PHILLY BOXING HISTORY

  

 

Philly Boxing History

DECEMBER 25th

 
 

 

BOXING ON CHRISTMAS DAY IN PHILADELPHIA

Can you imagine heading to the Blue Horizon today, or more realistically these days, the 2300 Arena, on Christmas Day, for a little boxing?  It sounds crazy. No boxing promoter in their right mind would consider staging a fight card on this day, right? But this was not always the case. Although 1945 was the last time there was a Philly fight on December 25th, prior to that boxing on Christmas was common - and actually a tradition.  Forget the snow and family gatherings, from 1900 to 1945, there was a boxing show Xmas day in 40 of those 45 years. That's a whopping 89% of the time. And in several of those years, there were as many as four different boxing shows on a given Christmas Day!  We're not just talking local talent either.  In 1933, Frankie Klick took the jr. lightweight title from Kid Chocolate at the Philly Arena.  Today, I'll enjoy the holiday with my family, but I wouldn't mind sneaking out for a little boxing.  I guess I'm about 80 years too late.

 
 
  CHRISTMAS MAIN EVENT FIGHT RESULTS THROUGH THE YEARS:
  1902 - Jack Bennett W6 Cub White at the Broadway A.C. in South Philly
  1903 - Cub White W6 Eddie Cain at the National A.C. in South Philly
  1904 - No Philly Christmas Fights
  1905 - Harry Lewis W6 Maurice Sayers at the National A.C. in South Philly
  1906 - Young Erne W6 Eddie Chambers at the National A.C. in South Philly
  1906 - Young Joe Grim W6 Billy Kolb at the Broadway A.C. in South Philly
  1906 - Eddie Carter W6 Lew Ryall at the Wayne A.C. in Philadelphia
  1907 - Young Erne KO5 Joe Galligan at the National A.C. in South Philly
  1907 - Freddie Welsh W6 Eddie Carter at the Wayne A.C. in Philadelphia
  1908 - Paddy Sullivan W6 Mickey Gannon at the National A.C. in South Philly
  1908 - Young Nitchie KO4 Harry Baker at the Nonpareil A.C. in Kensington (NE Philly)
  1909 - Mickey Gannon KO5 Charley Sieger at the National A.C. in South Philly
  1909 - Tommy O'Toole W6 Charley Griffin at the Nonpareil A.C. in Kensington (NE Philly)
  1909 - Young Palmer D6 Tommy Houck at the Wayne A.C. in Philadelphia
  1909 - Kid Cobb W4 Young Harry Lewis at the Douglas A.C. in Center City Philadelphia
  1910 - Eddie O'Keefe TKO5 Phil McGovern at the National A.C. in South Philly
  1910 - Eddie Holland D6 Willie Moody at the Nonpareil A.C. in Kensington (NE Philly)
  1911 - Charley Turner W6 Pal Moore at the National A.C. in South Philly
  1911 - Willie Houck ND6 Johnny Krause at the Nonpareil A.C. in Kensington (NE Philly)
  1911 - Bobby Reynolds W6 Young Jack O'Brien at the American A.C. Center City Phila.
  1912 - Dan Daily W6 Soldier Kearns at the National A.C. in South Philly
  1912 - Jack Britton KO2 Tommy O'Keefe at the Olympia A.C. in South Philly
  1912 - Young McCartney W6 Young Hickney at the Nonpareil A.C. in Kensington (NE Philly)
  1913 - Italian Joe Gans D6 Tommy Howell at the National A.C. in South Philly
  1913 - George 'KO' Chaney KO5 Eddie O'Keefe at the Olympia A.C. in South Philly
  1913 - Tommy Langdon D6 Kid Ghetto at the Nonpareil A.C. in Kensington (NE Philly)
  1914 - Ted 'Kid' Lewis W6 Young Jack O'Brien at the National A.C. in South Philly
  1914 - Eddie Crouse W6 Kid Wagner at the Olympia A.C. in South Philly
  1914 - Joe Borrell W6 Frank Mantell at the Quaker City A.A. in Center City Phila.
  1914 - Young Tommy Coleman W6 Ralph Erne at the Nonpareil A.C. in Kensington (NE Philly)
  1915 - Marty Farrell W6 Pat Bradley at the National A.C. in South Philly
  1915 - Johnny Ertle W6 KO Joe O'Donnell at the Olympia A.C. in South Philly
  1915 - Charlie 'Kid' Thomas W6 Johnny Miller at the Quaker City A.A. in Center City Phila.
  1915 - Homer Smith KO6 Fred Jordan at the Nonpareil A.C. in Kensington (NE Philly)
  1916 - Young Terry McGovern W6 Stanley Yoakum at the National A.C. in South Philly
  1916 - Eddie O'Keefe W6 Artie Root at the Olympia A.C. in South Philly
  1916 - Eddie Revoire W6 Howard Truesdale at the Ryan A.C. in South Philly
  1916 - Charlie 'Boots' Doyle W6 Joe Phillips at the Nonpareil A.C. in Kensington (NE Philly)
  1917 - Red Dolan W6 Barney Adair at the National A.C. in South Philly
  1917 - Johnny Tillman W6 Patsy Cline at the Olympia A.C. in South Philly
  1918 - Battling Harry Leonard KO4 Leo Flynn at the National A.C. in South Philly
  1918 - Harry 'Kid' Brown W6 Johnny Gray at the Olympia A.C. in South Philly
  1919 - Harold Farese W6 Artie Root at the National A.C. in South Philly
  1919 - Joe Welling W6 Joe Benjamin at the Olympia A.C. in South Philly
  1919 - Eddie Revoire W6 Young Herman Miller at the Auditorium A.A. in Center City, Phila.
  1919 - Jack Ward W6 Stanley Hinckle at the Cambria A.C. in Kensington (NE Philly)
  1920 - Lew Tendler KO7 Chick Simler at the Olympia A.C. in South Philly
  1920 - Joe Tiplitz W8 Jimmy Murphy at the National A.C. in South Philly
  1920 - Battling Al Murray W8 Hank McGovern at the Cambria A.C. in Kensington (NE Philly)
  1920 - Sol O'Donnell W8 Jimmy Jordan at the Auditorium A.A. in Center City Philadelphia
  1921 - No Philly Christmas Fights
  1922 - Sailor Friedman W8 Bobby Barrett at the Arena in West Philly
  1923 - Jack Taylor W10 Battling Siki at the Adelphia A.C. in West Philly
  1924 - Lew Tendler W10 Joe Tiplitz at the Armory in North Philly
  1924 - Frankie McGuire W10 Mike Schultz at the Cambria A.C. in Kensington (NE Philly)
  1925 - Tommy Loughran W10 King Solomon at the Arena in West Philly
  1925 - Young Muffo KO2 Danny Rogers at the Broadway A.C. in South Philly
  1925 - Pat Haley W10 Danny Gordon at the Cambria A.C. in Kensington (NE Philly)
  1926 - Tommy Herman W10 Fred Bretonnel at the Arena in West Philly
  1926 - Johnny Jadick W10 Wilbur Cohen at the Cambria A.C. in Kensington (NE Philly)
  1927 - No Philly Christmas Fights
  1928 - Matt Adgie W10 Babe McCorgary at the Arena in West Philly
  1928 - Lew Lafferty W10 Jacques Pettibon at the Cambria A.C. in Kensington (NE Philly)
  1929 - Lew Massey W10 Johnny Datto at the Arena in West Philly
  1930 - Jimmy Smith W10 Johnny Peppe at the Cambria A.C. in Kensington (NE Philly)
  1931 - Benny Bass KO7 Prince Saunders at the Arena in West Philly
  1931 - Young Joe Firpo KO1 Koli Kolo at the Broadway A.C. in South Philly
  1931 - Benny Schwartz KO2 Buddy Bezenah at the Cambria A.C. in Kensington (NE Philly)
  1932 - No Philly Christmas Fights
  1933 - Frankie Klick TKO7 Kid Chocolate at the Arena in West Philly
  1934 - Danny Hassett W10 Billy Ketchell at the Philadelphia
  1935 - Al Ettore W10 Ford Smith at the Arena in West Philly
  1935 - Joey Ferrando W10 Tony Morgano at the Cambria A.C. in Kensington (NE Philly)
  1936 - Young Gene Buffalo W10 Andre Jessurun at Philadelphia
  1937 - Frank Zamoris KO1 Frank Donofrio at the Cambria A.C. in Kensington (NE Philly)
  1938 - No Philly Christmas Fights
  1939 - Jimmy Tygh TKO5 Jackie Carter at the Cambria A.C. in Kensington (NE Philly)
  1939 - Bobby Green W8 Sammy LaPorte at the Olympia A.C. in South Philly
  1940 - Billy Maher KO6 Red Graber at the Cambria A.C. in Kensington (NE Philly)
  1941 - Cleve Bailey W10 Tony Cisco at the Cambria A.C. in Philadelphia
  1941 - Johnny Forte D8 Frankie Donato at the Olympia A.C. in Philadelphia
  1942 - Johnny Walker TKO7 Wicky Harkins at the Olympia A.C. in South Philly
  1943 - Norman 'Reds' Rahn TKO7 Frankie Grasso at the Cambria A.C. in Kensington (NE Philly)
  1944 - Gene Burton W10 Dorsey Lay at the Met in North Philly
  1945 - Willie Weasel KO2 Jimmy Allen at the Met in North Philly
 

 

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