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Sunday, February 9, 2025

David Alaverdian to Face Josue Morales

David Alaverdian will step into a professional ring for the first time in 22 months on February 22 at the Westgate Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. He's scheduled to face Josue Morales in a step-up fight.

Alaverdian is a 31 year old with a record of 8-0-1 (6 KOs). His lone draw was due to- quite frankly- a bullshit decision. David dominated another Morales, Angel Geovanny Meza over six rounds in Mexico, but judge Gary Eder Lopez somehow sided with his countryman, Meza Morales, who has more names than punches landed that night. Another judge, Jorge Luis Romero Cota inexplicably called it a draw. Only Carlos Parra scored the fight accurately, 59-55 for the Israeli from Nahariya.

Josue Morales is a 32 year old from Houston, Texas with a record of 31-16-4 (13 KOs). Alaverdian's fans may have preferred a softer touch for his comeback bout, because Morales knows how to box. In his 52 prizefights, he has never been stopped.

Boxing fans might expect this paragraph to be about the tough Mexican-American's iron jaw, but Morales, nicknamed Zurdo, is a classy southpaw. He's defensively oriented and falls into moments of passivity on offense. He keeps a high guard, expertly catching the opponent's punches on his gloves. Morales usually fights on the backfoot and moves around the perimeter a good deal. He's also adept at using subtle foot movement to avoid punches. All combined makes for a fighter who doesn't get hurt in the ring.

Josue is a true road warrior. He started boxing 20 years ago and turned pro in 2013. Since then he's fought in the U.S., Mexico, Colombia, Nicaragua, and Puerto Rico (which is a U.S. territory). He has fought the far better competition as a pro. He lost to Olympian Nico Hernandez and to Jesse Rodriguez when Bam was just a baby long before his face tattoo. Every time Morales has stepped up to a certain level, he's lost by decision. A lot of his wins are against inexperienced opponents, but he has beaten some good fighters as well. And he often fights in the opponent's hometown, which has led to a couple of unfair losses.

Morales has picked up some minor titles along the way. He won a title from the UBO, which has about as much credibility as a country bumpkin claiming to have seen a UFO. He also has collected other tchotchkes including the ABF America West super bantamweight title, the ABF intercontinental super flyweight title, the IBA intercontinental super flyweight title, and the WBC USA silver flyweight title. If that all sounds impressive, keep in mind that in boxing terms, the value of those belts is primarily to keep one's pants from falling down.

Morales started his career with a mediocre record of 11-12-4. Since then, he has gone 20-4, the inverse of a typical boxer's arc. In addition to having more experience than Alaverdian, Morales has also been far more active. David last fought in 2023 while Morales has fought ten times since then, more fights than David has in his entire five-year career. Zurdo is also the naturally bigger man, fighting as high as 127 pounds and campaigning mostly above the bantamweight limit. Alaverdian has his share of advantages though: hand speed, agility, punch and style variety, and power. 

Years ago, Morales described himself as a boxer in the hit-and-don't get-hit style who prefers to counterpunch, but he rarely counters. He's more of a your-turn-my-turn guy, throwing 2-3 punch combinations when it's his turn. Conventional wisdom suggests the best way to fight that type of opponent is not to give him a turn and just keep throwing. Alaverdian isn't a volume puncher, he's more of a boxer-puncher, but he can fight in different styles. Changing levels and utilizing his angles are the best chances to get to Morales. With his high guard, Morales does leave his body open at times.

Cletus Seldin once told me, "Rust is real." For Alaverdian, coming off a long respiratory illness which led to a long layoff, he shouldn't press for the knockout. Morales has done just enough to lose against some of his better opponents, so if David stays within himself, he should pull off the best win of his career. Morales will need to up his work-rate and ditch his safety-first mentality to beat Alaverdian and grab the best win of his career.

Alaverdian-Morales is scheduled for six rounds in the flyweight division.

Saturday, February 8, 2025

Daniel Ivanovski Wins by Stoppage

Cruiserweight Daniel Ivanovski defeated Stephen Kirnon by second round TKO last night at the Pendennis Club in Louisville, Kentucky, USA last night.

Ivanovski, a 23 year old Israeli, is now 3-0 with 3 KOs. Kirnon falls to 2-8-1 with one KO. This was the fifth time he has been stopped, all against undefeated prospects. More details to come about this fight.

Ivanovski is next scheduled to fight at the Durham Armory in Durham, North Carolina, USA next Saturday against Romelle Terrell.

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

The 100th Anniversary of Jackie Fields's Debut

On February 5, 1925 Jackie Fields made his professional boxing debut at the Armory in Pasadena, California. The previous summer, the reigning Olympic champion had become the youngest boxer ever to win a gold medal at the Games, a record that will never be broken. By stepping through the ropes as a pro against Benny Pascal, Fields was breaking the rules.


After Fields beat his friend Joe Salas in the gold medal match at the 1924 Paris Olympics, he traveled first to his native Chicago before arriving in his adopted hometown of Los Angeles two weeks later. Fields heard chatter that Salas had been badmouthing him, accusing Fields of butting Salas in the final. A rematch was set up for September 18 at the Vernon Arena. Both boxers were paid $500 for the fight, far more than amateurs were typically allotted.

After a close three rounds, a spontaneously arranged fourth round was ordered. Fields won and thus held two wins over his now former-friend.

Jackie asked his coach and mentor, George Blake, if he could turn pro. Blake balked. He told Jackie that he felt the boy needed more seasoning before becoming a prizefighter. Plus, Blake would be busy managing the burgeoning career of Fidel LaBarba, the Olympic gold medalist in the flyweight division. LaBarba was a fellow Los Angeles Athletic Club (LAAC) member and two and a half years older than Fields.

“I couldn’t get mad about his concentrating on LaBarba," Fields said later. "He was a great little fighter."

So Fields continued to fight in amateur bouts and the occasional smoker that fall. He was scheduled to take on Salas in a third fight on December 18, but a major change threw a wrench into those plans.

On December 10, Joe Salas had his pro debut. Afterwards, Jackie again asked Blake if he could turn pro. After all, he had beaten Salas twice and now Salas was a pro. "You’ll have to have more time to bring you along," Blake replied. "I’m too busy, anyway, with Salas and LaBarba."

A distraught Fields later admitted, "It broke my heart, and I went home and cried."

Fields split with the LAAC and fought a couple of more times as an amateur. In December, he played a supporting role in a silent film called Battling Bunyon. But Fields needed to make more money. His father's restaurant had turned sour and so had his old man's health.

Jackie's father Morris was dying of tuberculosis. The family had moved from Chicago to Los Angeles in 1921 because warmer, drier climates were seen as beneficial for sufferers of TB. Jackie's older brother Max had gone back to Chicago, so it was up to Jackie to make money for his rather large family.
In mid-January, just as Jackie's idol Benny Leonard was retiring, the young Olympic champ signed with William "Gig" Rooney, a well-known figure within L.A.'s boxing circles. Rooney said he would move the youngster slowly, have him fight only every two or three months. Other managers felt Rooney was babying Jackie.

Jackie was, after all, just a babe. The minimum age for a boxer to fight in the state of California was 18. Jackie was famous for winning the gold medal at the sprightly age of 16 and would only turn 17 on February 9, four days after his pro debut. That debut was scheduled for six rounds, an amount that was an impossibility in California just weeks earlier.

On January 1, 1925 California enacted a law that essentially legalized boxing in the state. The law ended the the so-called four-round era and allowed decisions in fights up to ten rounds. The new law coincided nicely with the start of Jackie's professional boxing career.

Fields's opponent, Benny Pascal, was an 18 year old hard-hitter from Philadelphia. The tough two-and-half year pro was entering his 50th fight in the paid ranks. Making $150 for the fight, Fields comfortably outboxed Pascal over the first four rounds. The pink-cheeked debutant knocked down his veteran foe in the fifth and finished the final round strong.

Jackie Fields, the youngest ever Olympic gold medalist boxer and a future two-time welterweight world champion, was 1-0.



Note: I'd like to announce that I've been working on a biography of Jackie Fields for the past two and half years, doing a ton of research and a lot of writing in that time. I still have a ways to go and would love to hear from anyone who met or knew Jackie Fields. Please email me at JewishBoxing at yahoo dot come. Thank you in advance!

Sunday, February 2, 2025

2025 Israeli National Amateur Championships

It's time to be bullish about Israeli amateur boxing. The national championships, which took place on a basketball court in Lod this past week, was littered with pugilistic talent.

Nothing exemplifies that point better than Alex Karchevski's early round exit this year. The 33 year old light heavyweight is a multi-division national champion and is 1-0 as a pro. But he fell to Rony Partouche in a highly-skilled battle. Karchevski kept his guard high and tight, looking for openings to unleash power shots. Partoushe used fluid combinations, picking his punches well, on route to a quality upset victory. But the 80 KG division in Israel is such that Partoushe lost in the next round of the tournament.

International stalwarts Yan Zak, Daniel Ilyushonok, and Miroslav Kapuler were also present in the ring. The 27 year old Kapuler is perhaps the most successful Israeli amateur boxer of his generation. Now a middleweight, he won the national title in a grueling fight against Ahmad Jabarin. Kapuler's 3-0 as a pro, but hasn't fought for pay in over three years. Fans of Jewish boxing would love to see the slick intelligent boxer back as a prizefighter.

Yan Zak had the most impressive performances in the tournament. The 25 year old heavyweight, who has had a number of successes on the international stage, stopped each of his three opponents. If he goes pro, he would instantly be a highly rated prospect in the cruiserweight or heavyweight divisions. Fans hope he goes in that direction soon.

Ilyushonok, a light heavyweight born in 2002, is a little younger than Kapuler and Zak and needs just a little more seasoning before jumping into the pro ranks. But he has all the tools to go a long way, particularly length and power.

Cruiserweights David Bazov, a 21 year old southpaw who nearly went pro in 2023, and Arik Prilutsky, who is younger and bigger than Bazov, fought in a competitive final at 86 KGs. Prilutsky scored a knockdown in the first, but was bloodied in that round. Bazov boxed, landing many sneaky right hooks in a rough fight that was fought at a high level. Bazov was awarded the victory, much to Prilutsky's chagrin.

Tomer Benny, a southpaw welterweight, flirted with the pro ranks last year. The 20 year old dominated his first fight, but was badly cut in the semifinal. That should put his pro debut on hold for a while until he heals. Igor Novokov eventually won the gold.

Another Benny, Benny Nizard, fared the same fate in the junior middleweight final. The former French national champion is 1-0 as a pro. He relocated to Israel in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks. The 20 year old southpaw was cut by an accidental butt when his taller opponent leaned into him in the second round. The fight was stopped and the victory was awarded to his opponent, Muhammad Isa. Afterwards, Nizard teased an upcoming announcement about his pro career.

Shlomo Niazov, a 1984 Olympian with a pro record of 4-1, graced the fans and boxers with his presence.

Israeli boxing is in need of funding and hopefully some deep-pocketed benefactors will see the opportunity for the sport to grow in the country. The tournament is neither streamed nor televised. Exposure will only inspire the next generation. National champs don't automatically get to fight in international tournaments because of a lack of funding. They miss out on a chance to improve against better boxers. This needs to be corrected for Israeli boxing's future.

Unfortunately, the Israel Boxing Association is still affiliated with the corrupt International Boxing Association (IBA). The IBA was suspended from running the boxing tournament at the 2020 Olympics and subsequently banned for repeated corruption. A new- hopefully less corrupt- organization called World Boxing hopes to take up the mantle and keep the sport in the Olympics. The Israel Boxing Association should recognize which way the winds are blowing and change course.

Sunday, January 26, 2025

Joshua Feldman to Face Jonas Senga Next Month

Joshua Feldman is scheduled to face Jonas Senga on February 21 at Box Camp Booysens in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. Feldman's fight will be broadcast on DAZN.

The 20 year old Maccabean Spiderman is a native of Cape Town and has a record of 5-0 with 3 KOs. He posted an impressive performance in his last fight this past November. Jonas Senga signifies a slight step up for Feldman.

From Johannesburg, Senga is 2-2 with 2 KOs. He won his first two bouts in 2022 and then dropped two in 2023. He was scheduled to fight last month in the Elimin8 tournament which was cancelled.

Senga started aggressively in his most recent fight against Douniama Gislain. Senga tends to load up on big punches, which do pack power. He doesn't often jab and doesn't have the best balance. In his fight against Eric Jeancy Mayamba, who was once scheduled to be an opponent for Feldman, Senga let himself get hit too often even though he came back to win by TKO in the second round. Jonas has shown a good chin. In his stoppage loss to Gislain, he was never knocked down.

Feldman should be cautious out the gate and wary of Senga's wild counters, but smart boxing early and letting his hands go once he's in control, should be the ticket to victory.

Senga is a devout Christian, who unfortunately shared a video on Facebook last October that suggests Jews and others who doesn't accept Jesus Christ as their Lord, are doomed to spend the afterlife in Hell. Now, I don't claim to know the eternal resting place for Jonas Senga's soul, but in this six round fight, he's likely going down.

Saturday, January 25, 2025

Doron Zinman to Face Nhlakanipho Phungula

Featherweight Doron Zinman is scheduled to face Nhlahanipho Phungula on February 21 at Box Camp Booysens in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. Zinman is coming off a successful debut in November.

Doron is a 20 year old from Cape Town with a 1-0 record. Nicknamed the "Bauzzsaw," he's an aggressive fighter who should give the fans a good show.

Phungula will be making his pro debut. From Guateng, he received his boxing license after passing the sparring test last year.
This bout will be schedule for four rounds and streamed on DAZN.

Friday, January 24, 2025

Gary "Kid " Jacobs Elected to the IJSHOF

Gary "Kid" Jacobs of Scotland has been elected to the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, joining ten other members from various sports in the class of 2025.

Jacobs, who fought from 1985-1997, won the British, Commonwealth, and European welterweight titles. He challenged pound-for-pound great Pernell Whitaker for the world championship in 1995. With a career record of 45-8, he was a top contender for nearly a decade. The southpaw is the latest of a long, but slightly uneven, list of boxing greats in the Hall. Hopefully, his manager Mickey Duff will be enshrined alongside Gary in Netanya, Israel someday soon.

In addition, to this latest achievement, Jacobs was elected to the Scottish Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011. he was also rated as one of the top five Jewish British boxers of all-time. For a full profile of Gary Jacobs, visit here.

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Preview of Cletus Seldin vs. Issouf Kinda

Cletus Seldin is scheduled to face Issouf Kinda on March 16 at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York, USA in an intriguing clash of styles. This will be the second consecutive year Seldin has fought on Tom Loeffler's 360 Promotions' St. Patrick's Day weekend event.

Seldin (28-1, 23 KOs) is a puncher, and the 38 year old's overhand right is his best punch. In his last three fights- against William Silva, Patrick Okine, and Jose Angulo- Seldin has struggled at times. Silva outboxed Cletus for several rounds until the Hebrew Hammer turned the fight and completed a stunning comeback in the seventh round. Some felt Okine was ahead when Seldin starched him in the sixth. The JBB had Seldin ahead at the time of the stoppage, but there was no doubt that Okine landed some bombs. Cletus started fast against Angulo and was on the verge of stopping the tough Ecuadorian, but Angulo boxed effectively down the stretch.

This fight against Kinda (20-6), a 36 year old from Burkina Faso, is shaping up to be another challenging contest for the "Hamma." When he was first starting out, Kinda left his family and traveled to New York in the hopes of achieving his dreams of success in the ring. Initially, he worked six days a week in a restaurant and trained whenever he found the time.

Kinda, like Seldin, was formerly promoted by Star Boxing. Nicknamed the "Volcano," he started his career 16-0 before suffering an unlucky loss to Chris Howard in 2013. Kinda greedily snatched momentum of the fight when Howard's eye swelled shut from an earlier headbutt. The judges gave the truncated fight to Howard, much to the dismay of Kinda, announcer Teddy Atlas, and most observers. Issouf then lost an ugly fight to Jeremy Bryan, one in which the Burkinabé was far too passive.

Kinda is a boxer who moves well, has good hand speed, and throws fluid punches. Boxers have been known to give Seldin trouble, although he has developed a new tactic of just touching his opponents when he's being outboxed. That serves to lull the opponent into a false sense of safety before Seldin inevitably hammers them.

Kinda began boxing at the age of three, a big advantage over Seldin, who came to the sport much later. Issouf will also have a height advantage But Cletus holds a significant power surplus. Kinda only has nine knockouts. In a wild fight against Jimmy Williams in 2017, Kinda landed a flush left hook on the AARP-eligible referee Steve Smoger, who took the punch well.

But Kinda is an unassumingly strong man like his fellow countryman Félix Houphouët-Boigny. Against Javier Loya, Kinda crunched an overhand right onto Loya's chin earning a massive knockdown and leading to a stoppage soon after. Issouf doesn't have the best chin. The Volcano has been extinguished early three times, although they were against top guys: Jose Ramirez, Ismael Barroso, and Arthur Biyarslanov.

Dating back to 2016, Kinda had lost three in a row, not including the loss to Jimmy Williams which was later ruled a no contest, before he won a couple of fights in Ghana last September against lesser competition.

Seldin-Kinda is scheduled for eight rounds and will be streamed on UFC Fight Pass.

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

David Malul to Face Shaquille Rushing Next Month

Welterweight David Malul is scheduled to face Shaquille Rushing on February 13 at the Paramount Theatre in Huntington, New York, USA. The promoter of the event is Star Boxing.

Malul has been moved well early in his career. In his first two fights, the 5'5" puncher faced taller welterweights who were no pushovers. Lucien Hannah knocked down Malul twice in the first round before Malul kept his career's trajectory on course by scoring two knockdowns of his own on route to a first round knockout victory. In his second fight, Malul faced Zachary Davis, who came to fight. Malul loaded up too much in the second round, but set up  his shots better in the third and scored a horrifying knockout with a five-punch combination.

Now David will face Shaquille Rushing, a 29 year old from Lakelands, Florida with a good chin. Rushing is mistakenly listed as a southpaw on BoxRec, but he fights in an orthodox stance. He took a ton of punishment against Joshua Amill in his lone pro fight last April, but stood up to it all. The fight was finally stopped 34 seconds into the fourth round, but Rushing genuinely complained about the stoppage.

Rushing is a competent fighter; he throws a good left hook to the body, but his defense against Amill was porous. He blocked few of Amill's punches, didn't move his head or upperbody, and gradually marched forward without jabbing.

Rushing won't run, although he got in trouble with the law last September for doing just that after getting into an accident. He has a one-inch height advantage, but his style seems made to order for "King" David. If there's one criticism of Malul's opponents it's that they've all been winless, but importantly they've all served the purpose of making the 22 year old New Yorker better. After all, David only had a handful of amateur fights. This one will be a good test for Malul to see what happens when the opponent can stand up to his power.

Malul-Rushing is scheduled for four rounds.

Sunday, January 19, 2025

Date Change for David Alaverdian

Flyweight David Alaverdian is now scheduled to fight on February 22 at the Westgate Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. The entire card was pushed back a week.

Alaverdian (8-0-1, 6 KOs) fought at the same venue in his last fight, nearly two years ago. He beat the game Ernesto Irias by decision in a six round bout. The 31 year old has since overcome a respiratory condition that will have resulted in the longest layoff of his five year pro career.

Other fighters on the card include fellow Israeli Ahmad Shtiwi, fellow Reid Boxing stablemate Britton Norwood, and heavyweight contender Michael Hunter Jr., among others.

Alaverdian's fight is scheduled for six rounds. No opponent has yet been announced.

Saturday, January 11, 2025

Cletus Seldin to Face Issouf Kinda in March

Cletus Seldin is scheduled to face Issouf Kinda on March 16 at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York, USA. Seldin last fought on March 15, 2024 at the same venue.

Seldin is a 38 year old with a record of 28-1 with 23 KOs. Nicknamed the "Hebrew Hammer," he's a devastating puncher with real power. Sitting ringside at he fight against Patrick Okine in 2023, Seldin's punches had a very different sound than everyone else's. His best punch is his overhand right, but his left hook has done a lot of damage in recent fights.

Kinda (20-6, 9 KOs) is a 36 year old native of Burkino Faso. Nicknamed the "Volcano," Kinda has assumed the role of  gatekeeper. All but his last three fights have been in the United States. He has faced very tough competition including Jose Ramirez, Ismael Barroso, and Arthur Biyarslanov. Kinda fought twice last year, both in Ghana against opponents with losing records.

This fight is scheduled for six rounds and will be streamed on UFC Fight Pass. Check back for a full preview.

Wednesday, January 8, 2025

Benny Franklin: A Laborer in the Amusement Industry

A notable boxer from Baltimore, Benny Franklin made his mark as a promoter when boxing was at its zenith as a sport in the United States.
*****

Benjamin Harrison Franklin was born on February 6, 1887 to Jacob and Mary in Baltimore, Maryland.  At 13, Benny was out of school and working year round as an errand boy to help support the family, as his father, a salesman, was out of work for four months that year. Benny was 14 years old when he turned to professional boxing to make a living. The blue-eyed, brown-haired boy married Catherine Pugh when the couple was young, and they had their first child, Benny Jr., when they both were just 17 years old.

On December 15, 1902, Franklin, the 95-pound champion of Maryland, defeated Benny Riley (aka Reilly), who claimed to be the 95-pound champ of Pennsylvania in a ten-rounder in the Baltimore suburbs. The next day, boxing was banned in Baltimore. Mayor Thomas Hayes refused to issue permits in reaction to Joe Gans's pummeling of Charlie Sieger. Gans, a Baltimore native and the lightweight world champion, battered Sieger so thoroughly on route to a 14th round stoppage victory, Hayes decided to ban the sport because of its brutality.

When the new mayor, Robert McLane, brought the sport back in November of 1903, Franklin was one of the first to restart his career. Now 105 pounds, Franklin beat Riley in a rematch by decision in a 15-rounder.

To make up for lost time, Franklin had a busy December that year. On December 14, Benny beat Kid Whistler to the point that Whistler slunk out of the ropes in the third round to avoid any more punishment. The next week, Franklin was scheduled to fight twice on the same day at the Odeon Theater. In the afternoon, he beat George Kramer by decision in a three-rounder, but his fight that night against Jimmy French was called off when officials questioned the Odeon's legal status. Franklin had risen to the point that he was called out in the papers multiple times that month.

Franklin stepped up the competition in the spring of 1904. In March, he faced Kid Murphy, who was described as the paperweight world champion. The pair fought to a 25-round draw. In May, Franklin fought the experienced Jimmy Farren to a 15-round draw. Four days later, he faced Murphy again. Franklin was defensive in the rematch, but Murphy managed to put him down four times in the third round, bloody his nose in the fourth, and score two more knockdowns in the twelfth. Benny hung on to go the 15 round distance at the Eutaw Athletic Club in Baltimore.

In June, Benny was arrested for stealing five goats. He had advanced his brother-in-law Scott Pugh money to run a petting zoo, but Franklin complained Pugh wasn't paying him back, so finally he took the goats. Though the case went to court, the dispute was eventually concluded amicably.

After a few more fights, Franklin took on Farren once again in a grudge match. On September 5, the two fought an exciting scrap that ended when Franklin chucked Farren over the ropes and out of the ring in the thirteenth round. Farren wanted to continue, but referee Joe Barrett disqualified Franklin.

Franklin and Farren met for a third time a couple of fights later. On January 10, 1905, Franklin started strong, but Farren won the middle and later rounds to take the 15-round decision. The crowd disagreed with the verdict, and Baltimore fight fans continued to gripe about the decision for weeks. 

They met for a fourth time on February 21. Franklin suffered from pneumonia earlier in the month. In a scientific battle, Franklin outboxed Farren. But in the ninth round, Benny broke his right hand and with tears in his eyes quit after the round, arguing he could no longer defend himself. After the fight, his wife Catherine publicly wished he'd quit fighting and find a safer job. He didn't.
*****

Benny had a busy 1905 in the ring. After fighting consistently, he went on a tour, taking on all comers in Pennsylvania fairs in September. He had four fights in Carlisle the week of the 25th. He then fought Benny Riley to a draw in November.

Early in 1906, Franklin traveled to New York to fight there. He was active during his two-month stint, fighting the likes of Charley Goldman, the future trainer of undefeated heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano. While Maryland allowed referees to render official decisions, in New York any fight that didn't end conclusively was deemed a  "no-decision." Newspaper writers later wrote who they felt won the fights. Most of Franklin's fights in New York, not all of which are listed on BoxRec, were these newspaper decisions. During this trip, the New York writers either voted against the Baltimorean or slapped draws on him. Franklin had made his mark though. The National Police Gazette declared that Franklin had "earned an enviable reputation in New York."

Franklin fought in New Haven in June, a fifth round DQ victory before returning home to Baltimore. An injured wrist forced Franklin to cancel a fight in July and he remained on the sidelines for a few months. All the while, fighters, particularly Benny Riley, kept calling out Franklin in the papers. Franklin finally got back into the ring on November 29, 1906, Thanksgiving night, against the new paperweight champion Willie Schumacher.

The two were scheduled to meet in a 15-rounder at the Broadway Athletic Club in Baltimore, but Schumacher demanded the fight be shortened to six rounds on account of a small crowd. Many local fight fans didn't come out because word had spread that Franklin hadn't been training hard. The fight ended in an unspectacular draw.
*****

Franklin stayed in Baltimore throughout 1907. He beat novice foes, but lost to the well-regarded Young Britt twice. In May, Franklin was pulverized for two and half rounds by Britt, who knocked Franklin down seven times in the first round and nine more in the second. In December, Benny was ill before the rematch and given stimulants. He rushed out in the first round, trying to end the fight as quickly as possible. He took a beating in the second and appeared on the cusp of defeat in the third and fourth rounds, but amazingly came back to have a good fifth round. Franklin survived the sixth and final round but lost the decision.

On April 13, Young Britt signed to fight Riley and Franklin in separate three-round contests with ten minutes rest in between. The contract called for Britt to knockout both men or forfeit his purse. He beat Riley by decision before fighting evenly against Franklin.

In May, Franklin acted in a play about boxing called "The Wind-Up," which he wrote. Staged at the Gayety Theatre, Benny Riley was among Franklin's supporting actors. Though Franklin would fight for another six years, the 21 year old had already reached his peak as a pugilist.

The rest of Franklin's year wasn't particularly successful and by 1909, he began fighting in New York more regularly. Over the next three years, Franklin fought frequently and took on Jewish legends Harry Stone, Leach Cross, and Young Otto, losing newspaper decisions to each. He also had a pair of fights against Leach's brother Phil.

In the 1910 census, Franklin described himself as a laborer in the amusement industry, which was not only an apt label for most boxers, but a good snapshot of where his career was. His name had frequented the headlines of the sports pages in The Baltimore Sun early in his career, but by this point, the results of his fights were getting one line at the end of an article, and those results usually weren't very good. On September 12 that year, Young Kline beat a "hog fat" Franklin so badly, the police ordered the fight stopped in the fourth round.

Franklin's best result during the rest of his career came in a rematch against Young Otto on May 7, 1912. The New York Times gave nine of the ten rounds to Franklin with only the second even and declared that Otto, who was one of the biggest punches in history, was "in the has-been" ranks as a result of his performance. The Patterson Morning Call, however, deemed the fight a draw though the paper admitted, "Franklin... was fairly aggressive and forced the little fighting that was done."

His best years had been at 105 pounds, but Benny was campaigning thirty pounds heavier during the back half of his career. He fought into the first half of 1913 and had one last fight in 1915. Author Thomas Scharf claimed Franklin fought 187 times and lost only 7 of them. BoxRec lists Franklin's record as 46-41-19 including newspaper decisions with 15 KOs and he was stopped 10 times. A few of his fights aren't listed on BoxRec, so he surely fought in well over a hundred contests.*
*****

In the early morning hours of Saturday, June 6, 1914, criminals blasted their way into the Palace Pool Room and cracked the safe. They had been studying the movements of the owner of the pool room, Benny Franklin, for some time. The thieves made off with a king's ransom, $7.50, all in pennies.

Benny soon decided it was safer to get back into the amusement business. He had served as a second in the corner in fights dating back to 1904, but he decided to try his hand as a promoter. By 1917, Franklin no longer resembled the svelte fighter of the previous decade; he now was described as short and stout. From 1919-1922, Franklin's son Benny Jr., fought under the name Young Benny Franklin. A featherweight, he was a solid local fighter

The elder Franklin started and ran the Olympia Athletic Club around 1920. It was an auspicious time to become a promoter. Maryland had just created a boxing commission to properly regulate the sport. The Maryland boxing commission joined the National Boxing Association (NBA), which was a collection of state commissions determined to turn boxing into a respectable sport. It was a perfect storm to usher in the golden era of professional boxing, and Benny Franklin was poised to take advantage of the situation.

For a time, Franklin oversaw the career of a Jewish flyweight contender from Baltimore named Benny Schwartz, serving as his second, manager, and promoter. Franklin promoted Schwartz's 1923 title challenge against the great champion Pancho Villa in Baltimore.

The next year, Franklin tried to stage a middleweight world championship bout featuring the champ Harry Greb against Fay Keiser. Greb, however, refused to weigh in, so the title was not up for grabs. Greb also objected to the choice of referee, so Franklin stepped in to adjudicate the fight. Franklin announced that Keiser's manager offered him $3,000 to declare Keiser the winner by decision. Ultimately, Franklin waved off the contest in the twelfth in favor of Greb.

In 1923, Franklin read in the newspaper that Young Peter Jackson, a nineteen year pro from Baltimore, had died penniless and would be interned in a nameless grave. Franklin financed a proper burial for his fellow Baltimore pugilist.

By the mid 1920s, Franklin was the king of Baltimore boxing while his features had settled into that of a stereotypical promoter. Thinning hair clung to the sides of his cherubic face and above his expanding waistline. He promoted some of future welterweight champion Joe Dundee's fights and was present when Dundee signed to fight Jackie Fields for the undisputed welterweight championship in Detroit in 1929.

In April of 1929, Franklin got into a heated argument with mobster Ike Sapperstein. When Benny saw Sapperstein reach towards his hip, Franklin pulled out a pistol and shot four times, wounding Sapperstein. Sapperstein then fled the Olympia. Neither was willing to testify and no other witnesses came forward, so the case fizzled.

The next year, Franklin put on a benefit card for two impoverished former boxers: Kid Williams and Bob Garcia. He continued to stage fights in Baltimore through the early 1930s.

In 1936, Franklin became ill. Three months later on June 20, 1936, he died at the age of 49. Benjamin H. Franklin lived a colorful life. As a boxer, he was a contender and as a promoter, he was a local king at an auspicious time in boxing history.


Note
* Ron Schneck found and added quite a few of Franklin's fights to BoxRec since this article first appeared.

Sources
"Asked to 'Fix' Greb Bout." The New York Times. Apr. 1, 1924. Pg. 15.
"Battles are Not So Good." Baltimore Sun. Sep. 13, 1910. Pg. 13.
"Benjamin H. Franklin, Boxing Promoter and Former Fighter, Dies." Baltimore Sun. Jun 21, 1936. Pg. 3.
"Benny Franklin Fought a Draw." The Patterson Morning Call. May 8, 1912. Pg. 9.
"Benny Franklin Gives Up." Baltimore Sun. Feb. 22, 1905. Pg. 9.
"Britt Beats Franklin." Baltimore Sun. May 23, 1907. Pg. 10.
"Britt Defeats Franklin." Baltimore Sun. Dec. 5, 1907. Pg. 10.
"Farren on a Foul." Baltimore Sun. Sep. 6, 1904. Pg. 10.
"Franklin Beats Otto." The New York Times. May 8, 1912. Pg. 12.
"Gossip of Boxers." Baltimore Sun. Sept. 25, 1905. Pg. 8.
"In the Boxing Ring." The National Police Gazette. Jun. 23, 1906. Pg. 7.
"Murphy Wins Fight." Baltimore Sun. May 11, 1904. Pg. 9.
"No Decision Era" IBRO Journal 163. Pg. 52.
"Odeon Boxing Stops" Baltimore Sun. Dec. 22, 1903. Pg. 9.
"Ripples of the Ring." St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Nov. 30, 1906. Pg. 16.
"Safeblowers Get $7.50." Baltimore Sun. Jun. 7, 1914. Pg. 4.
Scharf, Thomas. Baltimore's Boxing Legacy. 2003.
"This is Benny Franklin." Baltimore Sun. May 3, 1908. Pg. 10.
"Trouble Over Five Goats." Baltimore Sun. Jun. 16, 1904. Pg. 7.
"Will Rebury Young Peter Jackson." Afro-American. Sept. 28, 1923. Pg. 14.
"Young Britt's Failure ." Baltimore Sun. Apr. 14, 1908. Pg. 10.

Monday, January 6, 2025

Daniel Ivanovski to Fight Romelle Terrell

Daniel Ivanovski is scheduled to fight twice within eight days in February. He'll take on ten-fight veteran Stephen Kirnon on February 7 in Louisville, Kentucky. Then, on February 15, he'll face Romelle Terrell at the Durham Armory in Durham, North Carolina, USA.

Kirnon will be the tougher opponent for the 2-0 Ivanovski. Terrell, a 34 year old, is from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, so this will be a hometown fight for him. But his record is 0-0-1. His lone fight occurred in 2022. The draw came again Jerome Aiken, who was 0-6 at the time.

Terrell was a hefty 221 pounds for his fight against Aiken. His contest against Ivanovski is slated for cruiserweight, which has a 200-pound limit. Daniel has been a cruiserweight for his two pro fights.

This fight is schedule for four rounds.

Friday, January 3, 2025

Daniel Ivanovski to Face Stephen Kirnon on February 7

Cruiserweight Daniel Ivanovski is scheduled to fight Stephen Kirnon on February 7 at the Pendennis Club in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. Kirnon is a good opponent for Ivanovski at this point in his pro career.

Daniel is a 23 year old from Israel. He's 2-0 with two KOs. He stopped Marcus Smith, who was 2-0 at the time, with fourteen seconds left in the four-round affair on December 7. Against Smith, Ivanonski was patient, set up his shots, and attacked the body. But he was susceptible to Smith's lead overhand rights, a  flaw that must be corrected quickly.

Kirnon is a 35 year old veteran of ten fights. His record is 2-7-1 with one KO. He had been stopped five times. The Bronx-born resident of Florida won his first two fights nine years ago. After a two-year lay-off he settled into his role as the B-side, going 0-7-1 since.

Kirnon is the right opponent for this stage of Ivanovski's career because he has more experience, has faced the tougher competition, and initially will come to fight. He's also the right opponent, because he will quickly settle into an 'opponent' mindset if there isn't a knockout either way immediately. Kirnon's jab was fluid against Joel Mutombo, but his right hand is slower than dial-up internet, which should keep Ivanovski out of danger. The Floridian's weight has been around 185 in recent contests, but was as high as 227 early in his career.

Kirnon's best opponent was Jared Anderson, who he faced in 2019. Kirnon had nothing for "The Real Big Baby." He also was never in the fight against the gigantic Ivan Dychko, but Kirnon was competitive against noted amateur Fernely Feliz Jr. before bowing out in the second round with an injury to his right arm in 2021.

Kirnon has fought three times in the last year and a half. Stephen's defense primarily relies on blocking punches with a high guard, so Breezy Richards, Mutombo, and A'mire Lewis all went down to the body with tremendous success. After quelling Kirnon's initial charge, Ivanovski should follow suit to the body to set up his head shots.

Anderson and Dychko have been the only two men to stop Kirnon in the opening round. Lewis is listed as winning by TKO in the first in their fight last August, but video showed Kirnon lasted until the bell and was not in danger of being stopped in that moment. This will be a good test to see where Ivanovski is compared to Anderson and Dychko.

If Ivanovski gets by Kirnon without much issue, he is on the schedule to fight on February 15 at the Durham Armory in Durham, North Carolina, USA in another cruiserweight bout. No opponent has been named for that one.