*California is rich in the history of boxing on the professional level
in places like Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco. Some of
that history is remembered on an annual basis with the induction
ceremony of the California Boxing Hall of Fame. On the amateur
level, many of the amateurs have gone on to be boxing stars on
the pro level, and they have sometimes participated in Golden Gloves
or Diamond Belt tournaments in British Columbia.
WORLD TITLE FIGHTS in CALIFORNIA
*Over the many decades of professional boxing from
1900 to 2012, California has had it's fair share of
world champions, great challengers and title fights.
Some of the boxers came from other locations such
as Canada's Jimmy McLarnin and Art Hafey, and many
have come from other states such as Oregon or Mexico
and other Latin American locations.
Early Title Fights (1900 to 1929)
Based on the records in boxing record books, boxing
history books and even boxing magazines the history
has been recorded in a variety of ways and methods.
*One of the first world champions to engage in title fights
in California was featherweight champion Terry McGovern
who defeated Oscar Gardner and Aurelio Herrera in two
title defenses in 1901, but in 1901 heavyweight champion
James J. Jeffries stopped Gus Ruhlin in San Francisco.
The title fights would continue in 1901 with other champs
engaged in those San Francisco bouts such as
Bob Fizsimmons, Joe Walcott, Joe Gans, Frankie Neil,
Jack O'Brien and Jimmy Britt,
In 1906, Canada's Tommy Burns defeated Marvin Hart
in Los Angeles to begin the early days of title fights in LA.
but also Mike Twin Sullivan and Honey Mellody would
follow Burns with a welterweight title fight in 1907.
Then came the one and only Stanley Ketchel, one of the top
middleweights of all time that engaged in many bouts
scattered throughout the cities and towns of Sunny California.
Then in 1910, Ketchel was shot, and the middleweight title
would have a number of champions.
The Roaring Twenties
For the early years of the twenties many of the title fights would be
held in New York, but in 1926 Jr. Lightweight champion
Todd Morgan brief new life into title fights in California when
he would defend the title against Johnny Dundee, and in 1927
Morgan drew with Santiago Zorilla in San Fransisco.
The Thirties:
*One of the great champions to be the first to fight a title fight
in California in the thirties was Tony Canzoneri, and he was
followed by others such as Freddy Miller. And, then there
was JIMMY MCLARNIN from Canada but based in California.
His one round knockout of Young Corbett III was sensational.
Other great champions would follow by fightin in Sunny California
such as Barney Ross and Henry Armstrong.
The Forties:
WW II threw a monkey wrench into the boxing machinery, but
during the start of the forties there was the likes of Cerferino Garcia,
Petey Scalzo and Sammy Angott, but the best and most active
champion in California was MANUEL ORTIZ.
Following WW II, one bout of interest, for the folks in San Fransisco
and the many guests, was the 1949 heavyweight title fight that saw
Ezzard Charles stop California's own Pat Valentino at the Cow Palace.
BEYOND 1949
From the Fifties through the eighties, there were many excellent fights,
but 1963 and 1980 also brought pain and sorrow in the 1963 title
fight when featherweight champion DAVEY (the Springfield Rifle)
MOORE lost his his title and his life to Sugar Ramos. And, in 1980
it was JOHNNY OWEN's time to pay the ultimate price for a total
shot against LUPE PINTOR.
But aside from the tragic moments, many great champions would
perform in California such as ROCKY MARCIANO, ARCHIE
MOORE and SUGAR RAY ROBINSON. And, who could
forget the Hogan Kid Bassey victory over Ricardo Moreno.
There would be many others and two of the busy ones
would be Carlos Palomino and Danny (Little Red) Lopez.
THE NINETIES"
And in the early years of the Nineties some of the boxers
in competition were:
*Paul Banke, Daniel Zaragoza, Raul Perez,
Tony Lopez, Brian Mitchell and Greg Richardson.
2006 California Top Rated:
Lamon Brewster, Jose Navarro, and Julio Diaz.
CALIFORNIA BOXING HALL of FAME:
Details for the future inductees will be
available in the fear future.
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