Boxing in the 1930s

1933

• February 20 – Battling Shaw wins the world Jr. welterweight title with a ten-round decision over Johnny Jadick, New Orleans.
• February 21 – Young Corbett III wins the world Welterweight title, defeating Jackie Fields by a ten-round decision, in San Francisco.
• 21 May – Tony Canzoneri recovers his world Jr. Welterweight title, with a ten-round decision over Battling Shaw, in New Orleans.
• June 23 – Barney Ross beats Tony Canzoneri to claim both the world Lightweight and Jr. Welterweight titles held by Canzoneri, by a ten-round decision, in Chicago.
• June 29 – Primo Carnera initiates one of boxing's most controversial reigns in the history of the Heavyweight division, knocking out world champion Jack Sharkey in six rounds at New York City. It has been widely rumored since that many of Carnera's fights were fixed.
• September 12 – Barney Ross retains his world Lightweight and Jr. Weltwerweight titles with a fifteen-round decision over Tony Canzoneri, at New York.
• October 21 –
  Rome, Italy
  .
• December 25 – Frankie Klick wins the world Jr. Lightweight title, knocking out world champion Kid Chocolate, in seven rounds, at Philadelphia.

1934

• March 1 – Primo Carnera retains the world Heavyweight title with a fifteen-round decision over world Light-Heavyweight champion Tommy Loughran, at Miami.
• March 5 – Barney Ross retains his world Lightweight title with a ten-round draw over world Jr. Lightweight champion Frankie Klick, in San Francisco.
• March 27 – Barney Ross retains the world Jr. Welterweight title with a ten-round decision over Bobby Pacho, in Los Angeles.
• 28 May – Barney Ross becomes the third man in boxing history to win world titles in three different divisions, defeating Jimmy McLarnin for the world Welterweight title by a fifteen-round decision in New York City.
• June 14 – Max Baer drops defending world Heavyweight champion Primo Carnera eleven times en route to an eleventh-round knockout, winning the world Heavyweight title, at New York.
• June 26 –
  National Boxing Association's Bantamweight title, in Montreal
  , Canada.
• September 17 – Jimmy McLarnin recovers the world Welterweight title, with a fifteen-round decision over Barney Ross, in New York.
• December 10 – Barney Ross retains his world Jr. Welterweight title in a rematch against Bobby Pacho, by a twelve-round decision, in Cleveland.

1935

• January 1 – Baby Arizmendi becomes the first world champion from Mexico in boxing history by outpointing Henry Armstrong by in twelve rounds to win the vacant California and Mexico-recognized world Lightweight titles, Mexico City, Mexico.
• 10 May – Tony Canzoneri recovers the world Lightweight title, winning the belt left vacant by Barney Ross, with a fifteen-round unanimous decision over Lou Ambers, in New York City.
• 28 May – Barney Ross recovers the world Welterweight title, defeating Jimmy McLarnin with a fifteen-round unanimous decision in the third and final installment of their rivalry, at New York. Former world Heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey refereed.
• June 13 – James J. Braddock, with 24 losses, produces one of the biggest upsets in world Heavyweight championship history, defeating world champion Max Baer to take the world title, by a fifteen-round unanimous decision, in New York.
• August 26 –
  National Boxing Association world Bantamweight title with a fifteen-round decision over Sixto Escobar
  , at New York.
• September 9- – Benny Lynch wins the N.B.A.'s world Flyweight title with a second-round knockout over Jackie Brown, in Manchester, England.
• November 15 – In their rematch, Sixto Escobar recovers the N.B.A.'s world Bantamweight title with a fifteen-round decision over Lou Salica, at New York.

1936

• January 20 – Marcel Thil retains the world Middleweight title by a fourth round disqualification against Lou Brouillard, Paris, France.
• March 13 – John Henry Lewis retains the world Light-Heavyweight title with a fifteen-round decision over Jock McAvoy, in New York City.
• June 19 – In the start of their legendary boxing rivalry, former world Heavyweight champion Max Schmeling inflicts Joe Louis' first defeat, with a twelve-round knockout, in New York.
• August 4 – Henry Armstrong becomes world champion for the first time, beating Baby Arizmendi by a ten-round decision in Los Angeles, to take the Californian and Mexican world Lightweight titles.
• August 31 – Sixto Escobar unifies the world Bantamweight title, with a thirteenth-round knockout win over Tony Marino, at New York.
• October 13 – Sixto Escobar retains the world Bantamweight title, with a first-round knockout over Indian Quintana, in New York.
• November 9 – John Henry Lewis retains the world Light-Heavyweight title with a fifteen-round decision over Len Harvey, in London.

1937

• January 1 –
  Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  .
• January 19 – In a rematch, Benny Lynch retains the world Flyweight title with a fifteen-round decision over Small Montana, in London.
• February 21 – At their rubber match,
  Lou Salica in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is also the first world title fight ever held in Puerto Rico
  .
• 7 May – Lou Ambers retains his world Lightweight title with a fifteen-round decision over former champion Tony Canzoneri, at their New York City rematch.
• June 3 –
  St. Louis
  .
• June 21 – Joe Louis becomes Heavyweight champion of the world, knocking out James J. Braddock in round eight, at Chicago. The new champion then says he won't consider himself a champion until he beats Max Schmeling in a rematch.
• August 30 – In his first defense of the world Heavyweight title, Joe Louis meets stiff competition from Tommy Farr, but he still manages to retain the title by a fifteen-round unanimous decision, at New York.
• September 23 – A world title fight marathon in New York City: Harry Jeffra beats Sixto Escobar by decision in fifteen rounds to win the world Bantamweight title; Lou Ambers defeats Pedro Montañez by decision in fifteen to retain the world's Lightweight title; Barney Ross defeats future world Middleweight champion Ceferino Garcia by decision in ten to retain the world Jr. Welterweight title and Fred Apostoli knocks out Marcel Thil in ten rounds to win the world Middleweight title.
• October 29 – Henry Armstrong wins his second simultaneous title, the world Featherweight title (to go along with the world Lightweight championship as recognized by California and Mexico), knocking out defending world champion Petey Sarron in six rounds, at New York.

1938

• February 20 – Sixto Escobar regains the world Bantamweight title, beating Harry Jeffra by a fifteen-round decision at their San Juan, Puerto Rico rematch.
• 31 May – Henry Armstrong makes history by becoming the first man in the history of boxing to hold world titles in three divisions at the same time, defeating world Welterweight champion Barney Ross by a fifteen-round split decision, at New York City.
• June 22 – In the second fight of their famous rivalry, Joe Louis retains the world Heavyweight title with a first-round knockout of former world champion Max Schmeling, at New York.
• June 29 –
  Paisley
  , Scotland, then retires.
• September 22 – Peter Kane conquers the vacant world Flyweight title with a fifteen-round decision over
  Liverpool
  , England.

1939

• January 10 – Henry Armstrong begins what would be a run of 20 successful title defenses of his world Welterweight title in the same year, defeating Baby Arizmendi by a ten-round decision, in Los Angeles.
• January 25 – Joe Louis retains the world Heavyweight title with a first-round knockout of world Light-Heavyweight champion John Henry Lewis in the first round, in New York City. It would be Lewis; last career fight, as it was later discovered that he had been fighting while suffering cataracts since 1936.
• April 1 – Sixto Escobar defeats KO Morgan by a fifteen-round decision to retain the world Bantamweight title, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
• June 28 – Joe Louis recovers from a third round knockdown and retains his world Heavyweight title, knocking out Tony Galento in round four, at New York.
• July 13 – Billy Conn defeats Melio Bettina by decision in fifteen rounds to win the vacant world Light-Heavyweight title, in Pittsburgh.
• August 21 – Lou Ambers defeats Henry Armstrong to regain the world Lightweight title, with a fifteen-round unanimous decision, at New York.
• October 2 – Ceferino Garcia wins the world Middleweight title, knocking out Fred Apostoli in seven rounds, at New York.
• November 17 – Billy Conn retains the world Light-Heavyweight championship with a fifteen-round decision over Gus Lesvenich, in New York.
• December 11 – Henry Armstrong defends his world Welterweight title for the eleventh time in 1939, defeating Jimmy Garrison by a knockout in round seven, at Cleveland. decides to retire

References