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Crunching the Numbers, Montgomery vs Jack in 1944 Drew a Larger Gate than Mayweather-Pacquiao
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.
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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 5th 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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Niyomtrong Proves a Bridge Too Far for Alex Winwood in Australia
Today in Perth, Australia, Alex Winwood stepped up in class in his fifth pro fight with the aim of becoming the fastest world title-holder in Australian boxing history. But Winwood (4-0, 2 KOs heading in) wasn’t ready for WBA strawweight champion Thammanoon Niyomtrong, aka Knockout CP Freshmart, who by some accounts is the longest reigning champion in the sport.
Niyomtrong (25-0, 9 KOs) prevailed by a slim margin to retain his title. “At least the right guy won,” said prominent Australian boxing writer Anthony Cocks who thought the scores (114-112, 114-112, 113-113) gave the hometown fighter all the best of it.
Winwood, who represented Australia in the Tokyo Olympics, trained for the match in Thailand (as do many foreign boxers in his weight class). He is trained by Angelo Hyder who also worked with Danny Green and the Moloney twins. Had he prevailed, he would have broken the record of Australian boxing icon Jeff Fenech who won a world title in his seventh pro fight. A member of the Noongar tribe, Winwood, 27, also hoped to etch on his name on the list of notable Australian aboriginal boxers alongside Dave Sands, Lionel Rose and the Mundines, Tony and Anthony, father and son.
What Winwood, 27, hoped to capitalize on was Niyomtrong’s theoretical ring rust. The Thai was making his first start since July 20 of 2022 when he won a comfortable decision over Wanheng Menayothin in one of the most ballyhooed domestic showdowns in Thai boxing history. But the Noongar needed more edges than that to overcome the Thai who won his first major title in his ninth pro fight with a hard-fought decision over Nicaragua’s Carlos Buitrago who was 27-0-1 heading in.
A former Muai Thai champion, Niyomtrong/Freshmart turns 34 later this month, an advanced age for a boxer in the sport’s smallest weight class. Although he remains undefeated, he may have passed his prime. How good was he in his heyday? Prominent boxing historian Matt McGrain has written that he was the most accomplished strawweight in the world in the decade 2010-2019: “It is not close, it is not debatable, there is no argument.”
Against the intrepid Winwood, Niyomtrong started slowly. In round seven, he cranked up the juice, putting the local fighter down hard with a left hook. He added another knockdown in round nine. The game Winwood stayed the course, but was well-beaten at the finish, no matter that the scorecards suggested otherwise, creating the impression of a very close fight.
P.S. – Because boxrec refused to name this a title fight, it fell under the radar screen until the result was made known. In case you hadn’t noticed, boxrec is at loggerheads with the World Boxing Association and has decided to “de-certify” the oldest of the world sanctioning bodies. While this reporter would be happy to see the WBA disappear – it is clearly the most corrupt of the four major organizations – the view from here is that boxrec is being petty. Moreover, if this practice continues, it will be much harder for boxing historians of future generations to sort through the rubble.
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 295: Callum Walsh, Pechanga Casino Fights and More
Super welterweight contender Callum Walsh worked out for reporters and videographers at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, Calif. on Thursday,
The native of Ireland Walsh (11-0, 9 KOs) has a fight date against Poland’s Przemyslaw Runowski (22-2-1, 6 KOs) on Friday, Sept. 20 at the city of Dublin. It’s a homecoming for the undefeated southpaw from Cork. UFC Fight Pass will stream the 360 Promotions card.
Mark down the date.
Walsh is the latest prodigy of promoter Tom Loeffler who has a history of developing European boxers in America and propelling them forward on the global boxing scene. Think Gennady “Triple G” Golovkin and you know what I mean.
Golovkin was a middleweight monster for years.
From Kevin Kelley to Oba Carr to Vitaly Klitschko to Serhii Bohachuk and many more in-between, the trail of elite boxers promoted by Loeffler continues to grow. Will Walsh be the newest success?
Add to the mix Dana White, the maestro of UFC, who is also involved with Walsh and you get a clearer picture of what the Irish lad brings to the table.
Walsh has speed, power and a glint of meanness that champions need to navigate the prizefighting world. He also has one of the best trainers in the world in Freddie Roach who needs no further introduction.
Perhaps the final measure of Walsh will be when he’s been tested with the most important challenge of all:
Can he take a punch from a big hitter?
That’s the final challenge
It always comes down to the chin. It’s what separates the Golovkins from the rest of the pack. At the top of the food chain they all can hit, have incredible speed and skill, but the fighters with the rock hard chins are those that prevail.
So far, the chin test is the only examination remaining for Walsh.
“King’ Callum Walsh is ready for his Irish homecoming and promises some fireworks for the Irish fans. This will be an entertaining show for the fans and we are excited to bring world class boxing back to the 3Arena in Dublin,” said Loeffler.
Pechanga Fights
MarvNation Promotions presents a battle between welterweight contenders Jose “Chon” Zepeda (37-5, 28 KOs) and Ivan Redkach (24-7-1, 19 KOs) on Friday, Sept. 6, at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula. DAZN will stream the fight card.
Both have fought many of the best welterweights in the world and now face each other. It should be an interesting clash between the veterans.
Also on the card, featherweights Nathan Rodriguez (15-0) and Bryan Mercado (11-5-1) meet in an eight-round fight.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. First bout at 7 p.m.
Monster Inoue
Once again Japan’s Naoya Inoue dispatched another super bantamweight contender with ease as TJ Doheny was unable to continue in the seventh round after battered by a combination on Tuesday in Tokyo.
Inoue continues to brush away whoever is placed in front of him like a glint of dust.
Is the “Monster” the best fighter pound-for-pound on the planet or is it Terence Crawford? Both are dynamic punchers with skill, speed, power and great chins.
Munguia in Big Bear
Super middleweight contender Jaime Munguia is two weeks away from his match with Erik Bazinyan at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. ESPN will show the Top Rank card.
“Erik Bazinyan is a good fighter. He’s undefeated. He switches stances. We need to be careful with that. He’s taller and has a longer reach than me. He has a good jab. He can punch well on the inside. He’s a fighter who comes with all the desire to excel,” said Munguia.
Bazinyan has victories over Ronald Ellis and Alantez Fox.
In case you didn’t know, Munguia moved over to Top Rank but still has ties with Golden Boy Promotions and Zanfer Promotions. Bazinyan is promoted by Eye of the Tiger.
This is the Tijuana fighter’s first match with Top Rank since losing to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez last May in Las Vegas. He is back with trainer Erik Morales.
Callum Walsh photo credit: Lina Baker
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60 Years Ago This Month, the Curtain Fell on the Golden Era of TV Boxing
The Sept. 11, 1964 fight between Dick Tiger and Don Fullmer marked the end of an era. The bout aired on ABC which had taken the reins from NBC four years earlier. This would be the final episode of the series informally known as the “Friday Night Fights” or the “Fight of the Week,” closing the door on a 20-year run. In the future, boxing on free home TV (non-cable) would be sporadic, airing mostly on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The days when boxing was a weekly staple on at least one major TV network were gone forever.
During the NBC years, the show ran on Friday in the 10:00-11-00 pm slot for viewers in the Eastern Time Zone and the “studio” was almost always Madison Square Garden. The sponsor from the very beginning was the Gillette razor company (during the ABC run, El Producto Cigars came on as a co-sponsor).
Gillette sponsored many sporting events – the Kentucky Derby, the World Series, the U.S. Open golf tournament and the Blue-Gray college football all-star game, to name just a few – all of which were bundled under the handle of the Gillette Cavalcade of Sports. Every sports fan in America could identify the catchphrase that the company used to promote their disposable “Blue Blades” – “Look Sharp, Feel Sharp, Be Sharp!” — and the melody of the Gillette jingle would become the most-played tune by marching bands at high school and college football halftime shows (the precursor, one might say, of the Kingsmen’s “Louie, Louie”).
The Sept. 11 curtain-closer wasn’t staged at Madison Square Garden but in Cleveland with the local area blacked out.
Dick Tiger, born and raised in Nigeria, was making his second start since losing his world middleweight title on a 15-round points decision to Joey Giardello. Don Fullmer would be attempting to restore the family honor. Dick Tiger was 2-0-1 vs. Gene Fullmer, Don’s more celebrated brother. Their third encounter, which proved to be Gene Fullmer’s final fight, was historic. It was staged in Ibadan, Nigeria, the first world title fight ever potted on the continent of Africa.
In New York, the epitaph of free TV boxing was written three weeks earlier when veteran Henry Hank fought up-and-comer Johnny Persol to a draw in a 10-round light heavyweight contest at the Garden. This was the final Gillette fight from the place where it all started.
Some historians trace the advent of TV boxing in the United States to Sept. 29, 1944, when a 20-year-old boxer from Connecticut, Willie Pep, followed his manager’s game plan to perfection, sticking and moving for 15 rounds to become the youngest featherweight champion in history, winning the New York version of the title from West Coast veteran Albert “Chalky” Wright.
There weren’t many TVs in use in those days. As had been true when the telephone was brand new, most were found in hospitals, commercial establishments, and in the homes of the very wealthy. But within a few years, with mass production and tumbling prices, the gizmo became a living room staple and the TV repairman, who made house calls like the family doctor, had a shop on every Main Street.
Boxing was ideally suited to the infant medium of television because the action was confined to a small area that required no refurbishment other than brighter illumination, keeping production costs low. The one-minute interval between rounds served as a natural commercial break. The main drawback was that a fight could end early, meaning fewer commercials for the sponsor who paid a flat rate.
At its zenith, boxing in some locales aired five nights a week. And it came to be generally seen that this oversaturation killed the golden goose. One by one, the small fight clubs dried up as fight fans stayed home to watch the fights on TV. In the big arenas, attendance fell off drastically. Note the difference between Pep vs. Wright, the 1944 originator, and Hank vs. Persol, also at Madison Square Garden:
Willie Pep vs. Chalky Wright Sept. 29, 1944 attendance 19,521
Henry Hank vs. Johnny Persol Aug. 21, 1964 attendance 5,219
(True, Pep vs. Wright was a far more alluring fight, but this fact alone doesn’t explain the wide gap. Published attendance counts aren’t always trustworthy. In the eyes of the UPI reporter who covered the Hank-Persol match, the crowd looked smaller. He estimated the attendance at 3,000.)
Hank vs. Persol was an entertaining bout between evenly-matched combatants. The Tiger-Fullmer bout, which played out before a sea of empty seats, was a snoozer. Don Fullmer, a late sub for Rocky Rivero who got homesick and returned to Argentina, was there just for the paycheck. A Pittsburgh reporter wrote that the match was as dull as a race between two turtles. Scoring off the “5-point-must” system, the judges awarded the match to Dick Tiger by margins of 6, 6, and 7 points.
And that was that. Some of the most sensational fights in the annals of boxing aired free on a major TV network, but the last big bang of the golden era was hardly a bang, merely a whimper.
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A recognized authority on the history of prizefighting and the history of American sports gambling, TSS editor-in-chief Arne K. Lang is the author of five books including “Prizefighting: An American History,” released by McFarland in 2008 and re-released in a paperback edition in 2020.
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The photo accompanying this article is from the 1962 fight at Madison Square Garden between Dick Tiger (on the right) and Henry Hank. To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
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