Danielle Cohen Wins Bizarre "Fight" on Saturday

Lightweight Danielle "Pitbull" Cohen won her second pro boxing match on Saturday with a first round TKO victory over Amber Clark at Miccosukee Indian Gaming Resort in Miami, Florida, USA. The unfortunate contest lasted just ten seconds when Clark immediately took a knee as Cohen began to unleash her jab.

Veteran referee Luis Pabon, no stranger to controversy, made the right call when he jumped in to shield Clark. Pabon could see that Clark looked shell-shocked and instantly waved off the bout. Clark was in a daze for several minutes afterward. Cohen was award a TKO victory despite not landing a punch.

The debacle was no fault of Cohen's, a 28 year old from Plantation, Florida; she can only take on the opponent in front of her. It's the fault of the commission and Clark's team, who should have known their fighter was not in the right state to fight. But the win obviously doesn't help Pitbull in the long run.

Cohen is now 2-0 with one KO. Her debut took place on April 1, 2023 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA where she beat Danielle Wynn by unanimous decision. Despite being the shorter fighter, the 5' 3" Cohen landed big overhand rights and left hooks over the top from the outside all fight. She used convincing feints and timing to land those big shots.

Cohen took up martial arts ten years ago and has in-the-ring experience as a kickboxer. She fights for the memory of her father David Cohen Z"L, who passed away five years ago.

Hopefully, Cohen will be back in the ring soon and get to show her skills against a viable opponent.

Josh Feldman and Doron Zinman Back in Action on May 24

Junior middleweight Joshua Feldman and featherweight Doron Zinman are scheduled to be back in the ring on May 24 at Carnival City, outside Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa on a tournament promoted by Boxing 5 Promotions.

This will mark the third time the friends will have fought on the same pro card. Zinman made his pro debut on November 23 with a unanimous decision victory over Masibulele Mjoli while Feldman scored a first round TKO victory over Brian Shakoane on the same card. On February 21, it was Zinman's turn to win by first round TKO when he stopped Nhlakhanipho Phungula. Feldman boxed intelligently in defeating Jonas Senga by unanimous decision.

Zinman (2-0, one KO) will be partaking in only his third pro fight. At this stage, the 20 year old simply needs more ring experience, so a step-up opponent isn't yet necessary. Feldman (6-0, 3 KOs) turned pro a year earlier than his pal. He has fought in two scheduled six-rounders and gone the full six-round distance once. An opponent of a similar caliber as Senga makes sense for the 20 year old from Cape Town.

Opponents have yet to be announced for the two Jewish South African fighters.

Yan Zak to Make Pro Debut May 3

Yan Zak is scheduled to make his professional debut against Darshan Singh at the Round 10 Boxing Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The 25 year old Israeli's debut has been long awaited.

Zak is a decorated amateur. He won gold at the U22 European championships in 2022 and has a wealth of experience fighting at the world championships and other important tournaments. Zak is noted for his rivalry with the respected Loren Alfonso of Azerbaijan.

A resident of Ashdod, Zak can fight in a variety of styles, but is primarily a boxer-puncher. Coached by Artur Zlat of the Tyson Mireli Team, Zak boxes with an in-and out-style in the Russian mold. But he is not one-dimensional. Against a classy boxer like Alfonso, Zak mauled the Cuban-Azeri to negate his quickness. Zak's prospects in the pro game are exciting to contemplate.

His opponent, Darshan Singh, is a 20 year old from Badiala, Punjab, India with a record of 2-4 with 2 KOs. Singh is no pushover. He has a good chin, can slip punches, and has improved since his debut. In that 2023 debut against Manbir Manbir, Singh launched wide haymakers and exhibited poor footwork. In February this year, Singh showed progress in a fight against the much heavier Jaipal Singh. He developed a jab, straightened out his punches a bit, and moved more fluidly.

Singh took hard rights to the face in the fourth round against Manbir. Jaipal, who outweighed Darshan by nearly 60 pounds, dug into his body shots and connected with clean rights to the head. Yet Darshan stood up to the blows in both fights, showing not only a good chin, but a fighter's heart. He took the punishment even while the ring lights flashed and rotated into the fighters' eyes in both contests.

All of Darshan Singh's fights have been in and around the cruiserweight division either in his native state of Punjab or the neighboring state of Haryana, both home to many people of the Sikh religion. Sikh men typically adopt the surname Singh to show equality and reject caste hierarchies, which is why four of his six opponents have shared the same name. Women assume the surname Kaur. Sikhs often keep with them a kirpan, or small curved dagger, as part of their faith. Singh may need to use it in the ring against Zak to have a chance.

Zak will need to be careful against the free-swinging Singh, but his debut is hopefully the beginning of an promising career. Zak will have six rounds, so he should remain patient and try to break down the durable Singh instead of aiming for a one-punch knockout. Singh already has gone eight rounds, so the distance won't be a problem for him while the six-round length will be an adjustment for Zak.

Yan typically fought at around 200 pounds as an amateur, but this fight is scheduled as a heavyweight contest. The last quality Jewish heavyweight pro was Roman Greenberg.

Several Jewish Boxers Honored

Several Jewish boxers have been honored recently. Jill "The Zion Lion" Matthews (1995-1999) was inducted into the International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame earlier this month.

Gary "Kid" Jacobs (1985-1997), whose autobiography is available for purchase, was elected into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. Hopefully, his former manager, Mickey Duff, will be elected next year. The Jewish Boxing Blog will have a review of Jacob's book Fightback shortly.

Harry "Kid" Brown (1915-1932) will be elected into the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame this year. He'll join his younger brother Joe, a boxer and world-renowned sculptor.

Cletus "Hebrew Hammer" Seldin (2011-present) was honored by the Jewish Sports Heritage Association earlier this month. Seldin gave an impassioned speech denouncing antisemitism.

Brooklyn Barwick to Fight May 31

Brooklyn "The Big Deal" Barwick is scheduled to fight on May 31 in San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, Mexico. The 25 year old is looking to move her record to 2-0.

Barwick is returning to the scene of her debut, a first knockout victory over Alejandra Marruffo on March 1. She'll look to stay active this year as she builds up her ring experience and credibility in the sport.

Barwick recently sparred with Nisa Rodriguez, an undefeated super middleweight from Manhattan who is only a bout a foot taller than the 4'11" Laguna Beach native. Of Rodriguez, Brooklyn told The Jewish Boxing Blog, "She's a beast." The bicoastal Barwick also got some work in with coach Shawn Estrada, a former Olympian and undefeated pro, at Knockouts in Los Angeles.

courtesy of Robert Rosas

No opponent has yet been announced for this four round bout.

Larry Boardman's Fabulous Five-Fight String

Larry Boardman was an elite lightweight during the 1950s who beat a slew of champions. Known for his tremendous power in both hands, his ninth round knockout of Frankie Ryff on June 1, 1956 at Madison Square Garden was so ferocious, kids who watched it on television vividly remembered it fifty years later.

Boardman first burst into the consciousness of the boxing public on February 7, 1956 when he survived two knockdowns against the lightweight world champion Wallace "Bud" Smith at Boston Garden in a non-title affair to win by split decision. The "unknown" Boardman went down for the first time in his career in the first and was hurt in the ninth en route to a surprising decision victory.

Larry was just 19 years old at the time. Reports of his birthplace put him in the tiny central Connecticut town of Marlborough, which had about 300 residents on March 21, 1936 when Lawrence Boardman was born. Census records, however, place the Boardmans in Hartford in 1935, Middlesex in 1940, and Haddam in 1950, all relatively close to Marlborough.

Larry's father, Samuel J., emigrated from Russia and married Jennie from Massachusetts. Sam reportedly was a journeyman boxer and later worked as an executive at a mattress manufacture before running a gas station and roadside restaurant. As a boy, Larry was enamored with his father's boxing career. He enjoyed getting into fights at school and begged his father to teach him how to box. At nine, he received his first pair of boxing gloves. But in an attempt to dissuade Larry from taking up boxing, Sam was very tough on him. The rigorous sessions had the opposite effect though, and they turned Larry into a fighting machine.

Sam took his son down to Miami, Florida to train at the famed 5th Street Gym. Larry, who had turned pro fourteen months before his win over Smith, began his career with fourteen straight victories. His record stood at 28-2 heading into the Smith clash, in which he was a late replacement for Tony DeMarco. Boardman's shocking defeat of the reigning lightweight champion turned the tide of Smith's career for the worse. The loss started a string of eleven consecutive defeats to end Smith's career.

Two months later, Boardman faced the current featherweight and junior lightweight world champion, Sandy Saddler, an all-time great. Promoter Sam Silverman chose Boston Garden as the venue, the second time in a row Boardman would fight there.

Saddler was not only a power puncher but was known to bend the rules. "I hope it's a good clean fight fought on its merits," Boardman said before the fight, "but if Sandy plays rough with me, he'll get more than he bargained for."

Boardman started the fight by attacking Saddler and landing his spiteful right. The champion was hurt in the first round when an uppercut induced a bloody nose, and again in the third. Saddler was up to his old tricks, hitting on the break while on the verge of being stopped for only the second time in his illustrious career. He managed to finish the ten round fight, but Boardman won the non-title affair by unanimous decision. Willie Pep, who was one of the best fighters to ever live despite having been stopped by Saddler thrice in their four-fight rivalry, said that Boardman gave "Saddler one of the worst beatings of his career."

Saddler never fought again. He injured his eye in an automobile accident that summer and doctors deemed his condition too tenuous to continue fighting.

Larry vaulted into the top ten of The Ring's lightweight ratings on the strength of his two impressive victories over current champions. Television clamored for the up-and-coming 20 year old and his next fight came against Frankie Ryff, the 1954 rookie of the year. Ryff had grown into a top contender and had a style made for television. Despite Boardman's recent success, Ryff was the favorite heading into their June 1 matchup at Madison Square Garden.

With 46 seconds left in the ninth round, Ryff was counted out, a victim of Boardman's concussive right which had followed a left hook. Ryff's trainer Cus D'Amato had a heck of time trying to wake up his fighter. The striking fashion of the victory cemented Boardman's stardom. It was the first time Ryff, who later was badly injured in fall down an elevator shaft, was knocked out.

"I guess we showed 'em tonight," bellowed Sam Boardman. "They said that Frankie Ryff was too much fighter for Larry, but we showed 'em, didn't we son?"

Sam had done a masterful job bringing his boy through the ranks. When Larry declared he was determined to become a fighter, Sam smacked him with an overhand right. "He slugged me alright," Larry remembered years later. "The hardest punch I ever took.... he wanted to see if I had the stuff to make a fighter."

"I never went looking for set-ups," Sam said of his managerial strategy. "He had tough opposition from from his first fight on and learned something that stuck with him in every fight. Mind you, I was always sure he wasn't overmatched, but I never wanted him in an easy fight."

After three impressive victories, Sam suddenly had trouble getting Larry a fight. He had to turn to the International Boxing Commission (IBC), run by notorious mobsters Blinky Palermo and Frankie Carbo. "I thought Frank could get the big matches for us," Sam said.  And then, as if by magic, Boardman was suddenly scheduled to face former welterweight champ Jimmy Carter on September 11 at Boston Garden.

Carter outboxed Boardman early in the fight, but in the eighth round Boardman floored the former champ three times, which was once more than Carter had hit the canvas in all of his previous 104 fights combined. The fight was stopped in that round, and Boardman was hailed as "the new Benny Leonard." Carter would post a losing record of 6-8 the rest of his career.

Boardman vs. Saddler (left), Ryff (center), and Carter (right)

Boardman was called the uncrowned lightweight champion. Two months after the win over Carter, Larry faced another former champion, Paddy DeMarco.  True to his reputation, DeMarco "used every roughhouse trick in the book. He mauled, pushed, grabbed, tackled, hit on the break, and charged in his famous billy goat style." He lost the fourth round on fouls. In the fifth, Boardman scored a knockdown with a flush shot to the chin. He won by wide unanimous decision. In his last eleven fights following the Boardman loss, DeMarco would win only two.

Boardman suffered cuts over both eyes and a damaged left hand in the DeMarco brawl. His team said he'd be out for eight weeks. He deserved a rest to heal after an incredible five-fight string. Instead, the IBC ordered him to fight Orlando Zulueta a slick Cuban fighting out of New York, only one month after the DeMarco fight. Zulueta made Boardman miss early and often. "He hits hard with both hands," Zulueta said after the fight. "I knew he would hit in 1-2 combinations, so I stepped back to watch him throw two and then hit him." Boardman lost by majority decision. Blinky Palermo was indignant, believing Zulueta ran all fight. "Zulueta did absolutely nothing. The referee warned him to fight all night."

After a win, Boardman was slated to fight another former world champion, the ex-welter king Tony DeMarco. DeMarco battered Boardman, knocking him down twice in the fifth. The sequence that led to the first knockdown began with a right uppercut. At the end of the round, Boardman was hanging halfway out of the ropes for another knockdown, but the bell saved him. He went into survival mode and showed grit to last the ten rounds.

Boardman had success during the rest of his career, which lasted until 1960 with two comeback fights in 1963, but never again did he reach the heights he climbed in 1956. In May of '57, an opponent of Boardman's refused to fight when only 200 people showed up to the venue.

Two years later, the California State Athletic Commission suspended both Boardmans when Larry pulled out of a fight promoted by Don Chargin. Sam claimed Larry had a nose injury and a bad right hand, but the commission would have none of it. The Boardmans packed up and fought in Florida and Boston instead.

Larry Boardman finished his career with a record of 45-10-1 with 23 KOs. After his career, he worked for Sears in Jacksonville, Florida for 25 years before retiring. In 2008, he was inducted into the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame.

Sources
"Any Larry Boardman recollections?" BoxingForum24.com. Sep. 24, 2011.

Bernstein, Ralph. "Boardman Win Over DeMarco May Be Costly." The Evening News. Nov. 13, 1956. Pg. 25.

"Boardman Decisioned by DeMarco." Independent. Mar. 31, 1957. Pg. 31.

"Boardman Knocks Out Ryff 46 Seconds of Ninth Round in Garden Contest." New York Times. Jun. 2, 1956. Pg. 15.

"Boardman Outpoints Saddler in Boston." New York Times. Apr. 15, 1956. Pg. 209.

"Boardman Stops Carter in Eighth." Los Angeles Times. Sep. 12, 1956.Pg. A1.

"Boxing Cuban 'Dodges' Way to Split Win." The Wichita Beacon. Dec. 18, 1956. Pg. 17.

"Boxing Pilot is Suspended." The Sun. Jun. 11, 1959. Pg. S24.
"Class of 2008." Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame. 

Cuoco, Dan. "A Look Back at the Career of Lightweight Contender Larry Boardman." IBRO. Sep. 24, 2008.

"Fighter Won't Fight; Not Big Enough Crowd." Chicago Daily Tribune. May 29, 1957. Pg. B3.
"Larry Boardman." OOTP Forum. Jan. 9, 2005.

Pep, Wille and Robert Scachi. Friday's Heroes. 2008.

Weston, Stanley. "The Strange Case of Larry Boardman". Boxing and Wrestling. Feb. 1957.

All Eyes on Brooklyn Barwick

Coming off a first round stoppage victory in her professional debut, Brooklyn "The Big Deal" Barwick hopes to reenter the ring in May. Her plan is to compete somewhere between bantamweight and featherweight this year, but the Laguna Beach native is willing to take on all comers from flyweight up to lightweight. She just wants to fight.

The 25 year old came to boxing later than most. A former gymnast and wrestler, the 4'11" fun-sized fighter broke into the sport through the world of influencer boxing two years ago. Though Barwick became disgusted by the antics she was required to perform in order to hype those events, she found she enjoyed this brutal sport. "I actually started to love boxing and decided to take it seriously," she told The Jewish Boxing Blog.

Barwick not only trains out of New York but also worked out at Top Rank Gym in Las Vegas. She employs a coterie of coaches. The hard work has already begun to pay off. Compared to her influencer days, she showed noticeable improvement in her debut against Alejandro Marrufo in San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico on March 1. Barwick hounded her opponent with relentless pressure, eating a few shots on her way to an exciting, albeit brief, first round TKO win after just 54 seconds of action.

The Big Deal has big dreams. The only active female Jewish pro boxer in the United States, she's aiming for a world title and has already called out Francesca Hennessy, an undefeated British junior featherweight.

Barwick knows she's not yet ready for the big fights. "Now it's all about proving myself and working my way up," she said. But she's uniquely situated to succeed in boxing. The combination of her fan-friendly style and her expansive social media reach will serve her well in this business. Despite Turki Al-Sheikh and Dana White's proposed league, there's no current centralized marketing push in boxing. It's every boxer for themselves. In this climate, Barwick's ability to draw eyes will surely be an asset as her career progresses.

Review of Boxing's Greatest Controversies

Boxing's Greatest Controversies: Blunders, Blood Feuds, and Mob Corruption

By Louis Joshua Eisen

Dundurn Press, 2025

In Boxing's Greatest Controversies, Lou Eisen delves deep into eleven significant fights, ranging from a bareknuckle brawl to Mike Tyson's gnawing on Evander Holyfield's ear. Heavyweights dominate the book as Eisen examines the seminal moments from the careers of Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey, and Muhammad Ali. Legendary lightweights Joe Gans and Roberto Durán are also featured.

Each chapter provides background on both fighters involved and the wider context of the sport at the time. That's followed by a diagnosis of the controversy and its ultimate significance. To avoid spoilers, analysis of Eisen's forcefully delivered conclusions to each controversy, which often buck conventional beliefs, will be omitted from this review.

In providing those conclusions, Eisen carefully and gradually lays out his case for each one. Since a few of the fights he covers took place around a hundred years ago, there's some necessary speculation surrounding Eisen's findings. The writing is at times rhythmic due to the author's frequent deployment of hypophora. A touch of moralizing seeps into the accounts of fistic battles with managers often the culprits of any mischief.

Nine of the eleven fights covered are truly integral to telling the story of boxing. The less important Carnera-Schaaf bout is the weakest chapter because of some inconsistencies. Boxing has produced so many fights that could have been included, it's unfair to suggest any replacement, but it would have been enlightening to read Eisen's treatment of the Jack Britton-Benny Leonard fiasco.

Boxing's Greatest Controversies is a great introduction to the history of the sport through several key fights. This book is an illuminating gateway for those who want to learn about boxing history, but don't know where to start. For those more versed in boxing history, Eisen's conclusions provide fodder for argument about these memorable events by challenging established narratives.

Lev Jackson Wins by KO

Lightweight Lev Jackson won tonight by second round knockout over Jonathan Hernandez Pelayo in Jamay, Jalisco, Mexico.

The 32 year old Vancouverite came into this fight without any knowledge of his opponent for the first time in his pro career. "I was patient and boxed, no brawling," Jackson told The Jewish Boxing Blog. "I waited him out because he wanted a street fight."

Hernandez, a 26 year old from Zapopan, fought as a southpaw and hoped to lure Jackson into exchanges. Jackson, though, kept his distance and landed accurate shots from the outside.

In the second round, Jackson scored a knockdown with a well-timed left to the body. He then connected with a two punch combination to the midsection and a left to the temple to score the knockout. Referee Alejandro Zaragoza counted to ten and waved off the fight two minutes and 24 seconds into the round.

BoxRec currently has listed the wrong date for the event and the wrong round of the knockout. The site also says Jackson won by TKO even though Zaragoza reached the count of ten, constituting a KO. If the winless Hernandez was actually the opponent, he had on trunks worn by Christian Acevas Rivera on March 15, but Hernandez had turned the trunks around so that the back was in front.

Jackson was so focused on the fight, he didn't pay attention to the name of the opponent. He thought he heard his foe was named Ivan, but was too locked in. Ivan Amescua, a southpaw, fought on the same March 15 card as Aceves when he wore those trunks.

In any event, the experience taught Jackson to be prepared for anything. He appreciated the opportunity to fight outside his native Canada for the first time. Lev's record improves to 4-1-1 with 2 KOs. Hernandez is now 0-10 and has been stopped eight times.

courtesy of Jackson's IG page

Lev Jackson Weighs In

Lev Jackson and Jonathan Hernndez Pelayo weighed in ahead of his fight tomorrow at Jamay Center, in Jamay, Jalisco, Mexico. Teofista Boxing is promoting the show.

The 32 year old from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada will be facing a substitute opponent in a lightweight bout. The all-action fighter flew down to Mexico today for his first fight outside of Canada. Jackson, who is 3-1-1, was last in the ring on July 20, 2023.

Pelayo (0-9) is a 26 year old from Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico. Nicknamed "Palas." his weight was 136.3 pounds, the heaviest of his career. His lightest was 121.5 pounds in 2021. His previous high was 135.8, which has been twice before fights.

Jill Matthews to be Inducted into the International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame

Jill Matthews will be inducted into the International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame this weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada. This is a deserved honor for a woman who was both a pioneer and a quality boxer.

A former gymnast, Matthews was nicknamed "The Zion Lion." In 1995, she became the first woman ever to win a New York Golden Gloves title when she stopped Dee Hamaguchi in the first round of the 101-pound final at Madison Square Garden.

Matthews turned pro later that year and lost her first fight. In 1998, she won the IFBA light flyweight world title. Later that year, she avenged that debut loss to win the IWBF light flyweight world title. She finished her career in 1999 with a hard-fought record of 9-4-1 with 7 KOs and two world titles belts.

A college graduate, Matthews was a musician before and after her boxing career. Around 2013, Matthews was diagnosed with brain cancer. She fought bravely and beat the disease. Mazel tov to Jill Matthews for her induction into the IWBHOF.