Barney Ross

Barney Ross was an American professional boxer. Ross held world championships in three weight divisions from lightweight to welterweight, and was a decorated veteran of World War II. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame as part of its inaugural class in 1990. In 2007, ESPN ranked him the 22nd greatest boxer of all time. In his time, he was known as the Pride of the Ghetto.
Initially known locally as a brawler, Ross joined a local gang as a teenager, running errands with Jack Ruby for mobster Al Capone.
Ross later rose to prominence after turning professional in boxing, becoming only the third fighter in history to capture world titles in three weight divisions, the first in the "Queensberry Rules era" to win championships in two weight classes simultaneously, and is believed by some to be the first simultaneous three-division world champion. He was named The Ring magazine Fighter of the Year in 1934 and 1935, and received the Edward J. Neil Trophy by the BWAA in 1942. In his 81-fight professional career, Ross was never knocked out.
Following his boxing career, Ross joined the United States Marine Corps during World War II. While wounded during a night patrol, Ross single-handedly held off a Japanese attack, killing 22 soldiers and saving a fellow Marine. For his bravery, Ross was awarded a Silver Star, Purple Heart, and a Presidential Unit Citation, among others.

Early life

Dov-Ber Rosofsky was born in New York City to Isidore "Itchik" Rosofsky and Sarah Epstein Rosofsky. His father was a Talmudic scholar who had emigrated to America from his native Brest-Litovsk after barely surviving a pogrom. The family then moved from New York to Chicago. Isidore became a rabbi and owner of a small vegetable shop in Chicago's Maxwell Street neighborhood, a vibrant Jewish ghetto akin to the New York's Lower East Side of the 1920s and '30s. Dov-Ber was being raised to follow in his footsteps.
The young Rasofsky grew up on Chicago's mean streets, ultimately ignoring his father's desire for him to become a rabbi and his admonition that Jews do not resort to violence. Let the goyim be the fighters, Ross later recalled being told by his father. The trombeniks, the murderers—we are the scholars. Ross's ambition in life was to become a Jewish teacher and a Talmudic scholar, but his life was changed forever when his father was shot dead resisting a robbery at his small grocery. Prostrate from grief, his mother Sarah suffered a nervous breakdown and his younger siblings—Ida, Sam and George—were placed in an orphanage or farmed out to other members of the extended family. Dov was left to his own devices at the age of 14.
As recounted in Barney Ross: The Life of a Jewish Fighter, by Ross biographer Douglas Century, in the wake of the tragedy, Dov became vindictive towards everything and turned his back on the orthodox religion of his father. He began running around with local toughs, developing into a street brawler, thief and money runner; he was even employed by Al Capone. Dov's goal was to earn enough money to buy a home so that he could reunite his family. He saw boxing as that vehicle and began training with his friend Ruby.

Boxing career

After winning amateur bouts, Dov would pawn the awards—like watches—and set the money aside for his family. There is speculation that Capone bought up tickets to his early fights, knowing some of that money would be funneled to Dov. Plagued by his father's death and feeling an obligation not to sully his name, Dov Rosofsky took the new name "Barney Ross." The name change was also part of a larger trend by Jews to assimilate in the U.S. by taking American-sounding names. Strong, fast and possessed of a powerful will, Ross was soon an Intercity Golden Gloves and Chicago Golden Gloves champion in 1929 at the age of 19. He was the first Golden Gloves champion to ever win a world championship.
At a time—the late 1920s and '30s—when rising Nazi leader Adolf Hitler was using propaganda to spread his virulently anti-Jewish philosophy, Ross was seen by American Jews as one of their greatest advocates. He represented the concept of Jews finally fighting back. Idolized and respected by all Americans, Ross showed that Jews could thrive in their new country. He made his stand against Hitler and Nazi Germany a public one. He knew that by winning boxing matches, he was displaying a new kind of strength for Jews. He also understood that Americans loved their sports heroes and if Jews wanted to be embraced in the U.S. they would have to assume such places in society. Though Ross had lost faith in religion, he openly embraced his role as a leader of his people.
Ross is unique in boxing as one of its few triple division champions—lightweight, light welterweight and welterweight. He was never knocked out in 81 fights and held his title against some of the best competition in the history of the sport. Ross defeated great Hall-of-Fame champions like Jimmy McLarnin and Tony Canzoneri in epic battles that drew crowds of more than 50,000.
His first paid fight was on September 1, 1929, when he beat Ramon Lugo by a decision in six rounds. After ten wins in a row, he lost for the first time, to Carlos García by decision after ten rounds.
Over the next 35 bouts, his record was 32–1–2, including a win over former world champion Battling Battalino and one over Babe Ruth. Another bout included former world champion Cameron Welter. On March 26, 1933, Ross had his first world title bout when he faced world lightweight and light welterweight champion and fellow three-division world champion Tony Canzoneri in Chicago. In one night, Ross became a two-division world champion when he beat Canzoneri by decision in ten rounds. Ross also campaigned heavily in the city of Chicago prior to the fight. After two more wins, including a knockout in six rounds over Johnny Farr, Ross and Canzoneri boxed again, with Ross winning again by decision, but this time after 15 rounds.
Ross was known for his relentless pace, sharp footwork, and ability to absorb punishment while dishing out precise combinations. He retained his title by decision against Sammy Fuller to finish 1933 and against Peter Nebo to begin 1934. Then he defended against former world champion Frankie Klick, against whom he drew. Then came the first of three bouts versus Jimmy McLarnin. Ross vacated the light welterweight title to go after McLarnin's welterweight title and won by decision, his third world championship. He was the first lightweight champion in history to win the welterweight championship as well. However, in a rematch a few weeks later, McLarnin beat Ross by a decision and recovered the title. After that, Ross went back down to light welterweight and reclaimed his title with a 12-round decision over Bobby Pacho. After beating Klick and Henry Woods by decision to retain that title, he went back up in weight for his third and last fight with McLarnin; he recovered the welterweight title by outpointing McLarnin again over 15 rounds. He won 16 bouts in a row after that, including three over future world middleweight champion Ceferino Garcia and one against Al Manfredo. His only two defenses, however, over that stretch were against Garcia and against Izzy Jannazzo, on points in 15 rounds.
In his last fight, Ross defended his title on May 31, 1938, against fellow three-division world champion Henry Armstrong, who beat him by a decision in 15. Although Armstrong pounded Ross inexorably and his trainers begged him to let them stop the fight, Ross refused to stop or go down. Barney Ross had never been knocked out in his career and was determined to leave the ring on his feet. Some boxing experts view Ross's performance against Armstrong as one of the most courageous in history. Some believe that Ross's will to survive every tough fight on his feet had to do with his understanding of his symbolic importance to Jews. That is, Jews would not only fight back, but they would not go down.
Ross retired with a record of 72 wins, 4 losses, 3 draws and two no decisions, with 22 wins by knockout. He was ranked #21 on The Ring magazines list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years and #22 on ESPN's list of 50 Greatest Boxers of All Time. In 1999, the Associated Press ranked him the second-greatest junior welterweight and fifth-greatest welterweight of the 20th century.

World War II

In retirement in his early thirties, Ross enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on April 21, 1942 to fight in World War II. The Marines wanted to keep him stateside and use his celebrity status to boost morale. Most of the athletes of the era, like heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey, had ceremonial roles in the military, but Ross insisted on fighting for his country.
Before he was to go overseas, Ross physically assaulted a non-commissioned officer who had made an anti-Semitic remark. He was to be court martialed at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. The other board members wanted to throw the book at Ross, but Captain Berthol E. Davis, who was also Jewish and knew of Ross's achievements, convinced the rest of the board to allow Ross to go overseas and avoid punishment. So, he was sent to the Pacific theater.
Ross served with B Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Marines during the Battle of Guadalcanal in the South Pacific. On November 19, 1942, his unit crossed the Matanikau River to provide flank security for the advancing 182nd Infantry Regiment and was ambushed by Japanese forces while waiting for the Army to advance. Suffering from malaria, he and three comrades were pinned down under heavy enemy fire in a shell hole. All four were wounded; Ross was the only one able to continue fighting. He gathered his comrades' rifles and grenades and, over the course of the night, threw 21 hand grenades and fired hundreds of rounds of ammunition, single-handedly fighting nearly two dozen Japanese soldiers and killing them all by morning. After the action, his helmet was found to be dented by 30 pieces of shrapnel. Two of the Marines were killed, but Ross carried the third on his shoulders to safety, despite the man weighing 230 lb compared to Ross' 140 lb.
Ross was awarded America's third highest military honor, the Silver Star, as well as the Purple Heart and a Presidential Citation. As one of America's greatest "celebrity" war heroes, he was honored by President Roosevelt in a Rose Garden ceremony. He was also awarded the Edward J. Neil Trophy as boxing's "man of the year" by the Boxing Writers Association of New York in 1942.
During his time in Guadalcanal, Ross began a lifelong friendship with the Catholic priest Frederic Gehring, a wartime chaplain who wrote regular correspondences for Reader's Digest magazine. Gehring considered Ross a national treasure who defied logic when it came to bravery and the defense of principle. Ross was the only person on Guadacanal capable of playing the temperamental pipe organ kept there. On Christmas Eve, before he and his fellow Marines were to go into battle, Gehring asked Ross to learn "Silent Night" and other Christmas songs for the troops. After Ross had played them, Gehring asked him to play a Jewish song. Ross played "My Yiddishe Momma," about a child's love for his self-sacrificing mother. Many of the Marines knew the melody of the song from Ross's boxing days, when it was played when he entered the ring. When the Marines heard Ross play the song, newspaper reports say, they were all in tears.

Drug addiction and recovery

Recovering at the hospital from malaria and his wounds suffered at Guadalcanal, Ross developed a dependency on the morphine he was administered for pain. Back in the states, the morphine was replaced with street heroin. At the height of his addiction, the habit was costing him as much as $500 per day. He ultimately overcame the addiction and became an outspoken anti-drug advocate, speaking to high school students across the United States about the dangers of drug abuse, and testifying before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Narcotics and Addiction in 1955. His struggle against morphine addiction is the subject of the 1957 film Monkey on My Back.

Later life and death

Following World War II, Ross supported the creation of Israel by reportedly smuggling weapons to the newly established state. He also offered to lead a group of Jewish war veterans called the "George Washington Legion," alongside British organizer Major Samuel Wiser. Additionally, Ross allied with the Bergson Group, a militant Zionist organization.
Ross spent his last days using his celebrity status in promotional work for casinos and other businesses. He remained with his second wife, Cathy Howlett, although they never had children. He was happy he reached the two goals he had set: reunite his family and become a world champion in boxing. He wrote an autobiography titled No Man Stands Alone.
In Sport Life's July 1951 edition, the author pointed out to readers to be aware of tricksters impersonating sport personalities to gain gifts and freebies. The magazine closed the article by highlighting how Ross had walked into a restaurant, where a faker was impersonating Jackie "Kid" Berg and was surrounded by admirers. "So you're Jackie Kid Berg?" the inwardly boiling Ross inquired as he approached the 200 pounder. "Sure" the faker responded. Ross then threw a right hand punch and flattened the phony. "If you were really Jackie Kid Berg, you could have easily taken that punch without going down!"
He also remained loyal to his friend Jack Ruby and testified as a character witness on Ruby's behalf at his trial for killing Lee Harvey Oswald, who was charged with the killings of President John F. Kennedy and Dallas patrolman, J. D. Tippit.
Ross died in his hometown Chicago of throat cancer at the age of 57 and is buried at Rosemont Park Cemetery.
His relatives include Yuri Rasovsky, Solomon Rosowsky and Baruch Leib Rosowsky.

Awards and honors

In 1936, the Chicago Golden Gloves created a new sportsmanship trophy named after Ross to be awarded to the outstanding welterweight. The Aleph Zadik Aleph chapter located in Chicago's south suburbs, is named in his honor.

Halls of Fame

The Ring magazine Hall of Fame – Class of 1956
International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame – Class of 1979
World Boxing Hall of Fame – Class of 1981
Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame – Class of 1985
International Boxing Hall of Fame – Class of 1990
National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum – Class of 1997
Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame – Class of 2006

Boxing awards

The Ring magazine Fighter of the Year: 1934, 1935
Edward J. Neil Trophy: 1942

Military awards

Professional boxing record

All information in this section is derived from BoxRec, unless otherwise stated.

Official record

All newspaper decisions are officially regarded as “no decision” bouts and are not counted in the win/loss/draw column.

No.	Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round	Date	Location	Notes
81	Loss		Henry Armstrong	UD	15	May 31, 1938	Madison Square Garden Bowl, New York City, New York, U.S.	Lost NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring welterweight titles
80	Win	72–3–3	Bobby Venner	TKO	7	Apr 25, 1938	Shrine Auditorium, Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.
79	Win	71–3–3	Henry Schaft	TKO	4	Apr 4, 1938	Armory, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
78	Win	70–3–3	Ceferino Garcia	UD	15	Sep 23, 1937	Polo Grounds, New York City, New York, U.S.	Retained NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring welterweight titles
77	Win	69–3–3	Al Manfredo	NWS	10	Aug 19, 1937	Western League Baseball Park, Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.
76	Win	69–3–3	Jackie Burke	KO	5	Jun 27, 1937	Heinemann Park, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
75	Win	68–3–3	Chuck Woods	KO	4	Jun 17, 1937	Perry Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
74	Win	67–3–3	Al Manfredo	PTS	10	Jan 29, 1937	Olympia Stadium, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
73	Win	66–3–3	Izzy Jannazzo	UD	15	Nov 27, 1936	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.	Retained NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring welterweight titles
72	Win	65–3–3	Phil Furr	UD	10	Jul 22, 1936	Griffith Stadium, Washington, District of Columbia, U.S.
71	Win	64–3–3	Morrie Sherman	KO	2	Jun 22, 1936	City Auditorium, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
70	Win	63–3–3	Laddie Tonielli	TKO	5	Jun 10, 1936	State Fair Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
69	Win	62–3–3	Chuck Woods	TKO	5	May 1, 1936	Jefferson County Armory, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
68	Win	61–3–3	Gordon Wallace	MD	10	Mar 11, 1936	Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
67	Win	60–3–3	Lou Halper	TKO	8	Jan 27, 1936	Convention Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
66	Win	59–3–3	Ceferino Garcia	UD	10	Nov 29, 1935	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
65	Win	58–3–3	Ceferino Garcia	PTS	10	Sep 13, 1935	Dreamland Auditorium, San Francisco, California, U.S.
64	Win	57–3–3	Baby Joe Gans	KO	2	Sep 6, 1935	Multnomah Stadium, Portland, Oregon, U.S.
63	Win	56–3–3	Jimmy McLarnin	UD	15	May 28, 1935	Polo Grounds, New York City, New York, U.S.	Won NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring welterweight titles
62	Win	55–3–3	Henry Woods	UD	12	Apr 9, 1935	Civic Auditorium, Seattle, Washington, U.S.	Retained world light welterweight title
61	Win	54–3–3	Frankie Klick	UD	10	Jan 28, 1935	Municipal Stadium, Miami, Florida, U.S.	Retained world light welterweight title
60	Win	53–3–3	Bobby Pacho	PTS	12	Dec 10, 1934	Public Hall, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.	Retained world light welterweight title
59	Loss	52–3–3	Jimmy McLarnin	SD	15	Sep 17, 1934	Madison Square Garden Bowl, New York City, New York, U.S.	Lost NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring welterweight titles
58	Win	52–2–3	Jimmy McLarnin	SD	15	May 28, 1934	Madison Square Garden Bowl, New York City, New York, U.S.	Won NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring welterweight titles
57	Win	51–2–3	Bobby Pacho	PTS	10	Mar 27, 1934	Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
56	Win	50–2–3	Kid Moro	PTS	10	Mar 14, 1934	Auditorium, Oakland, California, U.S.	Retained world light welterweight title
55	Draw	49–2–3	Frankie Klick	PTS	10	Mar 5, 1934	Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, California, U.S.	Retained world light welterweight title
54	Win	49–2–2	Pete Nebo	PTS	12	Feb 7, 1934	Convention Hall, Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.	Retained world light welterweight title
53	Win	48–2–2	Billy Petrolle	UD	10	Jan 24, 1934	New York Coliseum, New York City, New York, U.S.
52	Win	47–2–2	Sammy Fuller	MD	10	Nov 17, 1933	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.	Retained world light welterweight title; Won world light welterweight title claim
51	Win	46–2–2	Tony Canzoneri	SD	15	Sep 12, 1933	Polo Grounds, New York City, New York, U.S.	Retained NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring lightweight titles; Retained world light welterweight title
50	Win	45–2–2	Johnny Farr	TKO	6	Jul 26, 1933	Convention Hall, Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.	Retained world light welterweight title
49	Win	44–2–2	Tony Canzoneri	MD	10	Jun 23, 1933	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.	Won NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring lightweight titles; Won world light welterweight title
48	Win	43–2–2	Joe Ghnouly	PTS	10	May 3, 1933	Arena, Saint Louis, Missouri, U.S.
47	Win	42–2–2	Billy Petrolle	UD	10	Mar 22, 1933	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
46	Win	41–2–2	Tommy Grogan	PTS	10	Feb 22, 1933	Washington Blvd. Auditorium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
45	Win	40–2–2	Johnny Datto	KO	2	Jan 30, 1933	Motor Square Garden, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
44	Win	39–2–2	Johnny Farr	PTS	10	Nov 25, 1932	Auditorium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
43	Win	38–2–2	Goldie Hess	PTS	10	Nov 11, 1932	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
42	Win	37–2–2	Battling Battalino	UD	10	Oct 21, 1932	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
41	Win	36–2–2	Frankie Petrolle	KO	2	Sep 15, 1932	Coliseum, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
40	Win	35–2–2	Ray Miller	UD	10	Aug 26, 1932	Sparta Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
39	Win	34–2–2	Henry Perlick	TKO	3	Jul 28, 1932	Sparta Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
38	Win	33–2–2	Dick Sisk	TKO	6	May 20, 1932	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
37	Win	32–2–2	Frankie Hughes	PTS	10	Apr 5, 1932	Armory, Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
36	Win	31–2–2	Nick Ellenwood	PTS	10	Mar 2, 1932	Armory, Muncie, Indiana, U.S.
35	Win	30–2–2	Billy Gladstone	PTS	6	Feb 18, 1932	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
34	Win	29–2–2	Micky O'Neill	PTS	6	Feb 8, 1932	Auditorium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
33	Win	28–2–2	Jimmy Lundy	PTS	8	Nov 18, 1931	Convention Hall, Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
32	Win	27–2–2	Young Terry	PTS	8	Nov 13, 1931	Moline Field House, Moline, Illinois, U.S.
31	Win	26–2–2	Lou Jallos	PTS	8	Nov 4, 1931	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
30	Win	25–2–2	Glen Gamp	PTS	10	Oct 2, 1931	Eagles Arena, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
29	Win	24–2–2	Jimmy Alvarado	PTS	8	Jul 30, 1931	Navin Field, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
28	Win	23–2–2	Babe Ruth	TKO	4	Jul 15, 1931	Armory, Benton Harbor, Michigan, U.S.
27	Win	22–2–2	Billy Shaw	PTS	8	May 13, 1931	Cicero Stadium, Cicero, Illinois, U.S.
26	Win	21–2–2	Jackie Dugan	KO	2	May 1, 1931	Moline Field House, Moline, Illinois, U.S.
25	Win	20–2–2	Lud Abella	TKO	2	Apr 24, 1931	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
24	Win	19–2–2	Midget Mike O'Dowd	PTS	8	Apr 8, 1931	Moline Field House, Moline, Illinois, U.S.
23	Loss	18–2–2	Roger Bernard	PTS	8	Mar 27, 1931	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
22	Win	18–1–2	Jackie Davis	PTS	6	Mar 20, 1931	Cicero Stadium, Cicero, Illinois, U.S.
21	Win	17–1–2	Young Terry	UD	10	Feb 20, 1931	Cicero Stadium, Cicero, Illinois, U.S.
20	Win	16–1–2	Henry Falegano	PTS	8	Jan 14, 1931	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
19	Draw	15–1–2	Harry Dublinsky	PTS	8	Nov 21, 1930	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
18	Win	15–1–1	Petey Mack	KO	1	Nov 6, 1930	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
17	Win	14–1–1	Sammy Binder	KO	2	Oct 14, 1930	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
16	Draw	13–1–1	Young Terry	PTS	8	Sep 19, 1930	Jones & Baumrucker Park, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
15	Win	13–1	Luis Perez	KO	1	Aug 2, 1930	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
14	Win	12–1	Eddie Koppy	PTS	6	Jul 1, 1930	Michigan State Fairgrounds, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
13	Win	11–1	Mickey Genaro	PTS	6	Apr 25, 1930	Coliseum, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
12	Loss	10–1	Carlos Garcia	PTS	6	Apr 21, 1930	Coliseum, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
11	Win	10–0	Eddie Bojack	TKO	2	Apr 8, 1930	Public Hall, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
10	Win	9–0	Jackie Davis	NWS	4	Mar 3, 1930	Arena, Saint Louis, Missouri, U.S.
9	Win	9–0	Jiro Kumagai	PTS	4	Feb 24, 1930	Recreation Park, San Francisco, California, U.S.
8	Win	8–0	Johnny Andrews	PTS	4	Jan 24, 1930	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
7	Win	7–0	Louis New	PTS	6	Jan 10, 1930	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
6	Win	6–0	Al DeRose	PTS	6	Dec 5, 1929	Ashland Blvd. Auditorium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
5	Win	5–0	Joey Barth	PTS	5	Nov 29, 1929	Guyon's Paradise Ballroom, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
4	Win	4–0	Virgil Tobin	KO	2	Oct 21, 1929	State Armory, San Francisco, California, U.S.
3	Win	3–0	Joe Borola	PTS	6	Oct 12, 1929	Main Street Athletic Club, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
2	Win	2–0	Joe Borola	PTS	6	Sep 14, 1929	Main Street Athletic Club, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
1	Win	1–0	Ramon Lugo	PTS	6	Aug 31, 1929	Main Street Athletic Club, Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Unofficial record

Record with the inclusion of newspaper decisions in the win/loss/draw column.

No.	Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round	Date	Location	Notes
81	Loss		Henry Armstrong	UD	15	May 31, 1938	Madison Square Garden Bowl, New York City, New York, U.S.	Lost NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring welterweight titles
80	Win	74–3–3	Bobby Venner	TKO	7	Apr 25, 1938	Shrine Auditorium, Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.
79	Win	73–3–3	Henry Schaft	TKO	4	Apr 4, 1938	Armory, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
78	Win	72–3–3	Ceferino Garcia	UD	15	Sep 23, 1937	Polo Grounds, New York City, New York, U.S.	Retained NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring welterweight titles
77	Win	71–3–3	Al Manfredo	NWS	10	Aug 19, 1937	Western League Baseball Park, Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.
76	Win	70–3–3	Jackie Burke	KO	5	Jun 27, 1937	Heinemann Park, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
75	Win	69–3–3	Chuck Woods	KO	4	Jun 17, 1937	Perry Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
74	Win	68–3–3	Al Manfredo	PTS	10	Jan 29, 1937	Olympia Stadium, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
73	Win	67–3–3	Izzy Jannazzo	UD	15	Nov 27, 1936	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.	Retained NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring welterweight titles
72	Win	66–3–3	Phil Furr	UD	10	Jul 22, 1936	Griffith Stadium, Washington, District of Columbia, U.S.
71	Win	65–3–3	Morrie Sherman	KO	2	Jun 22, 1936	City Auditorium, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
70	Win	64–3–3	Laddie Tonielli	TKO	5	Jun 10, 1936	State Fair Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
69	Win	63–3–3	Chuck Woods	TKO	5	May 1, 1936	Jefferson County Armory, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
68	Win	62–3–3	Gordon Wallace	MD	10	Mar 11, 1936	Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
67	Win	61–3–3	Lou Halper	TKO	8	Jan 27, 1936	Convention Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
66	Win	60–3–3	Ceferino Garcia	UD	10	Nov 29, 1935	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
65	Win	59–3–3	Ceferino Garcia	PTS	10	Sep 13, 1935	Dreamland Auditorium, San Francisco, California, U.S.
64	Win	58–3–3	Baby Joe Gans	KO	2	Sep 6, 1935	Multnomah Stadium, Portland, Oregon, U.S.
63	Win	57–3–3	Jimmy McLarnin	UD	15	May 28, 1935	Polo Grounds, New York City, New York, U.S.	Won NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring welterweight titles
62	Win	56–3–3	Henry Woods	UD	12	Apr 9, 1935	Civic Auditorium, Seattle, Washington, U.S.	Retained world light welterweight title
61	Win	55–3–3	Frankie Klick	UD	10	Jan 28, 1935	Municipal Stadium, Miami, Florida, U.S.	Retained world light welterweight title
60	Win	54–3–3	Bobby Pacho	PTS	12	Dec 10, 1934	Public Hall, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.	Retained world light welterweight title
59	Loss	53–3–3	Jimmy McLarnin	SD	15	Sep 17, 1934	Madison Square Garden Bowl, New York City, New York, U.S.	Lost NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring welterweight titles
58	Win	53–2–3	Jimmy McLarnin	SD	15	May 28, 1934	Madison Square Garden Bowl, New York City, New York, U.S.	Won NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring welterweight titles
57	Win	52–2–3	Bobby Pacho	PTS	10	Mar 27, 1934	Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
56	Win	51–2–3	Kid Moro	PTS	10	Mar 14, 1934	Auditorium, Oakland, California, U.S.	Retained world light welterweight title
55	Draw	50–2–3	Frankie Klick	PTS	10	Mar 5, 1934	Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, California, U.S.	Retained world light welterweight title
54	Win	50–2–2	Pete Nebo	PTS	12	Feb 7, 1934	Convention Hall, Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.	Retained world light welterweight title
53	Win	49–2–2	Billy Petrolle	UD	10	Jan 24, 1934	New York Coliseum, New York City, New York, U.S.
52	Win	48–2–2	Sammy Fuller	MD	10	Nov 17, 1933	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.	Retained world light welterweight title; Won world light welterweight title claim
51	Win	47–2–2	Tony Canzoneri	SD	15	Sep 12, 1933	Polo Grounds, New York City, New York, U.S.	Retained NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring lightweight titles; Retained world light welterweight title
50	Win	46–2–2	Johnny Farr	TKO	6	Jul 26, 1933	Convention Hall, Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.	Retained world light welterweight title
49	Win	45–2–2	Tony Canzoneri	MD	10	Jun 23, 1933	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.	Won NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring lightweight titles; Won world light welterweight title
48	Win	44–2–2	Joe Ghnouly	PTS	10	May 3, 1933	Arena, Saint Louis, Missouri, U.S.
47	Win	43–2–2	Billy Petrolle	UD	10	Mar 22, 1933	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
46	Win	42–2–2	Tommy Grogan	PTS	10	Feb 22, 1933	Washington Blvd. Auditorium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
45	Win	41–2–2	Johnny Datto	KO	2	Jan 30, 1933	Motor Square Garden, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
44	Win	40–2–2	Johnny Farr	PTS	10	Nov 25, 1932	Auditorium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
43	Win	39–2–2	Goldie Hess	PTS	10	Nov 11, 1932	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
42	Win	38–2–2	Battling Battalino	UD	10	Oct 21, 1932	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
41	Win	37–2–2	Frankie Petrolle	KO	2	Sep 15, 1932	Coliseum, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
40	Win	36–2–2	Ray Miller	UD	10	Aug 26, 1932	Sparta Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
39	Win	35–2–2	Henry Perlick	TKO	3	Jul 28, 1932	Sparta Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
38	Win	34–2–2	Dick Sisk	TKO	6	May 20, 1932	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
37	Win	33–2–2	Frankie Hughes	PTS	10	Apr 5, 1932	Armory, Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
36	Win	32–2–2	Nick Ellenwood	PTS	10	Mar 2, 1932	Armory, Muncie, Indiana, U.S.
35	Win	31–2–2	Billy Gladstone	PTS	6	Feb 18, 1932	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
34	Win	30–2–2	Micky O'Neill	PTS	6	Feb 8, 1932	Auditorium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
33	Win	29–2–2	Jimmy Lundy	PTS	8	Nov 18, 1931	Convention Hall, Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
32	Win	28–2–2	Young Terry	PTS	8	Nov 13, 1931	Moline Field House, Moline, Illinois, U.S.
31	Win	27–2–2	Lou Jallos	PTS	8	Nov 4, 1931	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
30	Win	26–2–2	Glen Gamp	PTS	10	Oct 2, 1931	Eagles Arena, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
29	Win	25–2–2	Jimmy Alvarado	PTS	8	Jul 30, 1931	Navin Field, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
28	Win	24–2–2	Babe Ruth	TKO	4	Jul 15, 1931	Armory, Benton Harbor, Michigan, U.S.
27	Win	23–2–2	Billy Shaw	PTS	8	May 13, 1931	Cicero Stadium, Cicero, Illinois, U.S.
26	Win	22–2–2	Jackie Dugan	KO	2	May 1, 1931	Moline Field House, Moline, Illinois, U.S.
25	Win	21–2–2	Lud Abella	TKO	2	Apr 24, 1931	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
24	Win	20–2–2	Midget Mike O'Dowd	PTS	8	Apr 8, 1931	Moline Field House, Moline, Illinois, U.S.
23	Loss	19–2–2	Roger Bernard	PTS	8	Mar 27, 1931	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
22	Win	19–1–2	Jackie Davis	PTS	6	Mar 20, 1931	Cicero Stadium, Cicero, Illinois, U.S.
21	Win	18–1–2	Young Terry	UD	10	Feb 20, 1931	Cicero Stadium, Cicero, Illinois, U.S.
20	Win	17–1–2	Henry Falegano	PTS	8	Jan 14, 1931	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
19	Draw	16–1–2	Harry Dublinsky	PTS	8	Nov 21, 1930	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
18	Win	16–1–1	Petey Mack	KO	1	Nov 6, 1930	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
17	Win	15–1–1	Sammy Binder	KO	2	Oct 14, 1930	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
16	Draw	14–1–1	Young Terry	PTS	8	Sep 19, 1930	Jones & Baumrucker Park, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
15	Win	14–1	Luis Perez	KO	1	Aug 2, 1930	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
14	Win	13–1	Eddie Koppy	PTS	6	Jul 1, 1930	Michigan State Fairgrounds, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
13	Win	12–1	Mickey Genaro	PTS	6	Apr 25, 1930	Coliseum, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
12	Loss	11–1	Carlos Garcia	PTS	6	Apr 21, 1930	Coliseum, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
11	Win	11–0	Eddie Bojack	TKO	2	Apr 8, 1930	Public Hall, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
10	Win	10–0	Jackie Davis	NWS	4	Mar 3, 1930	Arena, Saint Louis, Missouri, U.S.
9	Win	9–0	Jiro Kumagai	PTS	4	Feb 24, 1930	Recreation Park, San Francisco, California, U.S.
8	Win	8–0	Johnny Andrews	PTS	4	Jan 24, 1930	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
7	Win	7–0	Louis New	PTS	6	Jan 10, 1930	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
6	Win	6–0	Al DeRose	PTS	6	Dec 5, 1929	Ashland Blvd. Auditorium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
5	Win	5–0	Joey Barth	PTS	5	Nov 29, 1929	Guyon's Paradise Ballroom, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
4	Win	4–0	Virgil Tobin	KO	2	Oct 21, 1929	State Armory, San Francisco, California, U.S.
3	Win	3–0	Joe Borola	PTS	6	Oct 12, 1929	Main Street Athletic Club, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
2	Win	2–0	Joe Borola	PTS	6	Sep 14, 1929	Main Street Athletic Club, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
1	Win	1–0	Ramon Lugo	PTS	6	Aug 31, 1929	Main Street Athletic Club, Los Angeles, California, U.S.