Yan Zak to Fight Arshdeep Singh Batth

Cruiserweight Yan Zak is scheduled to fight Arshdeep Singh Bhatt this Saturday at  the New Olympic Sport Palace in Tbilisi, Georgia. This will be Zak's forth pro fight in Tbilisi.

Zak is 6-0 and has been dominating the competition thus far in his pro career, which began a year ago. The 26 year old from Ashdod, Israel has consistently fought more experienced foes, three of them with winning records. Nicknamed the "terminator," he typically boxes, utilizing eye-catching counters and creative combinations.

Singh is a 27 year old from the village of Chakar in southern Punjab, India. His older sister, Olympian Simranjeet Kaur, inspired Arshdeep to take up boxing when he was 11 years old. With a record of 11-2 with 9 KOs, Singh is another experienced opponent with a winning record. He traveled to New Zealand early in his career and upset an undefeated local fighter there back in 2024. That same year, he traveled to Slovakia where he lost to journeyman Pavol Garaj.

Singh keeps a high guard and is a good, tough fighter, but he's likely not on Zak's level in terms of speed and skill. Boxing has brought Singh all over India. He's fought in Chandigarh - a capital city shared by the states of Punjab and Haryana. Bangalore, Mumbai, Goa, and New Delhi have been other locales for his fights.

Zak and Singh share a common opponent. Zak blasted out Darshan Singh in one round while Arshdeep went the eight-round distance in their first fight and scored a second round KO in the rematch. This bout is scheduled for eight rounds.

Brooklyn Barwick Getting Ready for May 16

Brooklyn Barwick is currently getting ready for her U.S. debut on May 16 at the Moore Building, located at the South Carolina Fairgrounds in Columbia, South Carolina. She has started her cut to make the featherweight limit.

Barwick will have a familiar face in her corner in Jimmy Sosa, a highly respected coach who has guided Brooklyn throughout her pro career. Jimmy's well-regarded brother Aureliano will be a new addition to the corner. This will mark Barwick's first pro fight since a dubious loss to Grecia Novas for the NBA featherweight strap in February. Barwick was disappointed not to get the decision against Novas, not only because she believed she won the fight, but also because she considers holding the NBA belt a great honor. This current version of the National Boxing Association dates back more than forty years.

The 26 year old based in New York is taking a step back from Team Boxing League because of her pro boxing commitments. After a rough fight against Novas, a veteran not above using dirty tactics, and her last tough TBL outing,  Barwick should target a softer touch. She's now past the point of fighting debutants, but an opponent with some experience would be beneficial.

Barwick will be traveling to Charlotte to link up with the local Chabad to pick up kosher meals for her drive to Columbia. Brooklyn's mom will join her on the trip. It will be the first time her mom will watch one of her pro fights live.

With a record of 6-1 (6 KOs) and three TBL fights, Brooklyn has been remarkably active since beginning her career less than 14 months ago. She's looking to stay busy to increase her experience, but she's planning on taking a break in July to go on Birthright, another step in her journey towards converting to Orthodox Judaism.

In Memory of Steve Silver

Steve Silver went 5-1-1 as a pro in 1969 after an impressive amateur career in Minnesota.

Steven James Silver was born on March 24, 1944 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His father, Alexander, was born in Russia and worked as a salesman photographer. He traveled door-to-door offering to take pictures of families and selling them portrait packages. This was a precursor to when people would go to Sears to get their family portraits taken in the latter part of last century. Steve's mother, Molly, was born in Minnesota, and had four children.

The Silvers lived in the North Side area of Minneapolis, historically a hub of Jewish life in the city. It was the largest Jewish area between Chicago and Denver. In the mid-1940s, Minneapolis was described as "the capital of antisemitism in the United States." Mayor Hubert Humphrey worked tirelessly to combat that reputation and help transform the city into a Civil Rights leader for Jews and Blacks.

Steve began competing as an amateur in 1960, representing Unity House. That year, the 15-year old lightweight made it to the finals of the Minneapolis Golden Gloves in the novice division, known as Class C. Silver was stopped in the second round of the finals against Doug MacArthur. He moved down to featherweight later that February.

Silver moved back up to lightweight for 1961 and fought in several local tournaments. By 1962, he had moved up to Class A and fought Gary Nadeau in the featured bout of one Golden Gloves preliminary show. He won the city Golden Gloves that year, decisioning Dave Christian. He was recognized as "an outstanding boxer" and "highly regarded."

Molly sometimes watched her son's fights. She stood in the back, pacing nervously. Luckily for Molly, Steve was a skillful boxer who preferred to counterpunch rather than brawl.

While attending the University of Minnesota, Steve moved to welterweight in 1964 and made the finals of the city Golden Gloves, falling to southpaw Ron Lyke. Lyke would go on to win the Upper Midwest Golden Gloves championship.

Two years later, Silver won the city Golden Gloves welterweight title by defeating Rafael Rodriguez in the finals. He made it to the semifinals of the Upper Midwest Golden Gloves. Rodriguez, who got in as an alternate, won the title. Nevertheless, Steve was elected the tournament's "Best Sportsman." In a rematch between Silver and Rodriguez a week later designed to help Rodriguez prepare for the National Golden Gloves, Silver won by split decision. Steve was named as Minneapolis's best Jewish athlete in 1966, earning him the Hy Truman Memorial Award.

In 1967, Silver moved over to the East Side Gym. He faced Rodriguez again in the city Golden Gloves final, this time at junior welterweight. Silver landed left hooks to the body, but the judges preferred Rodriguez's "showy head shots." Nicknamed "The Rifle," Rodriguez won the Upper Midwest Golden Gloves again that year, repeated in 1968, and won the welterweight tournament in 1970. He went on to have a long pro career, facing several champions: Billy Backus, Hedgemon Lewis, Bruce Curry, a win over Denny Moyer, and went the distance against "Sugar" Ray Leonard in Baltimore.

The next year, Silver fell in the city finals again, this time to Gary Kemling. He moved up to middleweight before the end of the year but decided to turn pro. He won his debut on February 26, 1969, a three-round stoppage victory against Bobby Crawford.

Two weeks later, Steve faced Frank Jimenez. Despite a 1-1-1 record, Jimenez had achieved a similar level of amateur success, was the naturally bigger man, and outweighed Silver by five pounds. Jimenez won by decision. Two weeks after that, Steve beat 3-0 Simon Maestros by split decision.

Silver then got a new team, including manager Gene Fesenmaier and trainer Floyd Joyner. Joyner was a recently retired heavyweight who had fought professionally for 14 years. He fought Bobby Hill in June. Silver and Hill had both worked as sparring partners for veteran Duane Horsman. Silver won the battle of the sparring partners by decision. Minnesota Twins pitcher Dean Chance was reportedly in Silver's corner for the fight.

Tom Anderson, a local promoter getting back in the game after several years away, said, "Good Jewish boxers have always done well in Minneapolis, and Steve Silver can be brought along." Things were looking up.

Two days later, Silver out-pointed late substitute Tom Heisler. After a draw in July, Silver got the opportunity to spar with Emile Griffith. 

On October 6, Silver won a snooze-fest against fellow counterpuncher Chuck Lewis on a show promoted by Anderson. That turned out to be Silver's last pro fight. He finished with a record of 5-1-1 with one KO.

After his career, he moved to California. Marriages to Arlene and Roxine ended in divorce. When he died on October 25, 2025 at the age of 81, he was survived by his two daughters Alondra and Dawn, three grandchildren, and one great grandchild.

Sources

Connor, Jack. "Golden Gloves 'Families' Do Well in Tournament." The Minneapolis Star. Feb. 19, 1966. Pg. 12.

Cullum, Dick. "Boswell Upset by Morgan in Golden Gloves." The Minneapolis Star Tribune. Feb. 12, 1967. Pg. 47.

Cullum, Dick. "Dick Cullum." The Minneapolis Star Tribune. May 6, 1969. Pg. 23.

Hengen, Bill. "Roaming Around." Minneapolis Star. Sep. 16, 1966. Pg. 31.

"Minnesota Edges Rochester for Golden Gloves Team Championship." The Austin Daily Herald. Feb. 22, 1966. Pg. 8.

"Silver, Harmon Finish Workouts." The Minnesota Star Tribune. Jun. 22, 1969. Pg. 54.

"Steven James Silver Obituary." The Minnesota Star Tribune. 

Stone King, Dan. "Chance Makes Pitch - Boxing, not Baseball." The Minneapolis Star Tribune. June 18, 1969. Pg. 57.

Weber, Laura. "From Exclusion to Integration: The Story of Jews in Minnesota." Minnesota Historical Society. Sep. 14, 2015.

Doron Zinman Comes Up Short

Doron Zinman lost by a point on each of the three judges' scorecards against Thabang Mofula today at the Big Top Arena at Carnival City in Brakpan, South Africa. The judges preferred Mofula's sneaky counters rather than Zinman's aggression and harder shots.

Zinman pressed the action throughout the fight. His jab snapped back Mofula's head on several occasions. The 21 year old from Cape Town showed fluid foot movement and slippery upper-body movement but couldn't set up too many huge blows.

Mofula landed some classy combinations as Zinman came in. The man from Northwest province showed skill on the outside but constantly held when Zinman invaded his personal space. Mofula lost a point for the repeated infraction in the third round.

In the fourth round, Thabang connected with a sweet uppercut, but Doron came back with a clubbing right to the head. Mofula landed the eye-catching punches, but Zinman's clearly had more effect.

The two had a contentious face-off at the weigh-in, but they were very respectful towards one another after the fight. Both men showed the true spirit of the sweet science.

All three judges scored the bout 38-37 for Mofula. The Jewish Boxing Blog had it 38-37 for Zinman. Mofula is now 2-3. Zinman took his first loss and is now 3-1 with one KO.

This fight was a learning experience for Doron. It's unfortunate he was hung with a loss, but he wasn't hurt and wasn't outboxed. In a long fight, his pressure surely would've worn down the opponent. Instead, it's a chance to focus his energy on getting inside without getting picked off and once he gets there, to prevent the opponent from holding him. This loss has the potential to be no more than a slight hiccup in Doron's career. It could catapult him to great things if he learns from it.

Doron Zinman and Thabang Mofula Weigh In

Doron Zinman and Thabang Mofula both weighed in ahead of their clash tomorrow at the Big Top Arena at Carnival City in Brakpan, South Africa. The subsequent face-off quickly became contentious.

Zinman came in at 121 pounds, the lightest of his career. The 21 year old from Cape Town is 3-0 with one KO. Mofula was 121.3 pounds. He is 1-3. This ties his heaviest weight while his lightest was 119.5.

During the face-off, Mofula came right into Zinman's face. His kindergarten teacher evidently failed to teach him about the importance of personal space. Zinman kept his forehead pressed against Mofula's, but eventually used one hand to nudge him away. Before he could do so, Mofula attempted a two-hand push that moved him back more than it did Zinman. Mofula began yelling at Zinman, who calmly answered.

Fighters are often hangry during weigh-ins and the anticipation of the fight can lead to heightened emotions. Typically, these sort of altercations have no impact on the fight. Zinman said the disrespect Mofula showed will serve as additional motivation. Mofula's hot-headedness could have served a purpose if he was intending to bait Zinman into fighting on the inside. But Mofula is taller and should box on the outside. Zinman's plan is surely to come forward anyway.

The challenge for Zinman in this fight is to show improved in-fighting. He last fought nearly a year ago and allowed Ronaldo Sibisi to hold too much on the inside.

Carolina Duer and Yuri Foreman Elected to Jewish Sports Hall of Fame

Carolina Duer and Yuri Foreman are two of the twenty inductees going into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026. Duer and Foreman are the last two Jewish world champions.

Both Duer and Foreman were born on August 5; Duer in '78 and Foreman two years later. Duer was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, a descendent of Syrian Jews. Foreman was born in the Soviet Union, in what is now Belarus. He first immigrated to Israel and then on to Brooklyn, New York in the United States.

Foreman turned pro first, debuting in 2002. A pure boxer with fluid movement, Foreman won his first 28 fights. He beat the likes of Anthony Thompson, Jesus Soto Karass, Jamie Moore, Saul Roman, and Andrey Tsurkan. The later victory earned Foreman the NABF 154-pound title. On November 14, 2009, Foreman knocked down Daniel Santos twice to win the WBA junior middleweight championship. Santos had packed on the pounds after the weigh-in and hit like a light heavyweight, but Yuri thoroughly whupped the reigning champion to become the first and only male Israeli world champion.

Duer turned pro in 2007 and learned on the job. After five fights, she sported a losing record. Duer, nicknamed "La Turca," went 17-0-1 over her next 18 fights developing an all-action style. She won the South American junior featherweight title, the vacant WBO junior bantamweight world crown, the WBO bantamweight world title, and the IBF bantamweight interim world title during that span. Carolina has a win over the legend Marcela Eliana Acuña.

Foreman's career-defining fight came against Miguel Cotto at Yankee Stadium on June 5, 2010. After tearing up his knee, Foreman fought on, even after the referee refused to acknowledge Yuri's corner throwing in the towel. Yuri came out flat against Pawel Wolak in his comeback fight. He retired, but returned to notch six straight wins, all-the-while studying to become a rabbi. He was mentally unprepared when he entered the ring against pound-for-pound star Erislandy Lara. Yuri finished up with two fights this decade, going 1-1. His career record stands at 35-4 with 10 KOs.

Since 2017, Duer went just 1-4-1, but three of those losses were by split decision and three were for world titles. She lost by unanimous decision to legend Mariana Juarez in Juarez's hometown. Duer's last fight came in 2023, a disputed decision loss to Gabriella Bouvier. Her record is 20-7-2 with 6 KOs.

Yuri Foreman and Carolina Duer are the undisputed king and queen of Jewish boxing in the 21st century. Malissa Smith rated Duer as one of the five best Jewish women boxers of all-time. Evgheni Boico ranked Foreman as the best Jewish Israeli boxer ever, and Mike Silver had Foreman in the top ten Jewish boxers since 1960.

It is extremely fitting, that these two champions, sharing the same birthday, enter the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame together. Mazel tov to them both.

Odelia Ben Ephraim Drops Decision to Lucie Pauliac

Odelia "Thunder" Ben Ephraim lost by referee's decision to decorated amateur Lucie Pauliac at Salle de spectacle Bellegrave in Pessac, France this past Saturday. Ben Ephraim took the fight on short notice.

Ben Ephraim weighed 123.8 pounds while Pauliac was 122.8. Referee Denis Pollet, who judged Pauliac's first fight scored the bout 58-56 for Pauliac. Pauliac is now 2-0. Ben Ephraim is a hard luck 5-6.

A Golden Mensch: Marty Pomerantz

A true mensch, Marty Pomerantz won the 1935 New York Golden Gloves in the lightweight division before embarking on a professional career as a club fighter.

Meyer Pomerantz was born on June 15, 1915, the second son of David and Lena. David, a dressmaker, was born in New York to immigrants from Prague. Lena immigrated to the U.S. as a child from the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. The family lived on Washington Avenue in the Bronx until the Depression when they moved to the Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn. They didn't have much money even though David owned a toy store and a movie theater in addition to his work as a dressmaker. "My father went to synagogue, not on a steady basis. He wasn't too religious," Pomerantz later remembered. "But most of the Jews went to synagogue in those days. And I did also." Meyer often went by Martin, Marty for short.

A former amateur boxer and instructor, Irving Cohen spotted Pomerantz playing handball at the Bensonhurst Jewish Community House (JCH) in Brooklyn. An excellent player, Pomerantz's skills figured to transfer to boxing, or so mused Cohen. He then watched a young Pomerantz train as a boxer, and after some time, the small shy man finally said, "Marty, you're a good fighter, but not as good as you think." An angered Pomerantz was ready to explode on Cohen, but decided to hear out his would-be mentor. The result would be eventually be a Golden Gloves title.

"I had no thought of being a boxer," said Pomerantz. Instead, he had dreamed of becoming a ballplayer as early as junior high, but his admiration for Cohen convinced him to box. Marty quickly saw the benefits of the sport. "Your body was in shape. Your mind was in shape. You ran, you ate well, you slept well. You had good discipline, you weren't dissipated. You didn't run around. We were part of the morals, the values of our family, and by and large those were good values."

Cohen turned the natural southpaw into an orthodox fighter. Marty's amateur career began in April of 1933, fighting for the Crescent-Hamilton Athletic Club. He applied to fight in the New York Golden Gloves, but a heart murmur discovered during the physical examination prevented him from doing so. It was just as well; his parents didn't want him to box.

"My mother didn't know I was boxing. She would have been very upset about it," Marty said. "And my father wasn't happy about it, but he did know about it." Unbeknownst to Lena, Marty snuck out the window to go train and fight.

His career took a huge leap in 1934. That year, with the heart murmur no longer detected, he won the Kings County featherweight title and made it to the semifinals of the New York Golden Gloves, representing the Politan Athletic Club. "He punches like a trip hammer," crooned the Brooklyn Times Union. He had knocked out half of his sixty opponents in the amateur ranks.

By 1935, Pomerantz moved up to lightweight and over to the First Avenue Boys' Club. With brown eyes and black hair, swarthy Marty stood five feet and five and a half inches. He won the Jewish Olympics representing the JCH that year. During the New York Golden Gloves, he clipped Charles Diaz and beat Sedgwick Harvey in the final to win the lightweight crown.

Pomerantz was slated to join the New York Golden Gloves team to fight the Chicago squad and then travel to Tel Aviv for the Maccabiah Games. But Marty and others asked for expense money and the team was subsequently disbanded as amateurs were not allowed to receive payment.

Despite being a top amateur, Marty worked as a shoecutter for much of his boxing career. He figured he should supplement his salary with purses from prizefights, but his coach, Irving Cohen, initially refused to join him. "You're becoming a pro, and I'm going back to the hosiery business," Cohen told Marty. Marty responded, "I'm with you Irving. If you're not my manager, then forget about it. I quit, too."

The 19-year-old Pomerantz turned pro on April 8, 1935 with Cohen in his corner. Marty earned a second round TKO victory at St. Nick's Arena with ex-Jewish boxer Young Otto serving as referee.

Cohen would later become the mentor of Hall of Fame matchmaker Teddy Brenner and manage Rocky Graziano. Irving, who owned a little hairless dog, had baby blue eyes and rosy cheeks. "Irving Cohen was a dead honest guy," Brenner recalled. He looked out of place in the mobster-infested world of boxing. After dealing with a particularly shady character, Cohen once lamented, "What a rotten game this is."

Just a kid, Brenner's first boxing job was working for Marty. "He used to get into the fights by carrying my bag," Pomerantz said in 1992. "I don't know if he'd remember that or admit to that today."

Pomerantz was busy during the spring of 1935. On April 14, the JCH held "Marty Pomerantz Night." On May 6, the House presented Marty with a silver glove in honor of his achievements.

"The lad can punch as well as take - and is a smart ring general," Lou E. Cohen wrote of Pomerantz. "His clever footwork, and his ability to follow instructions given to him by his handlers constitute the chief reasons for his being rated as a good prospect in ring warfare."

That summer, he trained in the Catskill Mountains, chopping wood in White Lake, New York. He loved to dance and even moonlit as a vaudeville actor while upstate.

Pomerantz won his first eight pro bouts and thirteen of his first fourteen, but his career didn't match the heights his amateur success suggested it would reach. His best wins came against former amateur opponents Johnny Horstmann on June 18, 1935 and Johnny LoBianco on May 5, 1936. LoBianco would later become a longtime referee.

In a rematch against Horstmann a month after their first clash, Pomerantz lost when he entered the fight with a sprained right hand. Marty won the rubber match four months later.

Pomerantz was Irving Cohen's first fighter and the manager had no connections. One night, Marty had a meeting with his dad, Cohen, and Frankie Carbo at the Paradise Night Club. "Carbo wanted to buy my contract," Marty said. But his dad talked him out of it. "Listen, you started with Cohen, you make it, you'll be with Cohen," advised David Pomerantz. "We shook hands and Carbo left. I had no problem with it," Marty recalled. "I think I would have made a lot more money with him, and I would have gotten more fights and maybe I would have gotten a shot at the championship. I don't know."

Marty had a hit-and-don't get hit style. "Benny Leonard once told me, 'He who hits and runs away lives to box another day.'" Taking that advice to heart, Marty notched only five knockouts in 37 pro fights but was only stopped three times.

Pomerantz finished his pro career in 1938 with a  record of 25-10-2. "I wasn't going anywhere as a fighter," he lamented. He got an opportunity to go back into the shoe business and seized the chance. "It was the depression times and the money wasn't even that good [in boxing]. So when there was a chance to go into business, I took it."

But his daughter, Dr. Diane Pomerantz, told The Jewish Boxing Blog of another reason he retired from the ring. "My mother didn't want him to fight."

During World War II, Pomerantz joined the Air Force. He was an intensely likeable man and his commanding officer wouldn't allow him to leave Miami Beach and his cushy position as physical education instructor for the Airmen. He took part in intra-squad boxing matches, quite possibly without the knowledge of his wife, Rita.

His daughter described him as "a very sociable person." In addition to his shoe business, he also owned taxis and drove one from time to time because he enjoyed talking with people. He like being independent. "He was someone people would come to for advice," she said. He was the type of guy who drove strangers all the way out to Long Island at 2am just to make things easier for them.

One time, Marty and Rita were dining at a restaurant on Ocean Parkway when Marty was given a jacket that didn't belong to him. He checked the wallet located in the jacket pocket for ID and saw that it belonged to Marty Pomerantz, but the photo was different. As it turned out, there was another Marty Pomerantz dining at the same restaurant at the same time. Even more coincidental, the other Marty's wife was also named Rita!

Marty, the former boxer that is, was well-read and politically liberal. As the years went on, he increasingly distanced himself from his former profession. When Allen Bodner interviewed Marty for his book When Boxing Was a Jewish Sport, Marty didn't tell anyone in his family about the project.

He moved down to Baltimore, Maryland to live with his daughter for the last six years of his life where he was active in the community. He passed away on August 19, 2000. "His funeral was packed," recalled his daughter. "It wasn't filled with my friends. These were people he had touched during his short time living in Maryland. It was packed with people. I think that really says something about him." It certainly does.

Though Marty preferred not to dwell on his boxing exploits, they are still remembered and honored by  his family. His daughter has kept his old boxing trunks with the Jewish star on them. When her son had his bar mitzvah, he was gifted a golden boxing glove as an ode to his grandfather's remarkable Golden Gloves championship. Over twenty years later, Marty Pomerantz's grandson still cherishes that glove and what it represents.

Sources

Bodner, Allen. When Boxing was a Jewish Sport. 1997.

Brenner, Teddy. Only the Ring was Square. 1981.

Cohen, Haskell. "From Nylon to Socks." The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle. Apr. 19, 1946. Pg. 15.

Cohen, Lou E. "Sport Chats." Brooklyn Eagle. May 29, 1935. Pg. 38.

"Honor Marty Pomerantz." Brooklyn Times Union. May 6, 1935. Pg. 5.

"Marty Pomerantz Mixes Acting with Training for Ring Career." Brooklyn Eagle. Jul 25, 1935. Pg. 19.

"Marty Pomerantz Night a Big Success." Brooklyn Times Union. Apr. 15, 1935. Pg. 13.

"Maulie Injured, Pomerantz Loses." Brooklyn Times Union. Jul 10, 1935. Pg. 12.

"Pomerantz Ranks High as an Amateur." Brooklyn Times Union. Aug. 27, 1934. Pg. 13.

Special thank you to Dr. Diane Pomerantz for sharing her memories of her dad.

All Hail King David

Born David Nahon in Casablanca, Morocco on October 27, 1940, the fighter who would be known as "King David" was one of nine children. "He was a tough little Jew running the streets of Casablanca, where a Jew had better be tough or able to run, and preferably both," wrote Larry Merchant of the Philadelphia Daily News. Nahon grew up in a ghetto to a father who was a poor tailor.

The Casablanca Mellah traditionally housed the Jewish population, which numbered 100,000 throughout the city as late as the 1950s. Situated in the southern portion the old city, the mellah was a hub of merchants and artisans, but overcrowding and crumbling infrastructure made life difficult for David during his first decade.

As an eight year old, young David saw an Arab merchant selling a single boxing glove. He scrounged together a few centimes to buy it and then made a second glove himself. At the age of ten, David was shipped to Israel while his family remained in Morocco. He wouldn't see his parents, five sisters, or three brothers again for many years. He couldn't even contact them until he arrived in the United States because there was no mail service between Morocco and Israel.

In Israel, he grew up on a kibbutz. He eventually became a welder, but David always had a desire to box. He fought in amateur bouts, but two and half years in the air force interrupted his progress.

"Jack [Sheldovski], who is the only boxing promoter in Israel, sent David to the U.S. and his old friend Sammy Schiff, a lightweight of the '20s who is David's co-manager and trainer," wrote Lew Eskin in The Ring. A southpaw from New York, Schiff's career lasted from 1918-1928 when he faced good fighters such as Harry "Kid" Brown, Benny Pascal, and Joe Tiplitz. The other co-manager, George Sheppard, was the mouthpiece of the operation.

Sheppard had fought in Canada in the 1920s before moving to New York. After a particularly rough fight in which he received two black eyes, Sheppard asked his new manager how much the fellow typically made to guide his fighters. It was enough to convince Sheppard to stop fighting and start managing. He guided the career of Baltimore southpaw Jack Portney, and once punched famed Baltimore manager Heine Blaustein four times after Portney fought dirty against Sylvan Bass. Blaustein retaliated by launching a milk bottle at Sheppard's head. The two ornery managers later shook hands. Working as a matchmaker a decade later, Sheppard, the eventual 1958 manager of the year, was socked in the face by a fighter after not putting him on a show in New Haven and had to go to the dentist.

Sheppard came up with the moniker "King David" for Nahon. The two attended Congregation Darchei Noam in New York together. David observed Shabbat every week. "If we have to have a Jewish fighter, it's nice to have a good clean boy like that," said Rabbi Arthur Neulander of Darchei Noam.

With bronze skin and black olive eyes, King David had arrived at Idlewild Airport (now JFK) in October of 1963 to start his campaign for the welterweight title. Facially, he resembled the late middleweight world champion Marcel Cerdan, but The Ring described his skills as that of "a novice." He debuted the next month with a stoppage victory a little more than a minute after the fight began.

He rattled off sixteen consecutive victories in the eighteen months since his arrival from Israel. The opponents were those you'd expect to face a well-managed fighter with limited experience. Robert Lipsyte described King David's win over Alfred St. George on January 6, 1964 as "the grossest mismatch of the evening."

Weigh-ins took place the day of the fight in those days and if that day was a Saturday, King David needed an allowance to weigh-in later in the evening. It meant he didn't have as much time to refuel as his opponents had.

On April 26, 1965 at the Arena in Philadelphia, King David lost to the unheralded Roger Evans, who notched his first pro win by decision. Two weeks later at the same venue, King David avenged his first defeat. That summer he tried to get into Sheppard's home country of Canada, but was denied entry.

King David's last fight was in the main event against Ulysses Jimenez at the Sunnyside Gardens in Queens. The former three-division world champion and World War II hero Barney Ross was in his corner. But Jimenez outboxed King David to win by decision.

Nahon finished his career 19-2 with 4 KOs. In an era of few Jewish fighters, King David provided a brief hope of a return to Jewish boxing prominence.

Sources

Courtney, Gene. "This King Must Work Hard for His Crown." The Philadelphia Inquirer. Mar. 16, 1964. Pg. 25.

Eskin, Lew. "Three Youngsters on the Way." The Ring. Jul. 1964. Pg. 31.

"Fighter Clips Matchmaker Below Nose." The Washington Post. Jan. 27, 1948. Pg. 12.

Gobetz, Gary. "Israel Boxer a 'Smash' in New York." The National Jewish Post and Opinion. Jan. 17, 1964.

Goldstein, Alan. "Boxing Pilot Pulls First." The Baltimore Sun. Apr. 16, 1961. Pg. 14D.

Lipsyte, Robert. "Irish Bob Tells All the Boxing World's Not His Oyster." New York Times. Jan 7, 1964. Pg. 27.

Merchant, Larry. "Jewish Youth Who Came to Fight." Philadelphia Daily News. Mar. 11, 1964. Pg. 59.

Doron Zinman to Face Thabang Mofula

Doron "Buzzsaw" Zinman is scheduled to fight Thabang "Big Engine" Mofula at Big Top Arena in Carnival City, South Africa on April 18. Zinman is 3-0 with 1 KO. The 21 year old from Cape Town will be coming off of a nearly eleven-month layoff when he enters the ring.

Zinman is a shorter fighter, who likes to fight on the inside and trap his man against the ropes. He spent much of last summer training with Brandon Woods stateside in Las Vegas, Nevada. He's now back in South Africa working with Colin Nathan.

Mofula is 1-3 with one KO. From Orkney, Northwest, South Africa, he was an excellent amateur boxer last decade. The 28 year old won his debut eight years, but he has lost his last three. His career stalled after his second loss in 2020. He took a five-year layoff and fought again last year. Mofula, who has never been stopped, will be the most experienced opponent Zinman will have faced.

Zak-Dorodola Canceled

The cruiserweight clash between Yan Zak and Ola Dorodola has been canceled. The fight had been scheduled to take place on April 10 in Dubai, but the current war in the Middle East has grounded many flights out of Israel.

Israel and the United States attacked Iran on February 28, assassinating Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. While the U.S. and Israel continue to strike Iran, Iran and its allies have countered with strikes against Israel and several Arab nations. Several Iranian drone strikes have hit Dubai, where the government of the United Arab Emirates has arrested any citizen filming the destruction.

In an address to the country, U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to say today that the timeline for ending the war is "two-to-three weeks." Yesterday, he explained, "We're finishing the job, and I think within maybe two weeks, maybe a couple of days longer, to do the job."

But President Trump has shifted his timeline during this war. In early March, he said, "We projected four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that." On March 9, he said "I think the war is very complete, pretty much." He added, "We're very far ahead of schedule."

Eleven days later, President Trump reiterated, "I think we won. We've knocked out their Navy, their Air Force. We've knocked out their anti-aircraft. We've knocked out everything." On March 24, he said, "We've won this. This war has been won." And yet it persists.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu explained his timeline yesterday. "It's definitely beyond the halfway point," he said. "But I don't want to put a schedule on it."

As the war continues, Yan Zak and the other Israeli boxers sit on the sideline, which unfortunately has become an all-to-frequent occurrence since the attacks of October 7, 2023. Those attacks and the resulting conflict in Gaza understandably put boxing on the backburner. Last summer's twelve day war against Iran also caused a disruption for the boxers.

The military actions of the Israeli government since the October 7 attacks have been widely unpopular outside of the country. The global criticism of Israeli foreign policy has drifted into the realm of antisemitism at an alarming rate and negatively affected many Jewish boxers regardless of their position on the subject, from getting fights to experiencing verbal attacks online and in person.

When fighters can't get fights due to politics, it typically has to do with managerial and promotional contracts. But the recent history of the Jewish people can accurately be told through the lens of  boxing, and the events of the present are no exception.