Pro boxing is the true warrior’s path and that means a solo adventure. It’s a one-on-one sport and that appeals to people everywhere. It’s the oldest sport that can be traced to prehistoric times. You don’t need classes in Brazilian Jiujitsu, judo, kick boxing or wrestling. Just show up in a boxing gym and they can put you to work.

It’s a poor person’s path that can lead to better things and most importantly discipline.

Photos credit: Lina Baker

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