Heart of a Lion: An Interview with David Malul

David Malul fell to the canvas for the second time in the first round of his pro debut. "This is the ultimate test," he told himself as he rose to his feet. "I didn't think for a second it was over. I just thought the win would be sweeter," he told The Jewish Boxing Blog in a phone interview two days after his stunning first round knockout victory over Lucien Hannah.

The game plan, fashioned by Mike Stellate of Main Street Gym in the Bronx, was the right one against a much taller opponent. David planned to take his time and find his way inside using double and triple jabs, and then rip to the body. He intended to control the tempo.

Malul had watched Hannah's pro debut a couple times and knew he was a tall, long guy with good power. "His speed caught me off guard," David admitted. "Practice can only get so close to the actual fight."

He was adamant that he didn't underestimate Hannah, his warm-up was normal, and nerves weren't a factor. Instead, David acknowledged there were errors in his technique in just his eleventh fight, amateurs included. He "over-extended" his punches dropping his hands too low, and believes he was over-zealous. "I made mistakes; I will fix those mistakes," he declared.

"I learned what a high guard is. I thought my guard was tight enough. It wasn't." Those mistakes resulted in a quick trip to the canvas. David felt it was a flash knockdown and didn't change course. His failure to adjust resulted in a second knockdown. "He caught me," he said.

At first, David took stock of the situation. "I'm not hurt, not shaken up, there was no pain, my head wasn't spinning." He figured he could no longer win on the cards after suffering two knockdowns and decided to take the fight into his own hands. He told himself, "Even though we get knocked down, we're not defined by how we fall, but by how we get up and overcome."

David said he finally implemented the game plan. He got inside and attacked the body. After receiving Malul's body shots, Hannah reacted to a feint downstairs and became susceptible to a monstrous overhand right up top, which improbably changed the fight. "I was not there to put on a show, it just happened," David said.

"I got greedy trying to get a third knockdown," Hannah told The JBB, "and he caught me."

The crowd erupted as David willed himself back into the fight. "There's something burning inside me, in my hands and my heart. My vision is stronger than my doubt. I have the heart of a lion," he explained. David had mentally prepared for the noise of his fans. "I know my people and my people are loud. I prepared to block them out as much as I could, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't hear them."

Malul then described the profound transformation he experienced. "I pulled out a different version of myself. I had to stop him." Faith in G-d was a driving force in his comeback.

As much as he tried to box, at the end of the day it's a fight. "It's the most brutal sport in the world," said David, and his overhand right that stopped Hannah two minutes and thirty-eight seconds into fight provided ample evidence.

"It was a great fight," Hannah said afterwards. "My respect to David."

David showed the same respect for Hannah. "He's super-fast, has significant height and reach, and great power. Getting off the canvas is a decision you have to make and he got up." The two have quickly become teammates as Hannah has moved over to the Main Street Gym.

David, who was back in the gym on Monday, is determined to improve. "Everything's gotta get better," he said. "I won't recognize myself in a few years."

He has mixed feelings about Saturday night's debut. He's proud he got to discover the dog inside of him, but he acknowledged his performance was far from perfect.

"It's how it was written and what a beautiful story."

David Malul Down Twice, Stops Lucien Hannah in the First

David Malul grabbed his pro debut out of the trashcan and put it on a pedestal with an amazing comeback against Lucien Hannah at the Paramount Theater in Huntington, New York, USA tonight. Malul was knocked down twice in the first round before scoring two of his own prior the end of the round.

From the outset, Hannah used his significant height advantage to land in between Malul's wide shots. David ate four clean punches and was wobbled before he fell to the canvas. When the Queens native rose, he showed tremendous bravery when caution would have been more prudent. A sneaky right hand counter by Hannah earned a second knockdown.

Malul's career flashed before his eyes. Hannah who had a two-and-a-half pound and nine inch height  advantage, was a difficult opponent for a pro debut and showed good skills throughout most of the first round in his own debut until he was tagged by Jason Moreno back in June. Malul soon had the 29 year old Hannah experiencing deja vu. An overhand right badly hurt Hannah. Lucien wouldn't quite go down which only hurt him as Malul quickly took advantage. A left hook finally knocked Hannah to the canvas.

Hannah got up, but was in big trouble. Incredibly, Malul had snatched back momentum, and the partisan crowd erupted as a result. Malul crushed Hannah with another right. Hannah fell into the ropes and went down. Referee Al LoBianco immediately halted the fight. "King" David is 1-0 with one KO while Hannah is probably the best 0-2 fighter with 2 KO losses in the world.

Malul showed he has lots of power, but he'll need to tighten up his punches to prevent counters. The first portion of the fight was fought at Hannah's range, and Malul was far too open defensively. It was an extremely exciting debut, but it exposed some weaknesses.

After the thrilling fight, David declared, "This is only the beginning." This performance definitely left fans wanting more of the king.

Contentious Weigh-in for David Malul and Lucien Hannah

David Malul was ready to weigh-in today ahead of his pro debut, but was made to briefly wait as Lucien Hannah's weight caused some controversy. Before the weigh-in, Malul had just completed the physical exam where his condition and cognitive fitness were tested to make sure he was capable of fighting tomorrow at the Paramount Theater in Huntington, New York.

"King" David was set to weigh-in but couldn't since no one from Hannah's camp was in the room. A NYSAC official claimed Hannah and his team had arrived ten minutes late. When Hannah entered the room, he was ushered to the scale for an unofficial weigh-in. He was forced to strip naked while officials held up a towel to provide a modicum of modesty for the fighter representing Catskill, New York.

Hannah came in overweight, so an official declared the contract needed to be amended to 150 pounds. Hannah was then asked to step back on the scale with his shorts on, which seemed to annoy matchmaker Ron Katz. Katz exclaimed that since Malul's side didn't care about the extra weight, it was needlessly nitpicky to make Hannah step on the scale again. The NYSAC official was adamant about following protocol. Both sides' position seemed quite reasonable- Katz protecting the fighter while NYSAC adhering to the rules- but it led to some raised voices and heightened tension in the room.

Hannah's weight was finally announced as 149.2 pounds. Malul came in at a fit 146.6 pounds. The two shook hands amicably after the face-off. Of the commotion at the weigh-in, David told The Jewish Boxing Blog, "The plan stays the same. I'm focused, ready, and nothing's going to distract me from handling business in the ring." Afterwards, he downed some soup and pasta to refuel before fight night.

This bout is set for four rounds. It will be streamed on Star Boxing TV. Read The JBB's preview of the fight here.

David Malul and Lucien Hannah face off

Daniel Ivanovski Wins Debut by TKO

Cruiserweight Daniel Ivanovski stopped Wondon Alonzo Hughes two minutes and 41 seconds into the fight at the Kentucky Center for African-American Heritage in Louisville, Kentucky, USA this past Saturday. Ivanovski was poised, smooth, and strategic in victory.

Ivanovski, a 23 year old from Israel, walked to the ring to the rhymes of Ice Cube's The Gutter Shit. BoxRec lists his weight as 191.5, five pounds heavier than Hughes. The Kentucky Boxing and Wrestling Commission told The Jewish Boxing Blog the official weights were Ivanovski 191 and Hughes 186.4 pounds.

When the opening bell rang, Ivanovski immediately took control of center ring and quickly established himself with a feint and a jab to the body.  Hughes featured an unorthodox style. He repeatedly switched stances but didn't pose a threat from either side. His offense amounted to a few wild attempts.

Meanwhile, Ivanovski opened up halfway threw the first with a jab, right to the body, left hook combo. He pressured with intelligent foot placement and unloaded when Hughes backed into the corner. Body shots kept Hughes from running too much.

Two minutes in, Daniel started a five-punch combination with a flush right to the body. Referee Jason Abbott issued a standing eight-count, which is permitted in Kentucky. The call simply delayed the inevitable.

When the fight restarted, Ivanovski didn't rush his work. He showed a jab that disguised a sharp straight right. After a few looping shots, he put Hughes down with a clubbing right. Abbott waved off the fight.

Hughes was an overmatched opponent, but Ivanovski still showed good promise in his pro debut.

Joshua Feldman to Fight Henry Muyaya on September 20

Junior middleweight Joshua Feldman is scheduled to fight Henry Muyaya at Box Camp Booysens in Johannesburg, South Africa on July 20. The card is being promoted by Boxing 5 Promotions and will be shown on Vision View and DAZN.

The 20 year old Feldman hails from Cape Town where he starts his training camps at Blood, Sweat, and Tears boxing gym. He finishes camp at the Hot Box Gym in Jo'burg under the tutelage of Colin Nathan. Feldman last fought on March 8 when he won by second round TKO. That showing improved his record to 3-0 with one KO. The southpaw was scheduled to fight on July 13, but his opponent pulled out at the last moment.

Henry Muyaya is from Blantyre, Malawi and holds a record of 1-6 with one KO. Feldman was just four years old when Muyaya won his debut in his hometown in 2008. Muyaya lost in Malawi the following year and then took off six years before losing in Malawi again.

Muyaya then took another six years off, but has been more active recently. He has fought four times, all in South Africa, since 2021. Henry has come in as heavy as super middleweight and has been stopped in his last three bouts.

Muyaya holds some advantages over Feldman: he's more experienced, has grown-man strength, and is the naturally bigger man. But Feldman is far more skilled. Muyaya should provide exactly the test Feldman needs at this juncture of his young career. 

The Scholarly Warrior: The Boxing Life of Stuart Finer

Stuart Finer lived a remarkable life. He attended Harvard at a time when the institution actively tried to reduce Jews enrollment. While at Harvard, he joined the boxing team, fighting formidably for the Crimson at intercollegiate meets. After college, he served in the U.S. Army during World War II and liberated Dachau.

*****

Stuart Finer was born on July 7, 1914 in Boston, Massachusetts to Hyman Bertram Finer and Henrietta née Stener. Born in London, England, H. Bertram worked as a store clerk and then made his money in real estate. Henrietta was born in the Austrian-Hungarian Empire in an area that is now part of Poland. The couple married in Boston in 1901 and had a daughter named Mildred in December the following year.

Stuart, born eleven and half years after Mildred, grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts, a suburb that borders Boston's western boundary. The Finers were among a wave of Jews who moved from Boston to Brookline, which became the new religious center of the area by the 1930s. In 1911, Brookline had just enough Jewish males to hold a minyan for the first time. The Jewish population rapidly rose to 7,500 Jews by 1930.

For high school Stuart attended Boston Latin Academy, which sent more graduates to Harvard than any other secondary school at the time. According to Michael Feldberg, "Urban public schools such as Boston Latin Academy intensely prepared their students, many of whom were Jewish, to pass Harvard's admissions test."

Harvard president A. Lawrence Lowell viewed the relatively high percentage of Jews attending his university as a problem. From 7% enrollment at the turn of the century, the population of Jews in the freshman class twenty years later had tripled. In 1922, Lowell proposed a quota on Jews at Harvard. His proposal was rejected, but a workaround was created. Harvard instituted an admissions policy that promoted "geographic diversity," meant to bring in a higher percentage of white Protestant students. The policy worked. By 1931, the year before Stuart gained admission, the Jewish population fell to 15%.

The unofficial quota system made Stuart's entry into Harvard all the more impressive. While at the Ivy League institution, he melded mind with might by joining the university's boxing team.

Stuart Finer

Intercollegiate boxing in the 1930s was divided into freshmen and varsity teams. Freshmen results were rarely printed, so Finer's first year is a mystery. Once he made the varsity team as a sophomore, his coach became Henry Lamar.

Lamar had boxed professionally as a heavyweight from 1925 until 1931, when he accepted the position of varsity boxing coach at Harvard. "I decided that professional boxing and Harvard didn't go together," said Lamar of giving up his career in the ring. Harvard first offered boxing the year before Lamar joined.

Finer fought as a bantamweight, which was 115 pounds in college in those days. The toughest bantamweights Harvard would face during Finer's tenure were Penn State's Russell Criswell and Virginia's Archie Hahn, Jr. Criswell won the Eastern Intercollegiate 115-pound title three years in a row and placed second during the 1936 NCAA championships. Hahn, Jr. was the son of a legendary three-time Olympic gold medal-winning sprinter.

But Stuart had stiff competition on his own campus that year. Only one fighter represented each school at each weight for each meet or tournament. Harvard had two senior bantamweights, Thomas "T.J." Curtin, who was undefeated, and captain Marshall Lamb, a 125-pounder who could make 115 when needed. Finer spent most of his sophomore year on the bench.

When Harvard faced the University of Virginia in January of 1934, Lamb moved down to face Hahn and lost. Eight fighters from each side faced off, and Virginia won the meet 6-2 (six UVa fighters and two Harvard fighters won in the eight-bout meet. Each side would've gotten 0.5 points had there been a draw). Finer finally got his chance against one of the Norton brothers of M.I.T. on March 13. The winner was to face Criswell at the Eastern Intercollegiate boxing championships. Finer won, but Harvard announced T.J. Curtin would represent the school at the tournament. Coach Lamar ultimately changed course and tapped Lamb to fight at bantamweight in the tournament, finishing third.

With Lamb and Curtin graduating, Finer was Harvard's top bantamweight heading into his junior year. On December 15, 1934, he beat Thomas Norton of M.I.T. to open the season. Harvard won the meet 7-1.

Finer, described as "fast and strong for a bantamweight," was expected to fight Hahn, who had become UVa's co-captain as a senior, on January 12, 1935. Instead, Coach Lamar chose James Kostarelos, a "hard hitter" making his varsity debut. It was a mistake. Hahn stopped Kostarelos a minute and 52 seconds into the second round. Virginia won the meet 6-2 in front of 6,000 fans.

On February 16, Army gave Harvard a drubbing. Finer beat Army's bantamweight- a fellow named Beard. Stuart was the only Harvard man to win a bout as Army won the meet 6.5-1.5.

The next month, on March 10, Finer beat Frank Newman of Yale. Coach Lamar taught his boxers to throw a prolonged combination featuring a jab, right cross, left hook, and then to throw a little counter right on the inside. Finer used that trademark combination to neutralize Newman's early aggression. Finer's victory helped Harvard salvage a draw with Yale in the meet.

Five days later at State College in Pennsylvania, Finer beat Phil Norton of M.I.T. in the preliminaries of the Eastern Intercollegiate boxing championships in front of 7,000 fans. In the semifinals, Finer faced defending champion Russell Criswell. Criswell won the tournament the next day. 

The next year, though a senior, Stuart still had to earn a spot on the squad. He beat out fellow senior Alexander Valois and sophomore James Garrett to compete against M.I.T. on December 13, 1935. Finer again beat one of MIT's Norton brothers. Harvard swept the meet 8-0. It was the beginning of a magical season for the Crimson.

On January 11, 1936, Harvard competed against UVa. Virginia boasted a 30-meet win streak in team competition. Stuart had been passed over the previous two years against Virginia. In 1936, Coach Lamar again went in a different direction, picking Valois as Harvard's bantamweight against UVa. Valois won and helped Harvard snap Virginia's win streak by the score of 4.5-3.5.

By the time Harvard faced Penn on February 8, Finer was described as "among the outstanding performers" on the undefeated squad. Harvard beat Penn 5.5-2.5 to keep their undefeated season alive. After squeaking by the Coast Guard the next week, 4.5-3.5, Harvard rolled over Princeton 8-0 on February 21. The Tigers didn't even field an opponent against Finer, who won by walkover.

Harvard beat Army 6-2 before tying Yale 4-4. The tie was so controversial Harvard severed boxing ties with Yale as a result. Finer hoped for a trip to the Eastern Intercollegiate boxing championships once again and dreamed of revenge against Criswell. In 1936, the Eastern title meant a spot in the NCAA championships, held every four years in conjunction with Olympic qualifying.

Alas, Coach Lamar chose Valois as Harvard's bantamweight entry. He made it to the final where he lost to Criswell. Criswell finished second in the NCAAs two weeks later.

H. Bertram and Stuart playfully boxing

After an impressive college boxing career, Stuart earned a BA from Harvard later than spring and received his diploma on June 18, 1936. After school, Finer worked for an advertising agency. Boxing would remain a varsity sport at Harvard for only one more season. Lamar transitioned to coach of the freshmen football team where he'd later guide the four Kennedy boys: Joe, Jack, Bobby, and Ted.

Japan's attack against Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 forever changed Stuart Finer's life. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on January 27, 1942. "He served in the European theatre and toward the end of his service, he was told to lead a team out to a compound of some kind," recounted Vermont's current Governor Phil Scott in a 2015 speech commemorating veterans. "The officers didn't know what it was, and wanted to find out. Riding along in a Jeep, the group saw a line of boxcars stopped on railroad tracks. Then they heard soft noises coming from the cars.

"This young man got out of the Jeep to go investigate, opened the door and was buried under a pile of bodies. Two men stayed behind with the train while this young man led the rest of the group to the compound, radioing back: 'Send us help. We don't know what we have here, but it's bad. Send help.' When the Jeep drove up to the compound, it turned out to be a huge camp surrounded by barbed wire. This young man, who was Jewish, witnessed many horrific events that day he arrived at Dachau and told this story of the day he helped liberate a concentration camp only once- to his granddaughter, who is my chief of staff. He passed away a year later. His name is Stuart Finer."

Finer was promoted to Captain during his tour and came back home on September 28, 1945. After the war, Stuart married Betty and the couple had two children, Barry and Deborah. Stuart rose to the position of president of W.H. Simonson Co., a manufacturer of non-carbonated beverages in Woburn, Massachusetts. After retirement, he taught English as second language classes at Brookline High School.

He died of cancer on February 17, 1998 at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. He was 83 years old. The Harvard-educated war hero was survived by his son, daughter, four grandchildren, and the descendants of all those he liberated from Dachau who wouldn't have known life if not for Stuart Finer.

Sources
"44 Will Compete in College Boxing." New York Times. Mar. 12, 1934. Pg. 26.
"Boxing Team Battles with Tech." The Harvard Crimson. Dec. 13, 1935.
"Cadets Subdue Harvard." New York Times. Feb. 17, 1935. Pg. S1.
Effat, Louis. "Penn State Boxers Gain College Title." New York Times. Mar. 17, 1935. Pg. S1.
Feldberg, Michael. "Anti-Semitism in the U.S.: Harvard’s Jewish Problem." Jewish Virtual Library. 
"Harvard Boxers Score." New York Times. Dec. 16, 1934. Pg. S2.
"Harvard Boxers Score." New York Times. Feb 22, 1936. Pg. 10.
Hindert, Patrick and Mark R. Rasmuson. "Intramural Meet Recalls Glory of the Ghosts of Boxing's Past." The Harvard Crimson. March 4, 1969.
"Kaplan Triumphs in College Bout." New York Times. Mar. 16, 1935. Pg. 11.
Linfield, H.S. "Statistic of Jews-1929." The American Jewish Year Book, Vol. 32.
"Minor Week-end Sports." The Harvard Crimson. Feb. 8, 1936.
Reeves, Bruce M. "Intercollegiate Boxing Used to Be Popular." The Harvard Crimson 
Scott, Phil. "Ask Our Veterans to Tell Us Their Stories and Pass Them On." Targeted News Service. Nov. 23, 2015.
"Stuart Finer, 83, Headed of Beverage Firm." Boston Globe. Mar. 4, 1998. Pg. D15.
"Varsity Boxers Draw Bout with Yale, 4 to 4." The Harvard Crimson. Mar 11, 1935.
"Varsity Fighters Annihilate Tech with Score of 8-0." The Harvard Crimson. Dec. 14, 1935.
"Virginia Conquers Harvard at Boxing." New York Times. Jan. 13, 1935. Pg. S4.
"Virginians Set for Harvard Ringmen." The Washington Post. Jan. 11, 1935. Pg. 19.
"Yale and Harvard Draw in Boxing, 4-4." New York Times. Mar. 10, 1935. Pg. S2.

Special thanks to Stuart Finer's granddaughter Rachel Feldman, who brought her Popop's story to my attention, provided information and pictures, and confirmed aspects of the research.

Joshua Feldman to Fight in September

Fresh off a disappointing cancellation of his last fight, 20 year old prospect Josh Feldman is scheduled to fight on September 20. Feldman will be looking to improve to 4-0.

Feldman was moments away from making his debut on the streaming platform DAZN when his opponent, Welcome Malumbu, pulled out of the fight. He had hoped to show the fruit of months of preparation to a worldwide audience, but the late cancellation pulled the rug right out from under him.

Feldman's previous fight was nearly cancelled when his opponent came in drastically underweight. The opponent gained the necessary poundage and the fight took place with Feldman winning by TKO. The last two scheduled fights have been a rude wakeup call for Josh as to just how fickle the world of boxing can be.

Feldman has transformed his frustration into motivation as he looks to continue his winning ways next month.

Yonatan Landman Scores a First Round TKO

Yonatan Landman won his fifth pro fight with a first round demolition of Hussein Mashaka at Magereza Hall in beautiful Zanzibar, Tanzania last night. He has won all of his fights by knockout.

Mashaka came out of the starting blocks aggressively, but his punch technique was lacking. Landman stayed composed under fire and landed a right to score a knockdown. Mashaka showed poor punch resistance and became overwhelmed just as Landman started to put his punches together. Mashaka slunk to the canvas and quickly shook his head, indicating he no longer wanted to continue. The ref waved off the fight a minute and 21 seconds into the contest.

The fight took place in an outdoor ring on the island of Zanzibar. Boxing had been banned on the island for sixty years, coinciding with independence in 1963, and was just reinstated last year. Mashaka, a resident of Tanzania, falls to 3-7-1.

Hollywood Champ: The Confusing Legacy of Mushy Callahan

Mushy Callahan held the junior welterweight world championship for nearly three and a half years and after his boxing career ended, he trained the biggest Hollywood stars on the sets of their movies. Yet among fans of Jewish boxing, Callahan isn't revered like Benny Leonard nor is he admired like Barney Ross. Though his championship reign was long, it was hampered by several factors: the "synthetic" nature of his crown, his losses in over-the-weight bouts, and his propensity to duck the toughest challengers. His conversion to Catholicism after his career also contributed to Callahan's fallen star within the Jewish boxing community.

*****

Vincent Morris Scheer was born on November 3, 1904 in New York to Jewish Austrian parents named Max and Anna. The family moved across the country to Los Angeles and settled in Boyle Heights when Vincent, who was known as Moishele, was two years old. Max sold produce near the intersection of Brooklyn Ave and Soto. Meanwhile, young Moishele got into a lot of fights. He resented when other kids called him "Maurice" and had no problem showing them with his fists. After a while, no one wanted to call him Maurice anymore, so he soon developed the nickname of Mushy, which would stick for the rest of his life. As a youngster, he worked as a newsboy, a profession that required boys to fight each other for access to the best corners.

At the age of ten, Scheer joined the Main Street Gym, which was also known as the Newsboys' Club. He fought in a lot of smokers and took the surname Callahan from a local fight promoter. His childhood friend, future Olympic gold medalist and two-time world champion Jackie Fields, remembered, "Mushy Callahan was the greatest. We were raised together selling papers. But he was always the big shot."

Once evening, Fields wanted Mushy to get him tickets to a show at the Orpheum. "When I asked him to get me two tickets he said, 'Get in line, you punk you.' So we almost had a fight on the street," Fields said.

Callahan turned pro in 1923 and quickly became a hot prospect. The next year, he dropped a couple of decisions to Johnny Adams, a very popular fighter in Los Angeles who was good, but not great. Callahan didn't hit many other bumps in the road on his climb to the top, though. He beat a quality veteran in Red Herring, took two ten-round decisions from former lightweight world champion Jimmy Goodrich, and went 1-0-1 against a world class opponent named Ace Hudkins.

The first fight against Hudkins, which took place on September 16, 1925, was one of the most exciting battles in L.A. that year. Most observers felt referee Larry McGrath's decision to call it a draw was fair, but Callahan and his team vehemently disagreed. Willie Goldstein, who worked Callahan's corner, climbed through the ropes and attacked McGrath, receiving a hard left hook from the ref in return. Callahan and his manager E.W. Sears were both fined and suspended until December. McGrath was also suspended. Goldstein was banned for life.

Callahan won the rematch and then took the two fights against Goodrich. He was extremely popular among fight fans in Los Angeles. His July 5, 1926 fight against Jack Silver, a fan favorite from San Francisco, was billed as a clash between Southern California and Northern California. Coincidentally, Silver, like Callahan, was a Jewish fighter who would convert to Catholicism, work in Hollywood after his boxing career was done, and have a long and distinguished career as a referee.

In one of the biggest fights in California since bouts of over four rounds were legalized at the start of 1925, Silver dominated Mushy over ten rounds. A month later Callahan lost to another good fighter, Baby Joe Gans. Despite, or maybe because of, the two losses, Callahan got a shot at junior welterweight champion, Pinky Mitchell. "Mitchell figured I was washed up," Callahan said years later. Mushy destroyed Mitchell, nearly knocking him out in then tenth and final round. "Everything I did was perfect," Callahan said. "One of those perfect fights."

Mitchell had held the title since its inception in 1923. Purists saw it as a "synthetic" title, a worrying addition to the traditional eight weight classes. In fact, the belt would basically become abandoned from 1935 until 1959.

After a few wins in non-title bouts, Callahan dropped a decision to Spug Myers. Though Myers was over the weight limit, Callahan was 140 pounds, so today he would have vacated his belt after the loss. He next fought undefeated beast Andy DiVodi at Madison Square Garden with the title on the line. "My biggest thrill came when I fought Andy DiVodi," Mushy said. "The New York papers were full of DiVodi, a big favorite, who was undefeated... I knocked him out in the second round."

Callahan was a wild-swinging fighter. "He had a funny way of throwing a one-two," Jackie Fields recalled. Mushy wasn't known as a knockout puncher, which made the win against DiVodi all the more impressive. He then avenged his loss to Spug Myers in his second title defense. A year after the loss to Silver, Callahan appeared to be a fighting champion who would risk his title against the best. He'd soon prove otherwise.

On July 12, 1927, at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Sammy Baker wrecked Callahan, punishing the champ's body to win by ninth round TKO. Both men were over 140, so Callahan remained champ. A loss to Dick Hoppe, a decent local fighter, made Mushy look like a paper champion. His manager claimed he was sick for the Hoppe fight.

His old friend Jackie Fields offered $25,000 if Callahan would risk his junior welterweight championship. Callahan refused, so they fought for the unofficial title of Jewish champion of Boyle Heights. "I kicked the hell out of him," Fields said. "That was the first time I ever bet on myself. I bet five hundred dollars on myself and we won it. He never spoke to me for years afterward. That was a great win because of being in the neighborhood and around our friends."

Still champ, Callahan had now lost three fights in a row. Boxing experts didn't even rate the champion as the #1 junior welterweight in their rankings, which was highly unusual. He avenged his loss to Hoppe and beat a couple of other mediocre fighters before losing some more. Callahan was 2-5-1 in his last eight fights, making zero title defenses in that span. Two years after his last defense, he finally put the title up against Fred Mahan. A deaf-mute, Mahan was more inspirational than great. Mushy stopped him in the third round.

Callahan lost to Goodrich before losing to Jack "Kid" Berg. On February 18, 1930, Callahan finally agreed to defend his title against a real contender when he faced Berg at Royal Albert Hall in London, this time with the title at stake. Joe Jacobs promised Mushy $10,000 for the fight. "He said I'd get ten thousand," Callahan lamented. "I never got ten thousand. When I got paid off, I only got five thousand." Jacobs, the promoter for Callahan-Berg II, was the manager of Max Schmeling.

"Over there I saw the handwriting on the wall," Mushy confided. "I couldn't possibly win the fight. He butted me in the eye and my eye started to puff up." It eventually closed and Callahan requested the referee to stop the fight in the tenth. As champ his middling record was 16-10-1, putting his title up for grabs just four times in nearly three and half years.

After two years off, Callahan fought thrice more. His final record was 49-16-3 with 22 KOs.

After his fighting career was over, Callahan began training Hollywood stars on the art of pugilism to prepare them for roles in boxing films. He worked with Elvis Presley, James Earl Jones, Kirk Douglas, and Errol Flynn, just to name a few. In the movie Gentleman Jim, Callahan served as a body double for Flynn in the fighting scenes. He worked as a referee at a high level in the Los Angeles area for nearly thirty years. He was a boxing judge for nearly twenty.

In 1934, he married Lilian Hill and converted to Catholicism.

Jews have been described as a race, a religion, a people, a tribe, and a nation, but the best way to describe us is a large family. We may argue, disagree, fight amongst ourselves, just as any family might, but we feel an indelible connection with one another. When someone chooses to leave our family, many of us take it hard. Fair or not, it's feels like a personal affront. While Benny Leonard and  Barney Ross stood up for Jews, Callahan, whose son would become a priest, left our family.

On June 14, 1986, world champion and Hollywood star Mushy Callahan passed away at the age of 80.

Sources

Blady, Ken. The Jewish Boxers' Hall of Fame. 1988.

"Callahan Out Until December." Los Angeles Times. Oct. 6, 1925. Pg. B1.

Curcio, David. Smash Hit: Race, Crime, and Culture in Boxing Films. 2023.

Heller, Peter. "In This Corner...!" Forty-two World Champions Tell Their Stories.1994.
Silver, Mike. Stars in the Ring: Jewish Champions in the Golden Age of Boxing. 2016.

Addition information from the Hank Kaplan Archives, Brooklyn College.

Daniel Ivanovski to Face Wondon Hughes in September

Daniel Ivanovski is scheduled to fight Wondon Alonzo Hughes Jr. on September 7 at the Kentucky Center for African-American Heritage in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. Both fighters will be making their pro debut.

Ivanovski is a skilled and talented boxer from Israel. He effectively controls center ring and works behind a crisp jab, adding a sharp right hand. In 2022 at the U-22 European amateur championships, he scored two-standing eight counts against Czechia's Pavel Hrivnak but lost the decision 4-1. Hrivnak was able to counter over the top, particularly when Ivanovski occasionally pawed with the jab.

Hughes is a 29 year old from Kalamazoo, Michigan who lost his father as a kid. Hughes doesn't seem to have amateur much boxing experience, so he's a real wild card.

This bout is scheduled for four rounds in the cruiserweight division.

David Malul to Fight Lucien Hannah in September

David Malul is scheduled to fight Lucien Hannah on September 14 at the Paramount Theatre in Huntington, New York. Malul will be making his debut while Hannah is 0-1.

Malul is a 21 year old from Queens, New York. Legendary matchmaker Ron Katz, who is putting the card together, describes him as a "tough kid, very green." Katz joked he wanted the founder of The Jewish Boxing Blog to serve as Malul's opponent, which would've give David a slight height advantage.

Instead, the 5'5" Malul will be at a significant height disadvantage since Hannah, a 29 year old, stands at 6'2". Though Hannah has only been boxing for a little over a year, his skills suggest he has more experience. Originally from South Carolina, the transient Hannah sold drugs until he found solace in boxing. He fights out of legendary trainer Cus D'Amato's old gym in Catskills, New York. When he first came to the gym, he was homeless and sleeping in his car in the parking lot. Coach Ernest Westbrooke saw him working out and said, "I noticed he had natural athleticism."

In his first pro fight on June 15, Hannah showed that natural ability at the beginning of his fight against Jason Moreno. Lucien came out and threw a crisp one-two. He effectively worked Moreno's body with two-punch combinations and managed to keep distance. Towards the end of the first round, Hannah's inexperience came to the surface, and his technique deteriorated. Moreno was able to get inside and shake up Hannah.

Moreno got credit for a knockdown in the second round, even though it was more of  takedown. When Hannah got up, Moreno got back inside and landed hard body shots and then stunned Lucien. The fight was waved off as Hannah was unsteady on his feet.

It's no secret Malul will want to get on the inside, but he won't be able to just walk in, at least not early in the fight. Fortunately, David described his style as "strategic aggression," which is exactly what he'll need against the lanky Hannah. It'll be important for Malul to control his debut-fight jitters, try to jab his way in, and attack the body once he's there.

This junior middleweight bout is scheduled for four rounds.

Daniel Ivanovski to Make Pro Debut in September

Daniel Ivanovski is scheduled to make his pro debut on September 7 at the Kentucky Center for African-American Heritage in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. The event will be promoted by Future Promotions.

If the African American Heritage Museum in Louisville, Kentucky seems like an unconventional place for a Jewish boxer to fight, Ivanovski won't be the first. Yuri Foreman fought at the same venue in December of 2020 and was set to fight there in in March of 2021 before he came down with covid.

Ivanovski has some high-level amateur experience. He won the 2022 Israeli amateur championship at heavyweight. He competed at the under-22 European championships later that year.

His pro debut is scheduled to take place at cruiserweight, which is comparable in weight to an amateur heavyweight. Ivanovski's fight is marked for four rounds.

Yonatan Landman to Fight in Tanzania

Yonatan Landman is scheduled to fight Hussein Mashaka at Magereza Hall on the island of Zanzibar in Tanzania. The six-rounder is slated to take place on August 15.

At 4-0, Landman has been busy since turning pro on January 31 this year. He has fought twice in Ghana and twice in Azerbaijan so far. This will be the third straight month Yonatan has fought. Each of his fights have ended in a knockout victory.

Mashaka is a 35 year old from Tanzania with a record of 3-6-1. He was 3-2-1 from 2009-2011 and then spent eleven and half years away from the ring. He has lost four straight since coming back and has been knocked out in each of those fights. Mashaka throws a straight jab and is elusive defensively, but he has poor punch technique otherwise. Occasionally, he'll bum-rush opponents which will test Landman's patience under fire.

As long as Landman keeps his cool and takes advantage of the openings Mashaka will provide, the Tanzanian shouldn't put up much resistance. Though this will be the most experienced opponent Landman has faced as a pro, Yonatan's last opponent Aghasalim Mustafazade had more skills.

Mashaka. though, will not only have an experience advantage, but he's also the naturally bigger man. A light flyweight in his first iteration, recently he has fought at least twenty pounds heavier. His size, experience, and awkwardness will pose a challenge for Landman.

Jackie Fields Beats Best Friend to Win Gold Medal

Jackie Fields won the gold medal as a featherweight one hundred years ago today at the Paris Olympics. To win gold, he had to beat his best friend Joe Salas.

The Fight City published my article about Fields's gold medal win and the emotional struggle he and Salas felt in having to fight one another.

David Malul to Make Debut in September

Fresh off an excellent showing in this year's Ring Masters, David Malul has decided to turn professional. He's scheduled to fight on September 14 at the Paramount Theatre in Huntington, New York, USA in a four-rounder.

The 21 year old from Queens told The Jewish Boxing Blog, "I decided to go pro because I have a deep passion for boxing and a strong desire to push myself to the highest levels."

Malul began boxing when he was 16 years old at John's Gym in the Bronx. There he developed his style, which he describes as "a blend of strategic aggression and defensive agility." He explains, "I like to stay on my toes, finding the right moments to strike while staying aware of my opponent's moves."

David is "eager and excited" for his first prizefight. "It's a big moment, and I have a lot of adrenaline pumping," he acknowledged, "but I'm also confident in the hard work and training I've put in."

The junior middleweight believes this fight is just the start of something big. "I want to test my skills against the best and see how far I can go in the sport." A Saturday in mid-September will merely signify the first step for the ambitious young fighter.

Feldman-Malumbu Cancelled

The scheduled fight between Josh Feldman and Welcome Malumbu was cancelled at the last moment today. They had planned to fight at Box Camp Booysens in Johannesburg on a card streamed live on DAZN.

The fight was to be the second of the night, but Malumbu withdrew just before the event started. He was apparently sick and decided not go through with the fight, Malumbu had come in comfortably under the weight limit yesterday.

Feldman, 3-0, had hoped to showcase his skills on the DAZN platform for the first time. He said he had the best camp of his life heading into the fight. The late cancellation must be frustrating for the 19 year old. Hopefully, he'll have another fight scheduled quickly.

Feldman and Malumbu Make Weight

Junior middleweights Joshua Feldman and Welcome Malumbu both made weight ahead of their clash tomorrow at Box Camp Booysens in Johannesburg, South Africa. The fight will be streamed on DAZN.

Feldman, a 19 year old from Cape Town, weighed 154 pounds. With a record of 3-0, Feldman has been remarkably disciplined when it comes to his weight. He has weighed in between 153 and 154 for all four fights.

Welcome Malumbu, who is from the Democratic Republic of Congo, has fought all eight of his bouts in South Africa. He is 0-8, but will have faced opponents with a combined record of 20-0 as of tomorrow. Malumbu weighed 149 pounds, comfortably within his normal range. The lightest Malumbu has weighed was 145.3 pounds back in 2017. The heaviest he has weighed in was 150.8 pounds the following year.

At the press conference yesterday, Feldman said, "I hope he brings his 'A' game because I'm ready for a tough fight.

This bout is scheduled for four rounds. For The JBB's preview of the fight, click here.

courtesy of SA Boxing Talk

Yonatan Landman Moves to 4-0

Beneath a giant Azerbaijani flag and a watchful portrait of the country's longtime leader Ilham Aliyev, super flyweight Yonatan Landman scored a third round knockout victory in the capital city of Baku yesterday. He showed improved patience and targeted his southpaw opponent's lengthy body.

Landman started the fight aggressively, but remained under control. In earlier fights, he had been a bit too wild at the beginning. Aghasalim Mustafazade, a 23 year old from Baku, pawed with his jab while looking to set up a snapping straight left. Landman was prepared for the attack and didn't get caught.

As the fight progressed, Mustafazade became less interested in unleashing his offense. Landman's body assault and one-twos wore down the Bakuvian boxer. Yonatan did an excellent job of controlling center ring throughout the fight. Mustafazade made a mistake by constantly circling to his left, directly into the path of Landman's devastating right to the body. The alternative was to circle
into Landman's punishing left hook, but he should've varied his movement more.

In the third round, Landman's pressure forced Mustafazade to run. The 19 year old from Israel calmly stalked his prey and caught him with a hard combination to the body while the Azeri was on the ropes. The referee gave the count and then waved off the fight.

Landman, who continues to show improvement, is now 4-0. Mustafazade is 0-2.

Josh Feldman to Fight on DAZN

Josh Feldman's next fight is scheduled to be streamed on DAZN, one of the major players in boxing. The 19 year old is slated to face Welcome Malumbu at Box Camp Booysens in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Box Rec now lists Malumbu, a fighter from the Democratic Republic of Congo, as 0-8. The Promoter Boxing 5 and various reports on the fight claim his record is 0-6. To be clear, no one is trying to hide anything. BoxRec had Malumbu's record as 0-6 until this week.

In researching Malumbu's career, The Jewish Boxing Blog found his first two fights listed under the name "Welcome Malubu." It didn't take a leap of faith to connect the dots, however.

Malumbu has two public Facebook accounts. The older account contains pictures from fights included in both BoxRec entries, "Malubu" and Malumbu, so it was clear they were the same person. The JBB listed Welcome's record as 0-8 back in June, but didn't notify BoxRec of the duplicate entries until this week, which they promptly corrected.

Though Malumbu has a poor record, he is not a bad fighter. If we include Josh, Malumbu's opposition will be 20-0 when he will have faced them. He gave solid prospects, Athenkosi Plaatjies and Darrin Rossouw, tough fights.

Feldman, a native of Cape Town, isn't taking Malumbu lightly. "In the past sixth months, I've gotten a lot stronger," he told SA Boxing Talk recently. "My fitness has gotten a lot better. I'm pacing myself better. So I'm really excited about the fight."

Josh says he won't press for the knockout. "This is the type of opponent I can really showcase my abilities [against] and really outbox him. If the knockout comes, it comes."

Feldman-Malumbu is scheduled for four rounds at junior middleweight.

Yonatan Landman to Fight Next Week

Fresh off a win in Ghana last month, Yonatan Landman is scheduled to fight again next Tuesday, July 9 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Landman has been moved well by his father Shai. This will be his fourth fight in under six months, a rarity these days.

BoxRec lists Landman's opponent as 23 year old Aghasalim Mustafazade of Baku. Mustafazade lost his only pro fight back in 2021. He was over the featherweight limit in that fight while Landman has been either a flyweight or super flyweight in his bouts, more than ten pounds lighter.

A 19 year old from Kiryat, Israel, Landman has shown good power in either hand early in his career. He's 3-0 with three KOs. He has started his fights a bit frantically, but once he settles down, he exhibits controlled aggression. While he has the ability to step up the competition, there's no need to rush. His dad recognizes it's important to build up Yonatan's experience at this stage of his budding pro career.

This bout, Landman's second in Azerbaijan, is scheduled for four rounds.

News and Notes

Cletus Seldin will be honored by the Jewish Sports Heritage Association in its class of 2025. Past honorees include Boyd Melson, Yuri Foreman, and Dmitriy Salita. Seldin's career record is 28-1 with 23 KOs. The 37 year old last fought in March. After defeating Jose Angulo by majority decision, he proposed to his girlfriend in the ring. She said yes!

*****

Stefi Cohen has been arrested twice recently. The world-record powerlifter was first arrested in May over a situation involving her ex-boyfriend. She was arrested again a couple of weeks ago for theft.

*****

The Sweet Science published my article about the time welterweight champion Joe Dundee held an entire ballpark hostage because he wanted more money. A riot ensued and Dundee, his manager, and the promoter were all arrested for false advertising.

Josh Feldman to Face Welcome Malumbu

Junior middleweight prospect Josh Feldman is scheduled to face Welcome Malumbu at Box Camp Booysens in Johannesburg, South Africa on July 13. Josh's original opponent withdrew.

Malumbu is a veteran from the Democratic Republic of Congo who has fought exclusively in South Africa. His record of 0-8 may seem poor, but boxing records are often misleading. No one with eight professional fights is a bad fighter. The bad fighters are done after one or two professional fights. Malumbu, whose record is split into two different entries on BoxRec, has fought tough opposition. His opponents had a combined record of 17-0 when he faced them, not including the 3-0 Feldman. Welcome has only been stopped twice.

In addition to boxing, Malumbu is a physical trainer, actor, and hair stylist. He turned pro on October 23, 2016. In his second fight, he threw a good jab and landed some sneaky counters in a loss to Etienne van Kierk. Two more decision losses later and Malumbu took a year off. He was then stopped for the first time by Linda Ntshingila in the second round. Welcome stayed out of the ring for three and a half years.

In 2022, he fought competitively against Athenkosi Plaatjies before he battled Darrin Rossouw. In an interview with SA Boxing Talk after the fight, Rossouw described Malumbu as a tough guy. He said Malumbu was better than he had expected and had improved. He caught Darrin with a some good shots caused swelling around Roussouw's eyes. Six months later, Samkelo Mdletshe stopped Malumbu in the second round, saying in an interview that Malumbu had not been as good as expected and he and his coach figured Welcome out after the first round.

Malumbu hasn't fought in the ring in a year and half, but he'll represent a good challenge for Feldman at this stage of Josh's career. Feldman needs opponents who provide some kind of resistance. Malumbu has done just that against young undefeated prospects in the past. 

Tomer Benny's Pro Debut Pushed Back to the End of the Year

Tomer Benny, the southpaw junior welterweight, has decided to delay his pro debut. He had been scheduled to fight this weekend in Mexico.

The Tel Aviv native now splits time between his hometown and Las Vegas in the United States where he has learned from Wayne McCullough and Floyd Mayweather Sr. He plans to fight in a local tournament in Vegas before competing in the under-22 European amateur championships in October.

Benny is looking to turn pro at the end of the year. There's no rush for the 19 year old. The delay will simply give him time to gain more experience. While in Vegas, he has already increased his boxing education by sparring with former world champion Jamel Herring and rising star Curmel Morton.

Yonatan Landman Scores Another KO

Yonatan Landman stopped Habib Lartey in the second round of their bout at the Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra, Ghana today. After a wild start between two men who share the same hair color, Landman- the natural red head- dominated the rest of the fight.

Lartey came out of his corner like a wind-up toy and stayed in Landman’s face during the early portions of the opening round. The Israeli was a bit flustered at first, but a beautiful combination of left hooks, one to the body and one to the head, convinced Lartey of Landman’s power. Lartey spent the rest of the fight acting like both he and Landman were positive charges, always heading the other direction when Landman came near.

Yonatan scored with another left hook in the first. At the end of the round, he squatted down as if a left hook were coming, but landed and overhand right instead. He quickly followed with a left hook causing Lartey to clinch. Yonatan won the round handily.

In the second, Lartey continued to work vigorously towards amassing his daily 10,000 steps. Landman caught him with a right. A few second later, Lartey lunged forward liver first in to the path of a perfect left hook. The Ghanaian fell to the canvas writhing in pain, unable to beat the count.

Yonatan Landman earned his third KO in as many fights a minute and seven seconds in the second round. Lartey is now 0-2.

The knockout shot

Top 5 Jewish Bareknuckle Boxers

Roberto Nigro's Top 5 Jewish Bareknuckle Boxers

Roberto Nigro is one of the foremost experts on Jewish boxers of the bareknuckle era. In addition to his years of research and talks on Jewish boxers in London's East End and the famed duel between Daniel Mendoza and Richard Humphreys, Nigro's MRes thesis was on Pugilism: Nationalism, Heroism and Masculinity in the Long Eighteenth Century. He also contributed to the oral history project Mendoza Mania, which recounts the life and legacy of Daniel Mendoza.

This fantastic list focuses mainly on the Georgian and Victorian periods.

1. Daniel Mendoza

2. Dutch Sam

3. Young Dutch Sam

4. Abraham Belasco

5. Barney Aaron

Other Top 5s
Jewish Boxers since 1960
Jewish South African Boxers
Jewish Londoner Boxers
Jewish Dutch Boxers
Jewish French Boxers
Jewish Female Boxers
Jewish Israeli Boxers
Jewish British Boxers
Jewish Canadian Boxers
Jewish North African Boxers

Josh Feldman to Face Mayamba on July 13

Junior middleweight Joshua Feldman is scheduled to face Jeancy "Cartouche" Mayamba at Box Camp Booysens in Johannesburg, South Africa on July 13. Mayamba marks the most experienced opponent of Feldman's nascent pro career.

Feldman suffered an injured finger in his last fight, an impressive second round stoppage of Sibusiso Muteleni on March 8. When he next enters the ring, the 3-0 Cape Town native will be away from the ring for four months and five days, the longest layoff of his career. In an era when many boxers have complained about not getting fights, Feldman has been fortunate to stay so active early in his career.

Josh typically starts his camp in Cape Town at the Blood, Sweat, and Tears Gym before relocating to the Hot Box Gym in Jo'burg closer to the fight. One of his training partners is Doron Zinman. A skilled southpaw, Feldman has a smart jab and puts his combinations together well. In his first three fights, he's tried to blast his opponents out of the ring rather than build towards the stoppage.

Mayamba, a 30 year old who sometimes goes by Eric, was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and has had three pro fights in South Africa. He lost all three, but he signifies Feldman's most experienced opponent yet. Muteleni had one loss before he fought Feldman. Josh's two other opponents were debutants, but they were both tougher challenges. Potego Ntsoane exhibited an awkward style while Mbulelo Aluhavi was a quality foe.

As for Mayamba, his hands drop low during his fights as he occasionally dances and throws powerful body shots and uppercuts from that position, but his head shots are too wide and he leaves himself open over the top.

In his debut, he fought as a junior welterweight against Talent Baloyi and took the undefeated prospect the distance back in 2022. Baloyi was able to exploit Mayamba's low guard, but the Congolese fighter showed a good chin. Three months later, Mayamba was a middleweight against Nelson Mbhele. Mayamba won the first round and half with uppercuts and body work as Mbhele ran around the perimeter. Halfway through the second, Mbhele held his ground and gave Mayamba a serious beating to the head the rest of the way. Mayamba showed admirable courage and punch resistance to go the full four rounds.

Mayamba next fought four months later against Jonas Senga at just above the junior middleweight limit. Senga mostly avoided Mayamba's lead uppercuts and quickly realized straight shots upstairs were open. The fight was waved off in the third after Mayamba took another beating, but he was still standing and ready to fight back at the time of the stoppage.

Feldman will need to be careful of Cartouche's powerful uppercuts, hard body shots, and wild looping punches to the head. Mayamba has a great chin, so Feldman should box early, invest a bit to the body, and only load up after Mayamba fades. The number of rounds will be updated when announced.

Update: Mayamba pulled out. He has been replaced by Welcome Malumbu.

Tomer Benny to Make Debut on June 22

Tomer Benny is scheduled to make his debut in June 22 at Palenque in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. The 19 year old native of Tel Aviv, Israel, Benny has recently been training in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

The southpaw, has sparred with former world champion Jamel Herring and fast-rising prospect Curmel Morton. Benny has also worked with undefeated pro Trevor Thonson. In Vegas, Tomer has received coaching from former world champion Wayne McCullough and the famed trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr.

Benny had been scheduled to make his debut on June 15 in Maine, a state in the northeast of the U.S., but that fell through. He started boxing in 2018 and learned to fight under the tutelage of Adam Hadad. By moving from Israel to Vegas, he's following in the footsteps of undefeated Israeli pro David Alaverdian.

Odelia Ben Ephraim Drops Controversial Decision

Odelia "Thunder" Ben Ephraim suffered a controversial majority decision loss to Narymane Benloucif at Patinoire Municipale Jacques Raynaud in Blagnac, France tonight. The French featherweight title changes hands as a result of this stunning upset.

Benloucif won the early rounds by boxing and moving. She used her reach advantage to land straight shots with either hand. The combination of her potshots and movement threw Ben Ephraim off her rhythm for most of the first three rounds. Benloucif targeted the body with jabs and lead rights in the first round, an effective strategy that she abandoned too quickly.

In those early rounds, Odelia resembled a cat futilely chasing a mouse. The 31-year old Benloucif's stick and move boxing worked beautifully, but she lacked the power on her punches to discourage Ben Ephraim from catching her. Towards the end of the third round, "Thunder" launched a hellacious left uppercut that violently snapped back Benloucif's head. In many ways, that was the story of the fight.: Benloucif's higher work-rate against Ben Ephraim's harder punches.

That left uppercut proved to be the turning point. Though Benloucif still won the third, Ben Ephraim was spurred on by her success. The fourth was a case of Narymane landing a lot of straight shots upstairs while Odelia landed several hard rights. Benloucif even nodded her head in acknowledgement after one particularly good thunderous right hand by Ben Ephraim.

That fourth was a swing round. Ben Ephraim seemed to land enough hard rights to negate Benloucif's landed-punches advantage. The fifth, sixth, and seventh were clear rounds for the 24-year old. Ben Ephraim caught Benloucif's work on her gloves in the fifth while dramatically snapping the older fighter's head back in return. Odelia's typically hurtful combinations defined the sixth while left hooks early and damaging rights late characterized the seventh.

To Benloucif's credit, she fought back hard at the end of the seventh. She kept up the momentum into the eighth as her earlier form returned. She was impressive in the last round, especially after getting pummeled in the previous three rounds. Ben Ephraim had her moments in the eighth, but they weren't enough to take the final stanza.

At the end of the contest, Benloucif's eyes, particularly the left, were swollen. Unmarked, Odelia has had more red on her face during one of her painting sessions than she did after this fight. If boxing was scored by overall damage inflicted, Ben Ephraim was the clear winner.

But it isn't.

Odelia's team felt they were robbed as Christophe Pinto inexplicably scored the bout 78-74 for Benloucif. Vincent Dupas had it 77-75 for the new champion. Like The Jewish Boxing Blog, Sebastien Turboust had it even at 76.

If 10-8 rounds were used more liberally, Ben Ephraim would have deserved to win, because she won the fifth, sixth, and seventh rounds more convincingly than Benloucif won her rounds. Though that is why the ten-point must system was created, no jurisdictions judge fights that way unfortunately.

Hopefully, Ben Ephraim will be offered a rematch. It was a close competitive fight that reasonably could have gone 5-3 either way. Odelia will need to get inside quicker if there is a rematch. Her pressure wore down Benloucif by the fifth round, but by then she had already given away at least three rounds. She didn't throw her jab enough and didn't move her head off the line. Though Benloucif's punches weren't hurting Odelia, the judges were watching her get hit too frequently. Ultimately, Benloucif fought the fight of her life while Ben Ephraim fought to her usual ability only occasionally.

Ben Ephraim and Benloucif Make Weight

Odelia "Thunder" Ben Ephraim and Narymane Benloucif both made the 126-pound limit ahead of their clash for Ben Ephraim's French featherweight title. The fight is scheduled for eight rounds at Patinoire Municipale Jacques Raynaud in Blagnac, France.

Ben Ephraim weighed in at 124.1 pounds, which is comfortably within her normal range. As a pro, her lightest weight has been 123.5 pounds and her heaviest 126. The 24 year old is 5-2. Benloucif, a 31 year old with a 2-1 record, is also within her normal weight range. Her lightest was 123.3 pounds and her heaviest was in May at 126.5.

The taller Benloucif will want to keep the champ at the end of her punches. Maintaining distance will be imperative because she doesn't have the hand speed advantage. Thunder typically throws more punches and has better punch technique. Ben Ephraim can probably win a fight on the outside, but throwing her quick, well-placed combos in the midrange or in close will be the key to a dominant victory.

Tickets can be bought here. A full preview is here. The fight will be on YouTube.

Toe-to-Toe with Ira Berkow

When Rocky Graziano stopped Tony Zale in the sixth round of their world title bout at Chicago Stadium, a seven-year old Jewish kid from the nearby Lawndale neighborhood sulked for the rest of that balmy July day in 1947. Young Ira Berkow was a fan of Zale, the dethroned middleweight champion from Gary, Indiana. The heartbreak caused by the loss would become the future Pulitzer Prize winner's first boxing memory. In a phone interview with The Jewish Boxing Blog, Berkow was quick to boast that Zale took two out three against Graziano.

Growing up on Springfield Avenue near Roosevelt Road, Ira Berkow wasn't an academically strong student. He managed to matriculate to Miami University where a friend encouraged him to write about sports for the school newspaper. Soon, he brazenly shipped a couple of his articles to famed sportswriter Red Smith. Smith's written reply explained that his editor either nods his head when he likes what Smith has written or mutters, "Try again." Smith advised Berkow to "try again." He added that while he considered providing critical comments of Berkow's work, he didn't want to make the young writer unhappy. Berkow quickly sent his articles back and wrote, "Mr. Smith, please make me unhappy."

For the next fifty years, his editors constantly nodded their heads as Berkow brilliantly covered countless sports, including boxing. He treated the fighters he wrote about with dignity and empathy, perhaps because his relationships with boxers started at a young age.

As a ten year old, Ira regularly visited the Midwest Gym on Chicago's West Side to watch the boxers train and to snag an autograph or two. A middleweight contender named Charley Fusari obliged. So did another fighter. "Cisco Kid came into the gym shooting blanks," Berkow recalled. "It scared everyone!"

From age 11 until 19, Berkow worked in the vast market on Maxwell Street, a ghetto that was once home to Barney Ross, Jackie Fields, and Kingfish Levinsky. Berkow cut his teeth selling women's nylons near Union Avenue, three pair for a dollar. He was promoted to men's socks and a new stand close to Halstead Street. At the age of 16, his dad advised him to start his own business hawking second-hand belts.

Years later as a sportswriter, the former peddler interviewed the legendary boxers of Maxwell Street. Though he missed Ross who had died young, Berkow describes Fields, the Olympic gold medalist and two-time welterweight world champion, as "warm" and "very courteous." He remembers Levinsky, who became a tie salesman, choking him with one of the heavyweight's goods. Though Levinsky challenged for the heavyweight title, he was unfortunately perceived as something of a clown. Berkow explained, "Kingfish Levinsky, I called him King, didn't have a reputation of being an intellectual. Against Joe Louis, he put his boxing shoes on the wrong feet. The right one on the left one, and the left one on the right."

As a kid, Berkow followed the Willie Pep-Sandy Saddler featherweight battles and admired Sugar Ray Robinson. As a young reporter, he met the fearsome heavyweight champion Sonny Liston. Berkow asked Liston his age and noted, perhaps unwisely, that it was different from the officially listed number. The writer quavered in fright when after an icy glare, the goliath bellowed, "Are you going to dispute my mother?"

After a lifetime of memories and mementos in the world of sports, the legendary scribe was eager to share one of his most prized possessions, a correspondence with the great Muhammad Ali. Berkow asked his wife Dolly to bring over the letter, but she couldn't quite locate it. So, at 84 years old and recently recovered from a one-two combination of pneumonia and the flu, he retrieved the letter hanging from the wall and read it aloud. In the correspondence, Berkow thanked the champ for his time and patience regarding a New York Times article that ran on May 8, 1985 in which Ali was the subject. They shared an inside joke about the word "figure," a word Ali would jokingly mishear in his playful-yet-poignant way. Berkow's voice swelled with pride as he related Ali's graceful reply.

After gifting the world a couple dozen books worth of invaluable stories and 25 years of priceless columns as a writer for the Times, the old storyteller added one more tale from long ago.

On the corner of Madison Avenue and 36th Street in New York, he spotted an elderly man sitting in a wheelchair with a blanket around him and an aide standing next to the feeble gentleman. Berkow, who lived a couple blocks away, greeted the enfeebled former boxing trainer. "You're out watching the people?" he asked.

Ray Arcel answered, "I got used to being around crowds."

Ben Ephraim and Cohen to Speak on Jewish Boxers

Odelia Ben Ephraim and Mike Cohen will be featured speakers at a conference about Jewish boxers at the musée d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaïsme in Paris, France on June 19. The event will be hosted by Joseph Hirsh.

The discussion will touch on French Jewish boxers, many of whom originated in North Africa. Cohen, a former French kickboxing champion, is the nephew of one such fighter, Bill Jo Cohen. World champions Victor "Young" Perez, Robert Cohen, and Alphonse Halimi have been among the many great Jewish fighters from the region.

Ben Ephraim (5-2) is the French featherweight champion. Her next fight is a title defense on June 7 against Narymane Benloucif. Cohen is now a trainer who guides the career of French amateur champion Benny Nizard, a 1-0 19 year old Jewish fighter.

Ben Ephraim's father David, a longtime boxing coach, created his top 5 Jewish French boxers for The JBB. The top 5 Jewish North African boxers was compiled by Ron Schneck.

Review of The Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame

The Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame
By John DiSanto
Arcadia, 2024

The Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame is not an exclusive club. Started in 1958, the names of fighters with modest and even losing records sit beside those of former world champions. Rather than a reward for an elite career, the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame is a celebration of the breadth of the sport in the state. 

Author John DiSanto's dedication to keeping Pennsylvania boxing history alive as the head of PhillyBoxingHistory, curator of museum exhibits, and chairman of the PBHOF, is inspiring. His third book, The Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame, features fascinating pictures and brief biographies of about half of the many members in the Hall.

DiSanto begins with an illuminating introduction detailing the Hall's journey. From overwhelmingly white and primarily focused on a fighter's popularity, the author has helped guide the PBHOF to a more racially representative and merit-based institution.

The rest of the book is organized into five categories: world champions and International Boxing Hall of Famers, world title challengers, regional and state champs, local heroes, and non-boxers. Within each category, the Hall of Famers are organized alphabetically, which makes the book an accessible reference. The members could have been organized chronologically or by weight class, which would have made for a more cohesive narrative but diminished its value as an easily-useable resource.

Jewish world champions Benny Bass, Battling Levinsky, Harry Lewis, and Mike Rossman, along with IBHOFers Lew Tendler  and promoter Russell Peltz are among the greats that grace the first chapter. World title challenger Danny Kramer makes an appearance. So does local hero Harry Blitman. Harry "Kid" Brown and Benny Kaufman are noted simply in the complete list of members at the end.

The Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame is a terrific representation of the talent that has come out of the Keystone State, particularly the fighting cities of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The pictures of boxers from long ago- and not so long ago- are captivating. It's well-worth it for fans of Harry Greb, Joe Frazier, and the countless other notable boxers who have plied their trade just north of the Mason-Dixon line.

Kapuler Advances in Final Olympic Qualifying Tournament

In the final qualifier for the 2024 Olympics, Miroslav Kapuler and Yan Zak have made the round of 32 in their respective weight classes.

Junior middleweight Kapuler faces Tiago Muxanga, a 23 year old from Mozambique, on May 28 in the afternoon session (Bangkok, Thailand time). Muxanga has some quality experience in the amateur ranks for a young guy. Kapuler beat Carl Hield 5-0 in the round of 64. Muxanga stopped his opponent in the first round.

Heavyweight Yan Zak next fights on May 30 in the afternoon session. Hefaces the gigantic Mucahit Ilyas of Turkey who had a bye. Zak beat Malcolm Preston Matthes 4-1.A southpaw, Matthes led with his head costing him two points. Zak suffered a cut by his right eye when Matthes initiated a butt in the second round.

Yonatan Landman to Fight in June

Flyweight Yonatan Landman is scheduled to fight Habib Lartey on June 15 at Bukum Boxing Arena in Accra, Ghana. BoxRec lists the fight as a bantamweight contest.

A native of Kiryat, Israel, Landman turned pro in January and is 2-0 with two KOs. A skilled boxer trained by his father, Yonatan is still getting his feet wet in the pro game. The ginger-haired warrior last fought in March at Bukom where he scored a second round KO against Simon Tackie.

Habib Lartey lost his only pro fight back in November. On the positive side, he has fast hands and fleet feet. Lartey's defeat came at the hands of Olympian Sulemanu Tetteh, a skilled and poised fighter. On the negative side, Lartey exhibits atrocious punch technique, particularly when he throws the right. Instead of punching with the right, it looks as if he's swatting at flies. Against Tetteh, Lartey inexplicably quit after the second round and then paraded around the ring congratulating himself.

The Ghanaian has a wild and awkward style. His awkwardness is offensively ineffective, but it could actually stymie the attack of Landman, who has sparred technicians such as David Alaverdian. Lartey keeps his hands down on the outside, a move more out of bravado than an attempt to set up counters. He rushes in face first while he throws wild shots. Tetteh, who was used to fighting world class amateurs, controlled the fight but did seem unsettled by Lartey's unorthodox technique.

Landman-Lartey is scheduled for six rounds.

Chilemba Stopped in Second

Isaac Chilemba suffered his tenth career defeat when Aleksei Papin knocked him out in the second round of their cruiserweight fight at Ledovaya (Ice) Arena in Balashikha, Russia. Chilemba initially fought well, but Papin's weight and power advantages proved too much to overcome.

At yesterday's weigh-in, Chilemba tipped the scales at 184.3 pounds, the second heaviest of his career. Papin stood 199.5 pounds, around his normal weight.

Chilemba began the fight cautiously and ceded control of the center to Papin. The Malawian used stab jabs to the head and body while adroitly ducking Papin's counter attempts. The Russian struggled to figure out Chilemba's shoulder roll defense while Isaac added straight rights to the head and body by the end of the round.

Isaac won the first, but ominous clouds swirled over the round. Papin only landed a couple of jabs, but they physically pushed Chilemba a couple of steps backwards. It was clear Chilemba needed to be perfect for eight rounds just for the Russian judges to rip him off while Papin only needed to land the right shot to close the show.

Chilemba threw clever combinations to start the second round, but he didn't possess the power to dissuade Papin's punches. Isaac blocked a right, but the force of the blow knocked him backwards. Chilemba soon fell to the ropes, an ugly bit of foreshadowing for the veteran. He managed to get out of dodge that time, but his good fortune wouldn't last long.

In center ring, Papin launched a right uppercut-left hook combination that wobbled Chilemba. Isaac stammered back as Papin shot a hard right behind the ear. Isaac collapsed into the ropes while Papin followed. He repeatedly looped rights that were mostly blocked by Chilemba's left arm, so Papin adjusted. He went back to the right uppercut-left hook combination that started the trouble for Chilemba. That proved to be right move.

Chilemba had only been stopped once before in his career and that was due to an injury against Olexandr Gvozdyk. The combination cut Chilemba down to the canvas and the fight was quickly stopped. Regardless, Isaac couldn't have beaten the count.

Chilemba is now 27-10-3 with 11 KOs. Papin is now 17-1 (1 no contest) with 16 KOs.

Two Jewish Pros to Compete in Final Olympic Qualifier

David AIaverdian and Miroslav Kapuler are scheduled to represent Israel in the final Olympic qualifier beginning tomorrow. The event, to be held in Thailand, is the last shot for boxers to make the 2024 Paris Olympics. The last Jewish boxer to fight in the Olympics was Miroslav's brother, Pavlo Ishchenko, who competed for Ukraine in 2012.

AIaverdian is 8-0-1 with 6 KOs as a pro. Professional boxers have been allowed to compete in amateur tournaments since 2016. David will fight in the flyweight (51 KG) class. He is one of 51 boxers competing for four qualifying spots. His first bout is scheduled for Saturday against Chon Ryong So of North Korea. So won bronze at last year's Asian Games.

Kapuler is a 3-0 pro. The southpaw fights in the junior middleweight division (71 KG), which has 70 boxers vying for five Olympic spots. Miroslav faces Carl Hield of the Bahamas on Sunday in the round of 64. Hield is a battletested 37 year old who is 6-0 as a pro, all in Colombia.

Yan Zak and Daniel Ilyushonok are two Israeli amateurs who will take part in the qualifying tournament. Zak is a heavyweight (92 KG). One of 42 boxers battling for three spots, Zak fights Malcolm Preston Matthes of New Zealand on Monday. Ilyonshonok fights as a light heavyweight (80 KG). Fifty four light heavies are aiming for one of four spots. Ilyushonok takes on Paul Andrei Aradoaie of Romania on Saturday.

Follow the tournament here.