Odelia Ben Ephraim Comes Up Short in European Title Challenge

Odelia "Thunder" Ben Ephraim lost by unanimous decision tonight against European junior featherweight champion Tania "La Violencia" Alvarez at Casal Cultural i Recreatiu in Castellbisbal, Spain.

Both fighters threw constantly in an exciting phonebooth style fight. The 25 year old French challenger told The Jewish Boxing Blog, "I felt mentally prepared, and I won the first three rounds by a good margin."

She then admitted, "But then I felt tired. I don't know if it was because of the diet." Ben Ephraim weighed in the lightest of her career for this fight, but she thought she cut weight intelligently. "I did it step by step and didn't starve myself at all," she said.

This was Odelia's  first ten round bout. Both she and Alvarez are intense fighters who let their hands go. Alvarez pressures consistently even if it means eating a few punches along the way. Ben Ephraim picked her combinations well, but her high punch activity and low right hand did allow Alvarez to land her left.

Ben Ephraim's dad David, a long time trainer, explained, "She didn't manage to do the little extra things to win at the opponent's place." Alvarez has benefitted from hometown decisions in the past.

The judges' scores were 99-91, 98-92, and 97-93, all for Alvarez, who is now 12-1 with 2 KOs. Ben Ephraim, who was gracious in defeat, is 5-4.

"I have no regrets at all," Odelia said. "I did everything I could. I gave my whole soul and body out in the ring even when I felt exhausted." Despite the challenges she has encountered this year and during this past training camp, she's proud of her performance. "I made a lot of progress, I never gave up, and most importantly, I'm not injured nor bruised at all after the fight."

More details to come....

Odelia Ben Ephraim, Tania Alvarez Make Weight Ahead of European Title Fight

Both Odelia "Thunder" Ben Ephraim and Tania "La Violencia" Alvarez weighed in under the junior featherweight limit of 122 pounds ahead of their clash tomorrow at Casal Cultural i Recreatiu in Castellbisbal, Spain. The contest is for Alvarez's European junior featherweight title.

Ben Ephraim (5-3) is a 25 year old from Blagnac, France. She weighed 119.5 pounds, the lightest of her pro career. Her previous lightest came before her last fight when she was 122.8 pounds in June. Her heaviest was 126 in her debut in 2021. To this point, she has been a career featherweight.

Alvarez (11-1, 2 KOs) came in at 121.7 pounds. The 22 year old champion from Barcelona, Spain has had most of her fights at featherweight as well. She had one scheduled fight at 130 pounds a year and a half ago. This will be her third fight at the 122 pound limit. Alvarez won the vacant Spanish junior featherweight title two fights ago and the vacant European super featherweight title in her last fight.

After the weigh-in, Ben Ephraim immediately ate a banana and drank a glass of water. She then had lunch, which consisted of salmon, rice, and vegetables. Later, she drank some tea and indulged in some chocolate, which she had been missing during training.

This bout is scheduled for ten two-minute rounds. The title is on the line! For a preview of the fight, click here. So far, no live stream has been announced.

courtesy of Toni Moreno's IG page via Tim Boxeo

Review of Then the World Moved On

Then the World Moved On: The Brutal Truth Behind the Max Baer-Frankie Campbell Fight

By Catherine Johnson

Brown Glove Books, 2024

Many Jewish boxing fans have long idolized Max Baer. By reexamining his deadly fight against Frankie Campbell in her wonderful book Then the World Moved On, Catherine Johnson convincingly argues Baer is more deserving of condemnation than idolization.

A son of Italian immigrants, Frankie Campbell first made his name in fistic circles in San Francisco. Something of a crude slugger, he took his fan-friendly style to Los Angeles and eventually became a popular figure among all of California's fight fans. Meanwhile, Max Baer embroiled himself in constant controversy. Ties to the mob and fixed fights defined his early career.

In their fateful fight, Baer first fouled Campbell in the second round after he was knocked down. Referee Toby Irwin failed to clean Baer's gloves and instead watched as he sucker-punched Campbell in the back of the head. In the fifth, Irwin ignored Baer's barrage of unanswered punches as Campbell descended into unconsciousness. Johnson contends this was no accident. Irwin admitted that he let the carnage continue to appease gamblers.

The previously accepted narrative follows that Baer felt extreme guilt over his role in the death of Frankie Campbell as seen by his reluctance to fight all-out against future opponents, and that Baer made a concerted commitment to Campbell's surviving family members. Johnson effectively dismantles those notions. Baer is often given responsibility for the eventually death of Ernie Schaaf, who died six months after Baer beat him mercilessly. The Livermore Larupper pummeled Max Schmeling with no remorse, and later brutalized Primo Carnera to win the heavyweight world championship. In none of these fights did Baer show any reluctance to injure his opponents on account of what he did to Frankie Campbell.

Furthermore, Baer had very little to do with Campbell's family after the tragedy. He boasted of attending Frankie Jr.'s college graduation, but the boy had sadly died in a plane accident months before graduating, so Baer's story was made up. Baer, in fact, didn't even know how many children the Campbell family had, mistakenly claiming they had two sons. Johnson shows that Baer's supposed concern for the Campbell family was a self-serving mirage.

Johnson views Baer's ties to Judaism with skepticism. A genealogist by trade, she does confirm the belief that he had a Jewish grandparent. His sudden identification as a Jew, though, was not merely done to sell tickets to Jewish fans in New York ahead of his fight against Schmeling but because a significant boycott movement had grown in reaction to Schmeling's alleged Nazi ties. Johnson is sensitive to Baer's meaning to Jews, including my grandmother's family. She writes, "By ever wearing the Star of David on his trunks, did Max Baer give hope to Jews during utterly dark days? Absolutely," (pg. 296). But Baer did not truly identify as Jewish in life or in death. A cross decorates his tomb.

To be clear, this book is not a hit job on Baer. Johnson actually idolized the man before delving into the research, even naming her dog after him. Regardless of anybody's sentiment for Baer, the facts are laid out in a way as to make her argument incontrovertible.

More than merely making a case against Max Baer, Then the World Moved On goes into fascinating detail about Frankie Campbell, boxing in California during his era, and much more. There are also many illuminating pictures. Lined with amazing bits of research, Campbell's opponents, managers, and promoters come alive. This book brings readers into the boxing world of that time and place, something only the best boxing books can achieve.

With mountains of research, there are bound to be a few slip ups. These couldn't be more minor. On page 47, it's claimed that Jimmy McLarnin won the lightweight world championship. The two-time welterweight champion beat the reigning lightweight champ three times in nontitle fights, but never won that belt. Similarly trivial, in describing coach George Blake, the author writes, "[H]e had guided Jackie Fields to a [w]elterweight title," (pg. 113). After researching Fields's life the past two years, it'd be a slight to Gig Rooney to give Blake credit for Fields's pro championship. Undeniably, Blake guided Fields to Olympic gold in the featherweight division in 1924, but Blake and Fields had a falling out when Jackie wanted to turn pro after the Olympics and Blake wanted him to wait two years. So Rooney trained and managed Fields through his first welterweight run. A nitpicky critique for sure. More relevant for those who want to use this book as a source, a random sampling of the index shows the pages don't match up in the paperback. These tiny issues don't impact Johnson's argument about Max Baer in the least and hardly detract from the narrative. 

Then the World Moved On is such a good book, There are so many interesting anecdotes and stories to more than satisfy a boxing history lover, but it's written so clearly and explained so well that a beginner to the subject wouldn't be lost. Johnson masterfully finds the balance. The Jewish Boxing Blog highly recommends this book.

Joshua Feldman Analyzes His Latest Knockout Win

This past Saturday, Joshua Feldman dominated Brian Shakoane on route to a first round stoppage victory. The 5-0 junior middleweight from Cape Town, South Africa discussed the fight today with The Jewish Boxing Blog.

"Quite honestly, I actually didn't have any game plan for the fight coming in," Feldman revealed. "It was mostly just getting in the ring and deciding on the go how I was going to assess the fight." That Josh didn't have a game plan was a surprising revelation. Not because it showed any lack of preparation as boxers often don't have game plans, especially when fighting opponents without many pro fights, but because he improvised such an effective strategy so quickly.

That strategy involved attacking the body and then moving out of harm's way, which prevented Feldman from getting caught by one of Shakoane's wild powerful swings and kept the taller southpaw safe from any accidental headbutts since Shakoane has been known to lead with his head.

"His hands were very high up," Feldman explained, "and I threw a couple shots to the body. I felt him wince and I could see he didn't like the body shots."

After a minute and five seconds of landing to the body and then moving, Feldman decided to change strategy and stay inside.

"I could feel that he was pretty strong," Josh analyzed, "so I thought that if I come inside and smother him, he won't be able to hit me, because he has no leverage. So when I went inside, I knew if I keep my shots short, I could hit him to the body. But if I keep my head into his chest, he won't be able to hit me."

The result was an impressive stoppage a minute and 23 seconds into the fight and Josh's third professional knockout. "I would've liked a longer fight," he admitted. In the heat of battle, he thought the fight was stopped a bit too early, but after watching the film, he now thinks it was a good stoppage. The JBB concurs; Shakoane was on the verge of getting seriously hurt.

Feldman has come a long way in a little over a year as a pro. "My biggest improvement comes from being more relaxed in the ring," he said. "I'm feeling a lot more comfortable and calm, so I'm able to pick my shots much better, instead of just throwing aimlessly like I felt I've done in the past." It was a very astute observation as his punch selection was bit haphazard in his first two fights. But against Shakoane, that calm under fire allowed him to immediately find a spot-on strategy to avoid damage, land cleanly, and win quickly.

"I also feel my body shots and punch placement has improved the most actually," he concluded. Equally as impressive as finding the right strategy on the fly was Josh's body work. Most young fighters- Josh is only 20- don't target the body in any sustained fashion.

"Now I'm excited to step up the level of competition," Josh declared. His fans are excited to watch him meet those coming challenges.

Yonatan Landman Wins by Sixth Round TKO

Yonatan Landman beat Albert Commey by sixth round TKO at Bukom Boxing Arena in Acra, Ghana today. Landman outboxed his toughest test as a pro. It was his second fight in eight days.

Landman and Commey were announced as 118 pounds each, but Commey, a 39 year old from Accra, looked huge compared to Landman. Yonatan told The Jewish Boxing Blog, "The plan was to get inside as much as I could."

Early in the first, Yonatan got inside and absorbed a chopping right from Commey. Landman then began to jab cautiously from the outside, land two body shots, and get out. The rest of the round he tried to get inside, but Commey was ready to exchange even as both fighters missed.

"After the first round my father told me to change tactics because the original game plan was not working," Landman told The JBB. "Start boxing from the outside and get in when you can with body shots but still be aware of defense."

Landman followed his father's advice. His jab was crisp, and he then moved to avoid counters. Landman doubled and even tripled up on his jab. He managed to touch the body a few times in the second round. Commey became befuddled by the Israeli's movement and mostly kept his hands up in a high guard. When the Ghanaian threw, Landman used agile foot movement to evade damage while occasionally blocking or parrying Commey's jab.  Yonatan tried to land power shots off the jab, but that's when Commey would shoot his punches, and the result was usually sloppy exchanges with no harm done.

In the fourth, Landman continued to pump his jab while finding more openings to Commey''s midsection. Commey did nothing to dissuade the red-headed fighter from touching the body, but the memory of the chopping right in the first round kept Landman cautious.

In the fifth, Yonatan pulverized Commey's body, but missed when he tried to go up to the head. At the end of the round, Landman finally smashed Commey's face with a right after two left hooks to the body. It was Landman's most punishing combination of the fight.

Commey came out for the sixth guns ablaze. He pressed forward for the first time and made a concerted effort to go for the knockout. He threw several hard rights, which proved to be Commey's last stand, because he then took a knee for the ten-count with an apparent injury. "I think he did hurt himself and was very tired," Yonatan explained. The abrupt end came fifty seconds into the sixth round.

With the victory, Landman was awarded the vacant Tanzanian super flyweight title. Though the fight featured an Israeli fighting a Ghanaian in Ghana at 118 pounds, it's important to note that being a Tanzanian super flyweight is more a state of mind than the reality of weight, nationality, or location. Or something.

In any event, Landman has been very impressive over the past eight days when he stepped up twice and more than answered both challenges. On November 16, he stopped Asamoah Wilson in the fifth round. In his first five fights, Landman only fought a total of ten rounds. In the past eight days, he fought a combined eleven rounds against tougher opposition and looked good both times.

"I do feel tired but very happy with the results," Yonatan said. "My father and I worked very hard on those two fights!" They put in twelve weeks for the back-to-back bouts. Landman is now 7-0 with 7 KOs. Commey falls to 9-10 with 8 KOs. Has has been stopped in all of his losses.

David Malul Scores a Frightening Third Round KO

"King" David Malul punctuated a five-punch combination with a frighteningly destructive overhand right in the third round of his fight against Zachary "Mississippi Baby" Davis at the Paramount Theater in Huntington, New York, USA tonight.

Malul was patient early, showing educated aggression. Davis, a 25 year old with a four-inch height advantage, jabbed well in the first. Malul, who represents Queens and is turning 22 years old in two days, showed a big improvement from his debut, a first round KO victory in which he was knocked down twice. David used his double jab, kept his hands up, and set up most of his big punches.

Malul went to the body early and consistently. Those body shots set up overhand rights to the head. The Mississippi fighter caught on and began leaning his head off the line. David adjusted and used the left hook with success.

In the second round, Malul was a bit too eager to score a knockout. He unloaded with four huge rights that found nothing but air because he led with the punch. He showed slick defense though, ducking under Davis's rights. As the crowd chanted, "Let's go David!" Malul worked his jab and left hook at the end of the round.

King David ravaged Davis's body in the third round. But he wasn't content to just attack the midsection. He shot off gigantic overhand rights and left hooks off the body assault. One of the combinations knocked out Davis's mouthpiece. Malul then pounded the body with two shots, and came up top with a right, left hook, and another overhand right. After the left hook, Davis dropped his hands and took the full brunt of the final overhand right. He lost consciousness before hitting the canvas. Referee Al LoBianco immediately waved off the fight.

After less than a minute, Davis was thankfully on his feet, smiling and jumping up and down. Malul's trainer Mike Stellate came over to make sure Davis was ok and got him water.

About the knockout, David explained, "I don't train to go the distance, I train to take them out." He dedicated the fight to his mother, who is celebrating her birthday today. "I wasn't going to be denied," he said. He is now 2-0 with 2 KOs. Davis is 0-5; it was the third time he has been stopped.

Zinman Wins Tough Debut; Feldman Impresses

Joshua Feldman and Doron Zinman both won their fights at Box Camp Booysens in Johannesburg, South Africa today. Feldman shined in a first round TKO victory over Brian Shakoane while Zinman overcame a tough opponent, Masibulele Mjoli, scoring a knockdown to win by unanimous decision.

Feldman, a 20 year old junior middleweight nicknamed "The Maccabee," came out hammering Skhakoane's body and then moving to get out of range. Shakoane,  a 32 year old from South Africa's Northwest province, went for broke firing hard wild shots at the taller Feldman. Josh, a southpaw from Cape Town, executed his strategy of sticking the body and moving expertly. "He came out rushing me," Feldman said after the fight, "and I picked my shots [well.]"

About a minute in, Josh got in close to Shakoane and dug a right hook to the body on an angle. He sensed Shakoane weakening and then stayed in close, firing well-placed combinations without stifling his work. Shakoane backed up to the ropes and ate several clean blows before referee David Van Nieuwenhuizen jumped in a minute and 23 seconds into the opening round.

Just before Van Nieuwenhuizen waved off the contest, Feldman turned his back to his defeated foe in a stone cold display of badassery. Improving to 5-0 with 3 KOs, Feldman impressed in this fight. He had a clear game plan, adjusted when the situation changed, and finished the opponent quickly- all in under half a round. After the fight, he declared, "Whoever they put in front of me, I'll take out." Shakoane is now 1-4 with one KO.

Doron "Buzzsaw" Zinman, also a 20 year old from Cape Town, started his fight pressuring Mjoli, a 20 year old nicknamed "Hurricane." Both men came out fighting in the opening minute of their pro careers. The taller Mjoli proved to be a very tough B-side for a pro debut. He effectively countered Zinman's offense early in the fight, landing straight and looping rights to the head just before Zinman could land his wider shots.

Midway through the first round, Zinman scored with an overhand right while Mjoli was on the ropes, which convinced the Hurricane to downgrade his attack to just a rainstorm. Mjoli connected with a  couple of left hooks the rest of the round, but not much else. Zinman's left eye was marked up by the end of the torrid three minutes of action.

Mjoli used the jab to stick-and-move in the second which negated Zinman's pressure. Doron showed good defense slipping under Mjoli's straight attempts. Zinman's overhand rights were the most powerful punches of the round, but Mjoli boxed well. He landed a nice one-two and found a home for his straight right.

Both of the first two rounds were close with Zinman landing the harder shots but Mjoli's punches more precise. The Jewish Boxing Blog gave both rounds to Mjoli, which meant Zinman was in a serious hole even to come away with a draw.

The blond buzzsaw responded by dominating the third round. He doubled up his jab, landed left hooks, straight rights, counter straighter rights, and generally showed a lot more variety in his offense. He knocked Mjoli around the ring like a pinball. Zinman, a shorter pressure fighter, was headhunting though. When he launched a left hook to the body and then followed with a crunching right to the head, Mjoli went down in pain. Masibulele showed a lot of heart to get back up.

Mjoli boxed well at range to start the fourth round, but it soon turned into all-out running in the face of Zinman's pressure. When Mjoli tried to hold, Doron kept pounding away with his free hand, the right. Toward the end of the fight, he scored with a punishing left hook and a couple of menacing overhand rights in succession.

Zinman looked very good in the third round, showing an educated punch selection. He had a great motor and clear power, but some flaws too. He threw- and got away with- some careless punches: including a lead left uppercut and a leaping left hook. He chased the agile Mjoli a bit too often instead of cutting off the ring. And the shorter pressure fighter neglected the body too much. When he did go downstairs, he scored a knockdown.

The judges' scores were announced 40-35, 38-37, and curiously 37-35, a score that is nonsensical and was hopefully read incorrectly, (it was, it was actually 38-37) all for Doron. The JBB scored it 38-37 for Zinman.

After the fight, Doron acknowledged, "He was a game opponent. I was glad I got the knockdown." He hopes to fill up the calendar next year with fights. "This is the beginning of the rest of my life," Zinman said. "I'm so grateful."

David Malul and Zachary Davis Weigh In

David Malul and Zachary Davis weighed in ahead of their welterweight+ clash tomorrow at the Paramount Theater in Huntington, New York, USA. The event is promoted by Star Boxing.

Malul (1-0, 1 KO) came in at 147.4 pounds, the weight of a deck of cards above the welterweight limit. He was 146.5 for his debut. Davis (0-4) weighed 146.2 pounds. His lightest was 139, which he has done twice, including last month. His heaviest was 154.5 pounds, which he weighed a year ago.

After his weight was announced, Davis repeatedly clapped his hands enthusiastically. Malul was calm while standing on the scale. David then refueled with pasta and chicken soup.

This bout is scheduled for four rounds. It can be viewed at Star Boxing TV. A preview can be found here.

Feldman, Zinman, Opponents Weigh In

Junior middleweight Joshua Feldman and featherweight Doron Zinman fight in separate bouts tomorrow at Box Camp Booysens in Johannesburg, South Africa tomorrow. The tournament is promoted by Boxing 5 Promotions.

Feldman (4-0, 2 KOs) weighed in at 153.4 pounds. Though this is his fifth fight, it's his seventh weigh-in. His weight has been between 152.5 and 154 pounds each time, which shows remarkable professionalism on his part. His opponent, Brian Shakoane (1-3, 1 KO), came in at 152.7 pounds. Throughout his career he has been the B-side, so he's taken fights in different classes. His lightest weight was 140.5 pounds for his debut in 2019. His heaviest was 157 for a KO victory last month.

After the weigh-in Feldman ate a bowl of cereal with bananas and a bagel with honey. He let that digest and then continued to load up on carbs with a pizza.

Zinman, and his opponent Masibulele Mjoli, are both making their pro debuts tomorrow. Zinman was 125.3 pounds while Mjoli was 126.5, a half pound over the limit. After the weigh-in, Zinman downed one and a half liters of rehydration drinks. He then chowed down on a fresh homemade bagel with butter, salt, and raw honey. Doron followed up his meal with more rehydration drinks.

Both Feldman and Zinman credited nutritionist Finn Kenny with helping them make weight.

Feldman's fight against Shakonae is scheduled for six rounds. A preview can be found here. Zinman's contest against Mjoli is slated for four rounds. A preview can be found here.

The show will be broadcast on DAZN and Vision View TV, starting at 7pm in Johannesburg and Tel Aviv and noon in New York. Clips from the weigh-in can be viewed on the SA Boxing Talk YouTube page.

Mike Clancy and an Upset for the Ages

Mike Clancy scored a huge upset by knockout as a late substitution, the defining moment of his career. It was such a surprise victory, it would be mentioned among the biggest upsets for decades to come.

Residing in Manhattan and fighting under an assumed name, he fought anywhere from 115 pounds up to 126. Extremely tough, Clancy wasn't exactly Einstein's cousin. He was once told he'd box in the semifinal (now called the co-main event or chief support). "Who is this guy Sammy Final?" he wondered aloud.


Adding to the Record
Much of Clancy's record hasn't made its way onto his BoxRec page yet. A newspaper decision victory in a no-decision bout is listed as his debut on March 23, 1909 at Long Acre Athletic Club in New York. Not listed is a draw against Eddie Moran in a four-rounder on December 23 in Manhattan. At some point in 1910, he lost a six round decision to Eddie "Young" Marino, a defeat he would avenge in 1912.

BoxRec has an April 12, 1910 newspaper draw in Philadelphia. Clancy was very busy in November, none of which has yet been included on his BoxRec page. At the Reno Athletic Club on November 7, Clancy fought an exciting draw against Frank Williams in a fight that crossed the color line. Two days later, he fought in another close thrilling contest, this time against "Kid" Corbett at the Bridge Athletic Club. On November 14, Clancy knocked down Joe Flynn twice on route to a second round knockout victory at Bridge A.C. Next, Mike was supposed to fight Young Rose on November 24 at Long Acre in a six-rounder. Instead, he acted as a replacement against Spike Thomas, and both fought to a crowd-pleasing four-round draw.

On the last day of the month, Clancy closed out a jam-packed November as a late substitute against Johnny Moran at the Sylvan A.C. He lost the ten-round bout to "The Fighting Actor," but Clancy gave a good showing. He fought a week later, on December 7, back at Sylvan against Kid Thomas. Scheduled for six rounds, Clancy stopped him in three.

According to BoxRec, Clancy had a productive January with two knockout wins, including in a rematch against Eddie Moran, and another newspaper draw. That month, he joined the Long Acre Athletic Club after "he made such a good impression [t]here." Clancy outjabbed Moran in the opening two rounds, but Moran got back into the fight on account of his right hand. In the fifth of a scheduled ten rounds, Clancy decided to allow Moran to come forward, which proved to be a shrewd strategy as Moran walked right into a concussive left that put him out.

February of 1911 didn't go as well for Clancy. A week after his impressive win over Moran, Clancy was in poor shape when he came in as a late substitute against Kid Black on February 2 at Long Acre. Kid Black dominated Clancy over the ten round distance. He lost another ten-rounder to Benny Jones two weeks later. On March 2 at Brooklyn Beach Athletic Club, Clancy faced Frank Maher, who was a late replacement. Maher nearly stopped Clancy in the first half of the six-rounder, but Clancy came back and nearly dropped Maher in the second half of the bout. The fight was a newspaper draw.

Clancy seems to have fought only once, a newspaper win over Young Goldberg in June, over the next seven months. The Frawley Law went into effect on July 26, 1911, which certainly impacted Clancy's career.  Arne Lange of The Sweet Science explains, [The law] restricted bouts to licensed athletic clubs, in theory to protect the public from fly-by-night promoters, set the ceiling at 10 rounds, and stipulated that no decision could be rendered." Clancy didn't fight again until October, when he had a couple of newspaper victories, but they were not the crowd-pleasers of this preview year. On November 11, he beat Heine Thiel by close newspaper decision in a boring fight at Maspeth Athletic Club. After dropping a newspaper decision in December, he participated in a three-round exhibition to help the Christmas fund for the poor.

Clancy didn't fight much during the the first half of 1912. BoxRec lists a newspaper win in a ten-rounder against Young Leroy and a newspaper loss against the much heavier Harry Condon in June. He then had scheduled bouts against Young Goldie and Young Ketchel. On July 30, 1912 Clancy won a newspaper decision against Pete Powers in a four-rounder at the Royal Athletic Club.

An Upset for the Ages

When Kid Ghetto dropped out of a fight against George KO Chaney, wires were sent to nearby cities to find a late replacement. Mike Clancy stepped up and quickly made the trip to Baltimore. Chaney, a future Hall of Famer, was already regarded as one of Baltimore's best fighters. A diminutive southpaw, the Knockout King had rapidly earned respect in his year and a half as a pro. As one of a countless wave of New York club fighters, Clancy was virtually unknown outside his tiny orbit.

"Finding opponents for Chaney was a difficult assignment at any time; on such short notice it was almost impossible," wrote Jersey Jones of The Ring over 40 years later. "Clancy, a Jewish kid with an adopted Irish moniker... was the best that could be collected for the occasion, and a night's pay looked exceedingly attractive to him, even for risking life and limb against a devastating clouter like Chaney."

No one thought any differently through the first five rounds of their contest on August 9. Clancy was clearly overmatched. Then, in the sixth round, Chaney walked into an enormous right hand that knocked him out cold. Clancy had pulled off the improbable upset!

For his part, Chaney was mortified and demanded a rematch. "I'll not show this mug of mine in New York until I have licked that fellow!" he declared a few days later. Then, he made excuses. "I was not right last Friday, and I'm going to rest up until I feel myself. Then you will see me come back with a vengeance."

Clancy's manager, Scotty Monteith, wrote a letter to the Cincinnati Enquirer in 1915 claiming that a rematch had been signed shortly after the first fight. Clancy typically got about $50 for a fight. When he was told he would get one-fifty for the Chaney rematch, he retorted, "Gimme a couple of fifty dollar fights. Dat'll do for me."

It was Chaney, however, who backed out of the rematch with an illness. "If you mentioned Mike Clancy to him he will immediately get sick," Monteith wrote. He also noted that Chaney's team had managed to keep the fight out of the record books for a time, but Monteith carried the clippings of the fight with him. As late as 1915, Clancy still wanted the rematch against Chaney, who by that point was on to bigger, better, and less dangerous endeavors.

His win over Chaney usually accompanied any mention of Clancy in the newspapers from that point forward. Chaney fought until 1925, and his loss to Clancy followed him throughout his career.

The End of a Career

Three days after the Chaney upset, Clancy won a six-round newspaper decision over old foe Young Leroy. After the Chaney rematch fell through, he began to put ads in papers calling out other fighters. Among the many fighters he called out was Charley Goldman, future trainer of heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano. Clancy was earning a reputation as "one of the most dangerous boys in the game," but most opponents felt he wasn't worth the risk.

BoxRec lists a January 11, 1913 fight against Young Lowery, an eighth round KO victory for Clancy. On June 7, Clancy lost a ten-round newspaper decision to Young Sieger at the Atlantic Garden. The next month, he fought former paperweight world champion Kid Murphy. Clancy beat the former champ by newspaper decision in a ten-rounder. In August, Clancy won two ten-round newspaper decisions, defeating the respectable Kid Goodman and then Mike Rosen at St. Nicolas Arena. Against Goodman, Clancy dominated the first eight rounds, but was pushed back in the ninth. The tenth went back and forth until Clancy had Goodman up against the ropes just before the bell.

Mike had developed a reputation for power. "Clancy is some knockout kid," The Brooklyn Daily Times declared ahead of a December fight against Kid Sullivan. Clancy had not only beaten Murphy and Goodman, but had knocked out Chaney, Moran, Lowry, Flynn, and Thomas in an era when knockouts were rare. Against Sullivan, however, Clancy came up short.

It seems Clancy took off 1914, but not for want of trying. Several times, he put his name in the paper challenging all comers in and around his weight. He finally came back to drop a ten-rounder to Young Mundy on March 7, 1915 at the Federal Athletic Club as Mundy won convincingly. On May 7, at Long Acre, Clancy lost to C. Eddie Hoffman in what was probably his last fight.


A Question of Identity

The Cincinnati Inquirer once described Clancy as "a real Irishman." He wasn't, but a question remains if he was actually Italian, Jewish, or both. An article in The Sun (New York) claims he was "a tough Italian" and the Hank Kaplan archives lists his real name as Michele Catanzaro. There was a Michele Catanzaro who could be Mike Clancy. He was born in 1891 in Sicily, immigrated to the U.S. in 1900 and was naturalized in 1911 with height and weight listed as 5'3" and 130 pounds, which is a just a tad heavy. Otherwise, it can't yet be confirmed that Mike Clancy's real name was Michele Catanzaro.

The Ring article by Jersey Jones is the best evidence so far that Clancy was Jewish. And just to confuse things further, the Hank Kaplan archives has two entries for Mike Clancy, one listed in the Jewish boxers section. Those entries will need to be researched further.

On September 5, 1925, Morris Grossman of Manhattan was shot four times in the abdomen, hands bound behind his back, thrown into a stolen car, and then set on fire. Born at some point in the early 1890s, Grossman was a known gangster, a gunman deliberately murdered as part of an ongoing gang war. The police, who had kept Grossman under surveillance for several years, knew him by a different name: Mike Clancy.

It can't yet be confirmed if the gangster Mike Clancy was also the boxer of the same name. Who was Mike Clancy: Michele Catanzaro or Morris Grossman? The jury is out.

Additional Fights Not Yet on BoxRec

Opponent	Result	Place	Date
Eddie Moran	Draw 4	Manhattan	12/23/1909
Eddie "Young" Marino	Loss 4	New York	?/?/1910
Frank Williams	Draw 4	Reno A.C.	11/7/1910
Kid Corbett	Draw 4	Bridge A.C.	11/9/1910
Joe Flynn	KO 2/?	Bridge A.C.	11/14/1910
Spike Thomas	Draw 4	Long Acre A.C.	11/24/1910
Johnny Moran	Loss 10	Sylvan A.C.	11/30/1910
Kid Thomas	KO 3/6	Sylvan A.C.	12/7/1910
Kid Black	Loss 10	Long Acre A.C.	2/2/1911
Frank Maher	Draw 6	Brooklyn Beach A.C.	3/2/1911
Heine Thiel	Win 6	Maspeth A.C.	11/11/1911
Eddie "Young" Marino	Win 10	New York	?/?/1912
Pete Powers	Win 4	Royal A.C.	7/30/1912
Young Sieger	Loss 10	Atlantic Garden	6/7/1913
Young Mundy	Loss 10	Federal A.C.	3/7/1915
C. Eddie Hoffman	Loss 10	Long Acre A.C.	5/7/1915

* All decisions were of the newspaper variety.

Mike Clancy's record, including newspaper decisions, was 18-10-7 combining the above fights and those listed on BoxRec as of this writing. He had 6 KOs and was never stopped.

Sources

"Atlantic Garden Result." The Daily Standard Union. Jun 8, 1913. Pg. 11.

"Bouts at the Long Acre A.C." Brooklyn Eagle. Feb. 3, 1911. Pg. 26.

"Boxing News and Gossip." Brooklyn Eagle Jul. 31, 1912. Pg. 21.

"Carter Fights Draw with Joe Philips." The Daily Standard Union (Brooklyn). Dec. 8, 1910. Pg. 10.

"Clancy Almost Holds Moran." The Boston Globe. Dec. 1, 1910. Pg. 6.
"Dan Hickey Knocked Out." Brooklyn Citizen. Nov. 8, 1910. Pg. 3.

"Dillon is Knocked Out." Brooklyn Eagle. Nov. 25, 1910. Pg. 9.

"Driscoll Meets Jones at East N.Y. To-night." The Daily Standard Union. Nov. 21, 1913. Pg. 12.

"Dundee is Coming to Albuquerque with Marino." Albuquerque Journal Apr. 28, 1913. Pg. 3.

"Fasane and Kramer Draw." The New York Times. Aug. 20, 1913. Pg. 7.

"Favor Gradwell to Defeat Lenny." Newark Evening Star. Mar. 8, 1915. Pg. 12.

"Gibson, in Chicago, Would Sign Coulon to Box Williams." The Evening Sun. Aug. 15, 1912. Pg. 8.

"Jabs and Jolts by Scottie." Albuquerque Journal. Jun. 24, 1913. Pg. 3.

"Jack Smith Loses Bout to Joe Hirst." The Brooklyn Daily Times. Mar. 3, 1911. Pg. 5.

"Jeanette Makes a Belch." The Brooklyn Daily Times. December 24, 1909. Pg. 5.

Jones, Jersey. "Beware the 'Set-Up'!" The Ring. March 1955. Pg. 7.

"Knockout at Long Acre." New York Ties. Jan. 27, 1911. Pg. 27.

"Kraemer Finishes Well." The Sun. Aug. 20, 1913. Pg. 9.

"Long Acre's Stag." Newark Evening Star. Jan. 16, 1911. Pg. 11.

"Maspeth Results." The Brooklyn Daily Times. Nov. 13, 1911. Pg. 4.

"Other Fight Results." The Brooklyn Daily Times. May 8, 1915. Pg. 12.

"Pierce and and Mohr to Box at Military A.C. Show." The Brooklyn Daily Times. Nov. 24, 1913. Pg. 10.

"Sporting Men of Cincinnati Strong for George Chaney, of Baltimore." The Cincinnati Inquirer. Mar. 21, 1915. Pg. 51.

"State to Regulate Boxing Game." The Brooklyn Daily Times. Nov. 15, 1910. Pg. 5.

"Sudden Departure of Al Kaufman a Surprise." The Brooklyn Daily Times. Nov. 10, 1910. Pg. 5.

"Sylvan A.C. Bouts to-night."  The Evening World. Dec. 7, 1910. Pg. 16.

Yonatan Landman Scores Four Knockdowns in KO Win

Yonatan Landman stopped Asamoah Wilson thirty-four seconds into the fifth round today at Centre Point Mall in Accra, Ghana. The Israeli scored four knockdowns on route to a knockout victory over the toughest opponent of his career thus far.

Wilson, a 38 year old fighter from Accra, was competitive early. He used his height and long jab to mostly keep Landman at range. But he flung his right as if trying to swat a fly, which proved ineffective. Landman jabbed well and had success once inside.

Landman managed to jab his way inside often, but occasionally he got overanxious and rushed towards Wilson causing a few sloppy moments. Wilson was still in the fight in the second round thanks to his jab and movement.

The red-haired warrior broke Wilson's will in the third. His left hook was explosive. After landing the jab all fight, he feinted with it, dipped his shoulder, and came up top with a clean right. A few moments later, referee Richard Amevi called a foul when Wilson complained. Wilson took twenty seconds to recuperate, but it was the moment he began to look for a way out. The Ghanaian soon slipped on the ring apron and went down, which Amevi called a slip.

Landman connected with a combination towards the end of the third and Wilson went down in a heap. He laid flat on his back like a cadaver. Just before Amevi reached the full count, Wilson popped up on his feet. The third round ran forty seconds too long, not including the time Wilson was allowed to recover from the alleged foul. Landman was so locked in, he didn't notice the long round, but his father Shai, who manned the corner along with boxer/promoter Prince Patel, did. Shai didn't tell his son about the long round to keep him focused. Yonatan said the long round "didn't affect me at all."

Accra was a sticky smoldering cauldron, even during the evening, but the heat and humidity didn't bother Yonatan. It was the part of his performance he was most proud of. "I felt great in the fight," he told The Jewish Boxing Blog, "even with the extreme heat, thanks to my dad and his tough fitness workouts."

Things completely fell apart for Wilson in the fourth round. A right-left combination scored a knockdown early in the round. The Accra resident laid flat on his back once again. He bounced up at the end of the count just as he had before and then stumbled into the ropes. Amevi probably should've stopped the fight at that point. Instead, Landman fired two quick left hooks to score another knockdown. Wilson did his same act of lying on his back half-dead before springing to his feet. Amevi's count helped him recover, adding a finger every two or so seconds.

Wilson ended the fourth treating the fight like a track meet. It was a bad omen for his chances in the fifth. Almost immediately Landman launched a left hook-right cross combo that felled Wilson like an oak. Instead of jumping up from his back, Wilson rolled onto his knees and then to his back again. Avemi waved off the fight after 34 seconds of the round.

The Israeli was very impressive against his most formidable opponent yet. The road to his face was impassable as he adeptly blocked and slipped shots. He was very successful inside, but he sometimes got out too quickly and sometimes let Wilson hold him. Landman changed levels at times, but admitted, "I could have done more body shots because of his height."

Both fighters were announced as weighing 118 pounds, a high so far for Landman. Wilson is now 6-10. Landman is 6-0 with 6 KOs. He fights next Sunday in an eight-rounder. "We are ready for next week's fight even stronger and better!" he declared. That fight features an even tougher opponent.

Wilson Weighs In, Landman to Weigh in Tomorrow

Yonatan Landman is in Accra, ready to face Asamoah Wilson as part of a two-fight eight-day stint in Ghana. Wilson weighed in at 122.3 pounds today ahead of the fight at Centre Point Mall. Landman will weigh in before the fight tomorrow.

Landman's hotel is far from site of the weigh in so Ace Power Promotions and the Ghanaian Boxing Authority will allow him to weigh in tomorrow before the fight. Landman observes Shabbat and will weigh in afterward. With the combination of Shabbat and the distance between venues, it was impractical for Landman to weigh in today. It's typical for promoters and commissions to be accommodating when it comes to navigating weigh ins and Shabbat.

Wilson 's weight has fluctuated recently. In August, he came in at 115 pounds. In his previous fight, which took place in 2021, he was a hefty 126, the heaviest of his career. BoxRec lists the fight as a super flyweight contest, which is a limit of 115.

Landman has fought at flyweight and super flyweight, so making weight won't be a problem for him. Rehydrating in time could be a bigger concern, but he won't weigh more than the naturally bigger Wilson, so it really shouldn't be an issue.

This  bout is scheduled for six rounds. A preview of the fight can be found here.

New Opponent for Doron Zinman's Debut

A debuting fighter has a lot of new things with which to deal, and a change in opponent doesn't make anything easier. Doron Zinman was originally scheduled to fight Hope Cindi on November 23 at Box Camp Booysens in Johannesburg, South Africa. Thankfully, the time and place will remain the same, but the opponent won't. Zinman is now scheduled to fight Masibulele Mjoli.

Mjoli, who is from the nearby province of Mpumalanga, will also be making his professional debut on November 23. He received his pro license this year.

This bout is scheduled for four rounds.

Odelia Ben Ephraim to Challenge Tania Alvarez for European Title

A potential fight of the year candidate is on the schedule for November 30 when Odelia "Thunder" Ben Ephraim faces the European junior featherweight champion Tania Alvarez at Casal Cultural i Recreatiu in Castellbisbal, Spain. This is a big opportunity for the former French featherweight champ.

Ben Ephraim won the French featherweight title a year ago. She had the chance to fight Sheila Martinez for the European featherweight title in January, but sustained an injury. She came back in June when she lost her national title by disputed decision. Following that disappointment, Ben Ephraim said, "I think I deserve a strong comeback." She told The Jewish Boxing Blog, "I've been working hard since July, and I feel more ready than ever."

Ben Ephraim will be going down in weight for this title challenge. All eight of her career fights have been at featherweight. She has spent much of this camp in Israel where she's already made the featherweight limit. She admits cutting to 122 will be a little hard, but she'll make it.

The 25 year old from Blagnac, France comes into the fight with a 5-3 record. Her three losses were all close contentious decisions against tough opponents. She faces another tough foe at the end of the month.

Nicknamed "La Violencia," Tania Alvarez is a 22 year old from Barcelona, Spain who began boxing at the age of 14. She fights like a whirlwind, running toward her opponent to get inside. Once there, she repeatedly fires combinations until her arms inevitably tire as the fight progresses. Alvarez keeps her hands low and with her volume punching, she is very open to counters. Tania's chin is tungsten tough, however. She doesn't block or slip punches, at least not intentionally, instead she uses that chin to break the will of the opponent.

Boasting an 11-1 record, Tania's only loss came against the brilliant boxer Skye Nicolson, who exposed Alvarez's crude brawling style. Nicolson stuck-and-moved, but Alvarez's constant pressure wore down Nicolson in the later rounds. One reason Alvarez lost to Nicolson was because the fight took place in Madison Square Garden. Alvarez's other fights have been at home, and she has gotten the benefit of the doubt in several close fights.

Vanesa Caballero had a lot of success in 2022 against Alvarez, but only one judge gave her so much as a round. That same year, the judges gave Alvarez a majority decision victory over Enerolisa de Leon in a very close fight. This past April, Maria Cecchi was incredulous when Alvarez was announced the winner of the vacant European title. All of those bouts took place at Casal Cultural i Recreatiu. The fight against Ben Ephraim will be Tania's tenth at the venue.

Ben Ephraim could try and keep Alvarez at range with her jab and then pivot to find new angles, similar to how Nicolson won her fight. Alvarez runs straight through the door, so angles could help neutralize her offense. Odelia, however, tends to stand in the pocket and throw combinations, just as Alvarez does. The champ's punches are wide, designed to go around the opponents guard in close. Odelia could punch with her, but even if she gets the better of the exchanges, the judges may not agree. If she makes it a firefight, body punches will be essential, because Alvarez's chin is too strong. A blend of boxing and brawling could keep Alvarez off balance.

This will be Ben Ephraim's first ten-rounder. Alvarez has gone the twenty-minute distance twice.

New Opponent for Joshua Feldman

Joshua Feldman was scheduled to fight Tumi Nakedi on November 23 at Box Camp Booysens in Johannesburg, South Africa. Nakedi is now out and Brian Ontshiametse Shakoane is the new opponent.

Feldman is a real-life Spiderman. Just before his debut, he was bit by a spider, which must have been radioactive because the 20 year old from Cape Town has looked superhuman on his way to a 4-0 record with 2 KOs. He doesn't shoot webs from his hands, though, just straight lefts and right hooks.

The southpaw last fought on September 20 and earned a dominating first round knockout victory. "I was pretty pissed off because the guy never made weight," Josh told SA Boxing Talk. "I was coming to hurt him in that fight."

Shakoane is a 31 year old who grew up in Brits, North-West, South Africa. A tough guy, Brian sports a noticeable scar across his left cheek. He has been boxing for over ten years and turned pro in 2019. Since then, he has amassed a record of 1-3.

Unlike Feldman's previous two opponents, there's no doubt Shakoane will come to fight. In his debut against Ashton Davis, he showed a crisp jab early. He reached with wide power punches, but launched his shots with mean intentions. Davis placed a combination to the body in the first round, which caused Shakoane to retreat to the corner and cover up. The referee waved off the bout shortly thereafter.

Two years later Shakoane was involved in a wild fight against the taller Xolani Selimane. Both men came out firing wild clubbing shots like the old Toughmen contests in the U.S. Shakoane was hampered by defective footwear as he kept sliding around the ring. His corner took off his shoes after the first round, and he actually fought the final three rounds barefoot. Brian managed to bloody Selimane's nose and score a knockdown in the fourth round, but a left hook to the body ended his chances.

In 2022, Phumelelo Cele stopped Shakoane in the first round, his third stoppage loss in three fights. But Brian came back last month to score his first career victory with a first round TKO win.

This fight will be a good test for Feldman. Shakoane has power, so Feldman will need to be a bit cautious early. He also leads with his head and since Josh is a southpaw, an accidental butt is a real possibility. Feldman can opt for straight counters down the middle, or uppercuts when Shakoane's head leans forward. The key to a knockout will be body shots, but that can be risky against a shorter fighter with power.

This bout is scheduled for six rounds, a distance neither fighter has gone yet. Feldman believes he'll be even better when his fights are scheduled for more rounds, which makes sense. In previous fights, he rushed his power punches, aiming for a knockout. With more time, he'll be able to establish his jab and and can take the time to set up his power punches. He's also a vicious body puncher, a skill which will have more effect in longer fights.

Feldman-Shakoane will be streamed on DAZN and Vision View TV.

Joshua Feldman to Fight Tumi Nakedi on November 23

Junior middleweight prospect Joshua Feldman is scheduled to fight Tumi Nakedi on November 23 at Box Camp Booysens in Johannesburg, South Africa. The tournament, promoted by Boxing 5, will also feature the debut of Josh's friend and fellow Jew, Doron Zinman.

Feldman is a real-life Spiderman. Just before his debut, he was bit by a spider, which must have been radioactive because the 20 year old from Cape Town has looked superhuman on his way to a 4-0 record with 2 KOs. He doesn't shoot webs from his hands, though, just straight lefts and right hooks.

The southpaw last fought on September 20 and earned a dominating first round knockout victory. "I was pretty pissed off because the guy never made weight," Josh told SA Boxing Talk. "I was coming to hurt him in that fight."

Feldman usually spends the first part of his camp in Cape Town at the Blood, Sweat, and Tears Gym before coming up to finish at the Hot Box Gym with Colin Nathan  in Johannesburg. This time, however, he came back to Johannesburg two and a half weeks after his last fight, a good bit earlier than usual. Josh also spars twice a week at Apex Gym because there are some guys in his weight class there.

Nakedi (1-3-1) is from Johannesburg and fought from 2016-2018. A southpaw, he throws punches from awkward angles. He has some skills; he slips punches and uses feints, but he's no Green Goblin. In his second fight against Steven Dewu, Nakedi threw quite a few lead left uppercuts starting from his socks, which is typically a recipe for disaster. That fight was nearly seven years ago, but if he does that against Josh, look for counter right hooks to find a home on Nakedi's face.

Nakedi last fought six and half years ago, so he brings a level of unpredictability to this fight. He was a junior welterweight back then, but it would be natural to grow a bit heavier in a half-dozen years.

This bout is scheduled for six rounds, a distance Nakedi completed in his last fight, a decision loss to Bheki Mahlangu. This will be Feldman's first scheduled six-rounder. "I don't expect it to go the distance," he told SA Boxing Talk, "but I'm definitely prepared to go six rounds." Feldman believes he'll be even better when his fights are scheduled for more rounds, which makes sense. In previous fights, he rushed his power punches, aiming for a knockout. With more time, he'll be able to establish his jab and and can take the time to set up his power punches. He's also a vicious body puncher, a skill which will have more effect in longer fights.

Feldman-Nakedi will be streamed on DAZN and Vision View TV.

Update: Feldman is now scheduled to fight Brian Shakoane.

Doron Zinman to Face Hope Cindi in Debut

Featherweight Doron "Buzzsaw" Zinman is scheduled to fight Hope Cindi on November 23 at Box Camp Booysens in Johannesburg, South Africa. Both fighters will be making their pro debuts on the Boxing 5 Promotions card.

A 20 year old from Cape Town, Zinman is ready for the challenge. He told SA Boxing Talk, "It's my time. I'm ready to go. I'm ready to fight every week, every month, whatever it is. Give me the contract, I'm ready to go."

About his opponent, who is from Gauteng and received his professional boxing license this year, Zinman quipped, "I know his name is Hope Cindi, I just don't think there's any hope for him."

For this fight, Zinman has gotten a lot of good sparring with a variety of fighters. He told The Jewish Boxing Blog his main partner has been boxer and MMA fighter Luke Hendrikz, who will fight in the same tournament. The blond buzzsaw has also worked with Phumelele Cafu, who recently won a super flyweight world title in Japan. Other partners with whom Doron has sparred include talented featherweight prospect Ismaeel Kadri, junior featherweight prospect Lukholo Mabece, veteran flyweight Frank Sotomela, and David Champati.

Zinman's friend and fellow Jewish boxer Joshua Feldman will also fight on the same November 23 bill. Their trainer/manager Colin Nathan, who is also Jewish, notes that this will be the first time two Jews will be featured on a professional boxing card in South Africa since 1948. Around that era, there were quite a few very good Jewish boxers in South Africa.

Doron is confident heading into his debut. "Of course I'm going to win," he told SA Boxing Talk. "There's no doubt about that. But I imagine it's going to be very exciting. I'm going to give everything I have, really put on a show."

Zinman-Cindi is scheduled for four rounds and can be viewed on DAZN and Vision View TV.

Update: Masibulele Mjoli is now Zinman's opponent.

Preview of Yonatan Landman vs. Asamoah Wilson

Yonatan Landman is scheduled to face Asamoah Wilson on November 16 at Centre Point Mall in Accra, Ghana. This is the first of two fights Landman has scheduled in the span of eight days.

Landman is 5-0 with 5 KOs during his young pro career, which started in January. He has fought as a flyweight and super flyweight. Yonatan applies smart pressure and is developing into a devastating power puncher. He has a good jab, but sometimes needs his coach to prompt him to throw it. In the ring, Landman does listen to his coach, his father Shai, which has proven to be wise.

On paper, Asamoah Wilson is a tough opponent. The 38 year old Ghanaian turned pro before Landman was born. He has a 6-9 record and has challenged for the Ghanaian, West African, Commonwealth, and WBU world super flyweight titles. He fought in England against Don Broadhurst and popular journeyman Jamie Speight. He even scored a first round TKO in England against a 9-1 fighter.

But Wilson (whose name is reversed on BoxRec) doesn't pass the eye test. He was winless when he challenged for the the first three of those super flyweight titles. Against Broadhurst, he managed to bloody his nose in the first with a wild right in their 2009 clash, but he then took a beating until the fight was stopped in the sixth. His first round TKO in England was caused by an accidental headbutt; the opponent got cut and an unfair stoppage loss.

In 2019, Wilson challenged Tasif Khan for the vacant WBU super flyweight world title despite having a losing record. The WBU is considered even less legitimate than the other alphabet sanctioning bodies. Wilson embarrassed himself against Khan, reacting in an exaggerated manner when hit with left hooks. At the ten second warning clap, he turned his back like a novice thinking it was the bell. In the second round, he lost a point for leading with his head. He soon collapsed to the canvas twice for no particular reason. The second time, he got up and rocked his body to show the referee he was too woozy to continue.

In his next fight three years later, Wilson was a sitting duck for Gabriel Odoi Laryea's right hand. Wilson fell in the second round with an apparent leg injury. He next fought three years later, last August, against a beginner named David Nortey. Nortey was 0-3, but didn't know how to box. Wilson dominated the fight, knocking Nortey down four times. Wilson showed a good jab and a powerful but wide right. Nortey managed to last the full six rounds.

Wilson likely won't come to the fight against Landman to lie down, but Yonatan can convince his elder to give up quickly with some early accurate shots. Landman's next opponent, Albert Commey is the tougher foe, but he can't overlook Asamoah Wilson who is an experienced veteran with a punch.

This contest is scheduled for six rounds.

Doron Zinman to Make Pro Debut

Doron Zinman is scheduled to make his professional debut on November 23 at Box Camp Booysens in Johannesburg, South Africa. Promoted by Boxing 5, the tournament will feature two Jewish boxers: Zinman and Joshua Feldman.

A 20 year old from Cape Town, Zinman started boxing at the age of 12. He began to take the sport seriously when he was about 15 years old. He says he had ten amateur fights, winning eight of them.

Zinman received his professional boxing license earlier this year. In South Africa, prospective pros must spar in front of the commission before receiving their license. He has since moved to Johannesburg to train at Colin Nathan's Hot Box Gym. Nathan has noticed significant improvement in sparring and urged Boxing 5 head Larry Wainstein to put Zinman on the November 23 show.

"He's very dedicated. He wants to learn," Wainstein said of Zinman in an interview with SA Boxing Talk. "He speaks to all the guys to try and understand boxing. He's a very humble, studious kid. He trains hard and puts it all in."

Short for a featherweigh, Zinman told The JBB, because of his short stature his style is "a combination of Mike Tyson and Marco Antonio Barrera." He describes himself as "an explosive and relentless pressure fighter."

Doron also spent some time over the summer training in England. He hopes to get about five fights under his belt next year and eventually have a fight abroad. But first things first, the young prospect will look to have a strong showing in his debut on November 23.