Al Singer boxer
- bouts
- 73
- won
- 62
- lost
- 9
- draw
- 2
- Status
- inactive
- Division
- lightweight
- Debut
- 1927-07-02
- Height
- 5′ 4½″/164cm
- Reach
- -
- Age
- 54
- Born
- 1906-09-06
- Death
- 1961-04-20
- Nationality
- USA
Al "The Bronx Beauty" Singer (September 6, 1909 – April 20, 1961) was an American boxer who won the world lightweight championship in 1930.Singer was born in a tenement on Broome Street, part of the Jewish section in New York's Lower East Side on September 6, 1909. He was one of four sons and a daughter born to an ambitious ladies' garment entrepreneur who would keep his large family in America's middle class. Singer, an all round athlete who loved basketball, was discovered by boxing trainers Harry Drucker and Hymie Caplan after his tenth amateur bout which included a great showing in his first outing against the New York State Bantamweight champion, Jimmy Cruze. As an amateur boxer, he won the Metropolitan AAU featherweight title. Singer had unsurpassed grace and a studied style in the ring, and he could punch with authority, but unlike the great lightweight Benny Leonard, to whom he was often compared, he could not take a strong punch and was considered to have a "glass jaw". His quick rise to fame, and equally quick demise could be explained by these competing characteristics.Debuting as a professional in Brooklyn with a knockout of Jim Reilly on July 2, 1927, Singer went undefeated in his first two years as a professional. His affectionate New York fans dubbed him "The Bronx Beauty" for both his looks and exceptional grace in the ring. Though Singer was young and had stayed far distant from crime, his exceptional winning record caught the eye of the New York mob, who hoped to bring him to a championship as quickly as possible. Most reference books on Singer noted that in 1928, two men came to his training camp and asked to meet with his manager Harry Drucker. Accepting a ride with the men, Drucker was never heard from again, and Singer came under the influence of the mob, who many believed fixed a few of his early fights. He performed exceptionally well against Lou Moscowitz at Madison Square Garden and Pete Zivic at St. Nicholas in late 1928, knocking them out in five and six rounds respectively. In his first real feature match on September 14, 1928, Singer and the exceptionally skilled Tony Canzoneri, former holder of the featherweight world title, battled to a 10-round draw, satisfying an impressed audience and spotlighting Singer as a potential feather or lightweight contender. In his career, Singer won 61 of 72 pro fights (25 by KO), drawing twice, and losing nine.In February and March 1929, Singer faced former 1927 world bantamweight champion Bud Taylor at Madison Square Garden, winning in a fourth round disqualification and a ten-round points decision. In Singer's win by disqualification, Taylor landed a low left hook to the body, 52 seconds into the fourth, that caused Singer to drop to his knees in pain. The bout was fast, furious, and close in the opening rounds. In their ten-round bout on March 15, before 20,000 at the Garden, the fighting was close, but Taylor's attempts to end the bout with hooks to the body were not adequate to slow down Singer, who was permitted to land a few rights to the jaw of Taylor, gaining essential points in the closely scored bout.In a non-title bout on July 24, 1929, before a crowd of around 29,000, Singer defeated Frenchman Andre Routis, reigning NBA world featherweight champion, in an impressive second-round technical knockout at Ebbetts Field in Brooklyn. Singer first floored the Frenchman with a count of five from a right to the jaw preceded by a right left combination, that was followed by a count of three with another right after Routis resumed boxing. On his third trip to the canvas, the referee called a technical knockout.On August 29, 1929, Singer lost an important twelve round bout with Black Cuban boxer Kid Chocolate, at the Polo Grounds in New York with 50,000 in attendance. It was a swift, clean fight that featured no knockdowns, but studied technique and style. In the fifth and the eighth, Chocolate landed two powerful rights to the head of Singer that nearly staggered him, but he stayed on his feet. In the second and eleventh, Singer boxed Chocolate around the ring, but at the end of each round Chocolate answered with a flurry of his own. Singer appeared better in the early rounds, and was the aggressor particularly in the second, fourth and fifth. In the seventh, eighth and ninth, Chocolate rallied, using his right with enough effect to gain a points advantage from which Singer could not recover. Chocolate clearly took the twelfth, conceding the tenth by a hair to Singer. The decision was unpopular with the New York crowd, who may have been aware that Chocolate effectively blocked a large number of the blows that Singer appeared to land. Chocolate let Singer take the lead, slowly wearing him down, and using his best defense against him.
Date | Opponent | Last Opponents' Results | Place | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1935-11-11 | Johnny Toomey | WDLWLL | Laurel Garden, Newark | WIN Technical knockout |
1935-11-07 | Al Dunbar | LWLWLW | Westchester County Center, White Plains | WIN Technical knockout |
1935-10-21 | Frankie Warno | LLLLDL | Arena, Trenton | WIN Points |
1935-10-14 | Bucky Keyes | WLLLLL | Laurel Garden, Newark | WIN Technical knockout |
1931-12-11 | Battling Battalino | WWLLWW | Madison Square Garden, New York | LOST Technical knockout |
1931-12-01 | Tommy Crowley | WWLLLL | Columbus Hall, Yonkers | WIN Points |
1931-11-16 | Johnny Gaito | WLWWWW | St. Nicholas Arena, New York | WIN Points |
1931-08-28 | Eddie Martin | LLWLWD | Coney Island Stadium, Brooklyn | WIN Technical knockout |
1931-07-10 | Eddie Shapiro | LDDWDD | Long Beach Stadium, Long Beach | WIN Points |
1931-06-18 | Lew Massey | WLLWWW | Madison Square Garden, New York | WIN Points |
1930-11-14 | Tony Canzoneri | WWWWWL | Madison Square Garden, New York | LOST KO |
1930-10-14 | Eddie Mack | WWWWDL | Chicago Stadium, Chicago | WIN Unanimous decision |
1930-09-11 | Jimmy McLarnin | WWWWWW | Yankee Stadium, Bronx | LOST KO |
1930-07-17 | Sammy Mandell | DWLWDW | Yankee Stadium, Bronx | WIN KO |
1930-05-23 | Ignacio Fernandez | WWWLLL | Madison Square Garden, New York | WIN Points |
1930-03-17 | Eddie Wagner | LDLLLL | St. Nicholas Arena, New York | WIN Technical knockout |
1930-01-31 | Stanislaus Loayza | WDLDWL | Madison Square Garden, New York | WIN Unanimous decision |
1930-01-13 | Georgie Day | LLLWLL | St. Nicholas Arena, New York | WIN Technical knockout |
1929-11-29 | Pete Nebo | WWDDWW | Madison Square Garden, New York | WIN Technical knockout |
1929-11-16 | Al 'Rube' Goldberg | LDLWLL | Ridgewood Grove, Brooklyn | WIN Technical knockout |
1929-11-11 | Johnny Sheppard | LLLLLL | St. Nicholas Arena, New York | WIN Technical knockout |
1929-10-21 | Davey Abad | LWWWLW | Madison Square Garden, New York | WIN Points |
1929-10-11 | Young Zazzarino | WWWWWW | Madison Square Garden, New York | WIN Technical knockout |
1929-08-29 | Kid Chocolate | WWWWWW | Polo Grounds, New York | LOST Split-decision |
1929-08-13 | Gaston Charles | LLWLLL | Queensboro Stadium, Long Island City, Queens | WIN KO |
1929-07-24 | Andre Routis | WLLWLL | Ebbets Field, Brooklyn | WIN Technical knockout |
1929-07-08 | Carl Duane | DLLLLW | Starlight Park, Bronx | WIN Points |
1929-06-26 | Dominick Petrone | LLDWLL | Queensboro Stadium, Long Island City, Queens | WIN Points |
1929-06-17 | Augie Pisano | WDLLLL | Dexter Park Arena, Woodhaven, Queens | WIN Unanimous decision |
1929-06-06 | Leo (Kid) Roy | WLWWLL | New York Coliseum, Bronx | WIN Technical knockout |
1929-05-17 | Ignacio Fernandez | DDDLWD | Madison Square Garden, New York | LOST KO |
1929-04-19 | Patsy Ruffalo | WDDLWL | Olympia Stadium, Detroit | WIN Points |
1929-03-15 | Bud Taylor | WWLWWL | Madison Square Garden, New York | WIN Points |
1929-02-08 | Bud Taylor | WWWLWW | Madison Square Garden, New York | WIN |
1929-01-21 | Sammy Novia | WWWDLW | Arena, Philadelphia | WIN Points |
1929-01-14 | Joe Ryder | LWLLDW | Broadway Arena, Brooklyn | WIN Points |
1928-12-14 | Tony Canzoneri | WLWLWW | Madison Square Garden, New York | DRAW Majority decision |
1928-12-03 | Pete Zivic | DDDLLW | St. Nicholas Arena, New York | WIN Technical knockout |
1928-11-16 | Lou Moscowitz | LLDWWW | Madison Square Garden, New York | WIN KO |
1928-11-08 | Johnny Lawson | WDLLLL | St. Nicholas Arena, New York | WIN Technical knockout |
1928-10-22 | Al Tripoli | DLWDWD | St. Nicholas Arena, New York | WIN Unanimous decision |
1928-10-05 | Johnny Lawson | WWDLLL | Madison Square Garden, New York | WIN |
1928-09-22 | Chick Suggs | DLWLWL | Olympia Boxing Club, New York | WIN Points |
1928-09-10 | Vic Burrone | WWWLLL | St. Nicholas Arena, New York | WIN Points |
1928-08-21 | Smiling Springer | LLLDLW | Queensboro Stadium, Long Island City, Queens | WIN Technical knockout |
1928-08-13 | Tony Pellegrino | LWWWWW | Dexter Park Arena, Woodhaven, Queens | WIN Points |
1928-08-03 | Pancho Dencio | WLLLLL | Long Beach Stadium, Long Beach | WIN Technical knockout |
1928-07-24 | Petey Mack | WLLDLL | Queensboro Stadium, Long Island City, Queens | DRAW Points |
1928-07-03 | Pete Herman | WD | Queensboro Stadium, Long Island City, Queens | WIN Points |
1928-06-21 | Tommy Gervel | LLLLWL | Madison Square Garden, New York | WIN Technical knockout |
1928-06-11 | Petey Mack | DWLLD | St. Nicholas Arena, New York | WIN Points |
1928-05-28 | Georgie Mack | LWLWWW | St. Nicholas Arena, New York | WIN Points |
1928-05-14 | George Nickfor | DLLWWD | St. Nicholas Arena, New York | WIN KO |
1928-04-18 | Lew Hurley | DDLLLL | Manhattan Casino, New York | WIN Points |
1928-04-11 | Sonny Parson | DLWWWL | Manhattan Casino, New York | WIN KO |
1928-04-07 | Joe Barbara | WWLLWL | Olympia Boxing Club, New York | WIN Points |
1928-03-17 | George Goldberg | LWWWLD | Ridgewood Grove, Brooklyn | WIN Points |
1928-03-03 | Joey Katkish | LDLDWL | Olympia Boxing Club, New York | WIN Points |
1928-02-04 | Sammy Chernoff | LWDLDD | Olympia Boxing Club, New York | LOST Points |
1928-01-14 | Herman Wallace | LWLWWL | Ridgewood Grove, Brooklyn | WIN Points |
1927-12-31 | Harry Traub | LWLLLW | Olympia Boxing Club, New York | WIN KO |
1927-12-17 | George Goldberg | LWLLWW | Ridgewood Grove, Brooklyn | LOST Points |
1927-11-12 | George Goldberg | LWLLW | Ridgewood Grove, Brooklyn | LOST Points |
1927-11-09 | Tommy Brady | WLLL | Pioneer Sporting Club, New York | WIN Technical knockout |
1927-10-29 | Murray Fuchs | LDLLLL | Olympia Boxing Club, New York | WIN Points |
1927-10-22 | Guy Mastrion | LWDWLW | Ridgewood Grove, Brooklyn | WIN Points |
1927-10-04 | Sammy Chernoff | WLWD | St. Nicholas Arena, New York | WIN Points |
1927-09-29 | Tommy Rivetti | WWWWWL | Columbus Hall, Yonkers | WIN Points |
1927-09-17 | Jim Reilly | L | Ridgewood Grove, Brooklyn | WIN KO |
1927-08-27 | Murray Fuchs | LLDLLL | Ridgewood Grove, Brooklyn | WIN Points |
1927-08-06 | Joe Barbara | WDLWWW | Ridgewood Grove, Brooklyn | LOST Points |
1927-07-30 | Joe Salamone | LWLLLL | Ridgewood Grove, Brooklyn | WIN Points |
1927-07-02 | Jim Reilly | debut | Ridgewood Grove, Brooklyn | WIN KO |