RANKING OF BOXERS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 67, 11 December 1937, Page 17

RANKING OF BOXERS

THE BRITISH OPINION J0E LOUIS NOT RECOGNISED EMPIRE TITLE VACANT The British Boxing Board of Control refuses to recognise Joe Louis as world heavyweight boxing champion. It declares the title to be vacant. The board officially recognised the Tommy Farr-Max Schmeling contest — arranged for London and which did not take place — as for the world title, and consequently did not recognise the subsequent Louis-Farr flght in America, states the Melbourne Herald. About the five vacant Empire titles the board has decided that, in the event of a contest being arranged between the reigning champion of Great Britain and a Dominions boxer approved by the board, the flght would be recognised as for the Empire championship, The board has also decided about the four vacant European titles, that in the event of a contest being arranged between a British champion and an official champion of an European country, whether or not he' " is recognised by the International Boxing Association, the bout would be f«v a European championship. The board's ranking list is as follows: — World. Flyweight: Benny Lynch (Scotland). Bantam-weight: Harry Jeffra (America). Feather-weight: Pete Sarron (America). Lightweight: Lou Ambers (America). Welter-weight: Barney Ross (America). Middle-weight: Fred Apostoli (America). Light-heavy-weight: John Henry Lewis ^America). Heivy-weight: Vacant. (Obviously Sarron is no longer feather-weight champion. He was stopped in six rounds eight days after the list was published in England. Apostoli is not regarded as middleweight champion. The B.B.B.C. grade him as such because of his t.k.o. of Mai-cel Thil at New York in September. Although Thil had been regarded as champion in France and Britain, his long abstention from fighting had induced the necessity for finding a successor. Ben Jeby, Vince Dundee and Teddy Yarosz in turn held the title without a challenge from* Thil; * while Freddie Steele, who beat Risko

last year, Is now champion. When Mike Jacobs promoted his "Carnival of Champions" in September, in which Thil was booked to.meet Apostoli, the major commission in America would not allow the match to be deslgnated a championship.) British Empire. Flyweight: Vacant. Bantam-weight: Vacant. Feather-weight: McGrory. Light-weight: Laurie Stevens (South Africa). Welter-weight: Vacant. Mid-dle-weight: Vacant. Light-heavy-weight: Vacant. Heavy-weight: Tommy Farr. Great Britain. Flyweight: Benny Lynch (Glasgow). Bantam-weight f ""Johnny King (Manchester). Feather-weight: Johnny McGrory (Glasgow). Lightweight: Jimmy Walsh (Chester). Welter-weight: Jake Kilrain (Glasgow). Middle-weight: Jock McAvoy (Manchester). Light-heavy-weight: McAvoy. Heavy-weight: Tommy Farr (Wales). European. Flyweight: Benny Lynch (Great Britain). Bantam-weight: Vacant. Feather-w-ight: Vacant, Lightweight: Vacant. Welter-weight: Vacant. Middle-weight: Marcel Thil (France). Light-heavy-weight: Thii. Heavy-weight; Max Schmeling (Germany).