Jimmy Slattery Written by Rob Snell Friday, 16 November 2007 Name: Career Record: click Birth Name: James Edward Slattery Nationality: US American Birthplace: Buffalo, NY, USA Hometown: Buffalo, NY Born: 1904-08-25 Died: 1960-08-30 Age at Death: 56 Height: 5′ 11″

Died August 30, 1960 in Buffalo, New York, USA

Inducted into Buffalo’s Ring No. 44 Hall of Fame: Inaugural Class of 1997

Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame: Class of 2006

Born James Patrick Slattery on August 25, 1904 in the First Ward of Buffalo, NY. Slattery's interest in boxing began as a child when his father took him to the First Ward Athletic Club to watch boxers, including heavyweight champion Jess Willard, train.

He turned pro in 1921 at the age of 16 and won his first 35 fights before tasting defeat for the first time. A boxing master, the handsome Slattery was said to have it all – movie star looks and innate boxing ability. He boxed with his hands at his side, but speed and instinctive defensive moves made him particularly difficult to hit. In 1924 the 20-year old phenom was matched against the rugged and lost a decision. “Slats” rebounded to defeat , and Johnny Risko among others.

Notable defeats came at the hands of , who unexpectedly stopped Slattery in 3 rounds, and an 11th round TKO loss to . On August 30, 1927, the “Buffalo Harp” won the vacant NBA light heavyweight title with a 10-round decision over Rosenbloom. He lost the crown to in one of the best displays of boxing by both men on December 12, 1927. Slattery fought for the NYSAC title against Lou Scozza on Februay 10, 1930 and won a 15-round split decision.

His nemesis Rosenbloom relieved him of the title on June 25, 1930 via 15-round split decision. Slattery lost his last title match against Rosenbloom in 1931. In 1934 he hung up his gloves with a record of 114- 13-2 NCs (48 KOs). With most of his ring earnings gone from years of fast living, Slattery worked for the city of Buffalo during the Depression. Afflicted with tuberculosis since the early 1940s, he died from the disease on August 30, 1960.

King of the Ring by Ed Dunn

He came out of Buffalo's old First Ward, starting as a long rangy kid in the , to become one of the smoothest, most efficient fighting machines in the world. The first pair of green trunks he ever wore in the ring were made by his mother; the bathrobe slung carelessly over his broad young shoulders was borrowed. He fought him, first professional fight for $40. Yet in a few swift ears, Jimmy Slattery's murderous left had clouted him a straight path to Madison Square Garden, where he eventually became the light heavyweight champion of the world and a heavy weight title contender.

In his hey-dey, he was like the hero of some ancient Irish fable-a ring wise, black haired Irish imp who carried man made lightening in his gloves. He was only 20 years old when he fought his first fight in the big time. Hoarse-voiced thousands that night in 1924 watched this dancing will-o'-the-wisp out-box. out-guess and outfight the veteran Jack Delaney. Yet within that same year the same Madison Square Garden crowd watched, agonized, while Paul Berlenbach, a huge hunk of ex-wrestler, belted Buffalo's golden boy all around the ring. The referee stopped the fight in the eleventh round after Berlenbach had smashed Slats to the canvas three times.

Despite this beating, though, he lived to win the title five years later when on February 10, 1930, he won a 15-round decision over another Buffalo fighter, Lou Scozza, in the Broadway Auditorium. But those were five fast years that only served to grease the skids for Slattery's ride bloom hailed a cab on Eighth Avenue and rode it nearly four hundred miles to a training camp up in the Adirondacks.

The vanishing act was another of his pet tricks; he'd drop out of sight regardless of circumstances. His manager, Red Carr, once lined up a big fight for Slats only to find that Slats was nowhere around. For five days he was gone. Police at Elkhart, Ind wired to Buffalo that he had been arrested for vagrancy. Another time-in New York-Slats told Carr he was going out to buy a hat. He was gone for half a week before he came back without the hat.

Once Slattery turned up missing in Venice. His companions were getting ready to have the canals dragged when they found him at 4 a. m., floating aimlessly around in an appropriated gondola.

Anyone could put the "bite" on him. That was another of his weaknesses That staunch heart of his was brimming with too much kindness. A buck? Sure. A fin? Sure. Fifty? Hell yes! He made more than that a second. So the gang hung on. Used his cars, his liquor, his money and used him for all he was worth. Once a delegation of 28 home-town pals dropped into his New York - hotel after a fight. They had spent all their money. How were they going to get home? Slats snapped his fingers. "Nothing to it," he said, and picked up the phone and ordered 28 Pullman berths for Buffalo.

What caused Slattery's rapid downfall as a fighter, as meteoric as his rise to fame? Maybe the trouble was too much too soon. Maybe it was a case of "too many parties and too many pals." One guess is as good as another. Slattery himself perhaps had the answer to the ride down. He once said that he'd give up fighting in a minute if he could play the piano. However, be never learned to play anything but the harmonica. Before Slat's first 15-round fight with Paul Berlenbach, the late Tex Rickard went to his dressing room with the idea of soothing, the nervous youngster. He found Slattery stretched out on the rubbing table trying, to play his harmonica with gloved hands.

But for a fighter who preferred music to mayhem, he made-and lost -a tidy fortune. In a career of 126 fights he earned and flung away $438,000. He could have been heavyweight champion of the world, according to most sports experts who saw him in action in his prime. Gentleman Jim Corbett made it a point to see every Slattery fight because, according to sports writers, he saw his own greatness mirrored in the lean Irishman. Gene Tunny has called him the greatest natural boxer of those times.

Slattery boxed frequently with Tunney when the latter was getting into shape for his second Dempsey fight during one furious session, Slats sent Tunney sprawling through the ropes. Newspaper stories said Tunney "slipped," but Slattery's followers have always maintained that it was a clean punch that nearly knocked the heavyweight champ out.

Slattery fought his last professional fight on August 22, 1932 in . He was knocked out in the second round by Charley Belanger, Canadian light-heavy weight champion.

Nevada State Journal 12 September 1925

Berlenbach Keeps Fistic Crown Champ Scores Technical KO in 11th Round

Slattery Unable to Weather Storm Of Blows Put Over By Astorian

Paul Berlenbach of Astoria, N. Y., world's light heavyweight champion, successfully defended his title tonight when he scored a technical knockout over Jimmy Slattery of Buffalo. N. Y.. in the eleventh round of a 15-round encounter in the American league baseball .park.

Berlenbach's powerful punches and the long route was too much for the youthful challenger, and the end came after 1 minute and 28 seconds of the eleventh round after Slattery had been on the canvas for most of the round. Referee Patsy Haley stopped the fight after it appeared certain that Slattery could not weather Berlenbach's storm of blows.

Tex Rickard, promoter of the match estimated the attendance at 35,000 when the fighters entered the ring. At the official weighing in today Berlenbach scaled 172 pounds, 10 ½ pounds more than his rival. This is Slattery's first fight in New York state over the 14,-round route, his other appearances having been confined to six rounds in accordance with the provisions of the Walker law limiting the activities of boxers to 21 years of age. Slattery reached his majority August 21.

The fight by rounds follows:

ROUND ONE.

Slattery started to dance around the champion with lightning speed. They exchanged light blows. Slattery landed on the champion's jaw and they clinched. Both landed to the head. The champion staggered Slattery with a right to body. Another uppercut rocked Berlenbach; A straight right and left to jaw backed the champion to the ropes. Slattery was boxing prettily. They were dancing at the bell.

ROUND TWO.

Slattery led with right to head, but took Berlenbach's heavy right in return Berlenbach chased his challenger half way around the ring. Berflenbach scored to the body at close quarters. The champion rushed Slattery to the corner and had him groggy with a furious charge. A heavy blow sent Slattery back on his heels. They were in a clinch at the bell.

ROUND THREE.

Slattery crashed to Berlenbach's body. Slattery's left jab was bothering the champion. Berlenbacb slowed Slattery with a right to the body. There was much wrestling. A smashing left to the face had Slattery groggy and he reeled about the ring, hanging on to the champion whenever possible. The champion was weakening his opponent with his heavy blows. The bell found the challenger in a groggy condition.

ROUND FOUR.

Slattery continued to dance around, with Berlenbach right after him. Berlenbach was frantically endeavoring to get over his finishing right. A left to the chin sent Slattery reeling again. The challenger got over a right to the face and followed it with an uppercut and another right. Both missed weak jabs just as the gong sounded.

ROUND FIVE.

Slattery staggered Berlenbach with a right to the chin. A right slipped off the challenger's jaw without harm. Slattery started to punch with Berlenbach and held his own in an interesting skirmish. A straight right and left backed Slattery to the ropes. Slattery's jabs were bothering Berlenbach. The crowd was in an uproar As the bell found Berlenbach on the defensive.

ROUND SIX.

Slattery rocked Berlenbach with a stiff uppercut. The champion sent his challenger's head back with his lunging left. Slattery was boxing cleverly Slattery put across a straight right which sent Berlenbach back on his heels. They traded body blows Every other charge was a clinch. Just as the bell rang Slattery sank his right to Berlenbach's ribs.

ROUND SEVEN.

Berlepbach landed a right, but took three left jabs to the head. The challenger doubled Berlenbach with a right to the stomach. Another right caught Berlenbach's chin. Slattery landed right to chin and clinched There was much pulling and hanging on by both. Slattery measured Berlenbach with a right to the head just as the bell stopped the round.

ROUND EIGHT.

Berlenbach turned Slattery half way round with a right to the head Three times Slattery's gloves found Berlenbach'e face without a return.The referee was continually breaking them from a clinch. Berlenbach almost floored Slatters with a left to the head. The Buffalo boy staggering half across the ring. Slattery took three for one in a mixup in the centre of the ring The bell found them clinched

ROUND NINE

A hard right to the chin greeted Berlenbach as the round opened. Slattery took a right to the body. Slattery landed to the head and body and held Berlenbach in a clinch. A right to the heart slowed the champion. A smashing left square on the face almost floored the challenger. The bell found them sparring for an opening.

ROUND TEN

A weak left sent Slattery to the ropes. Berlenbach backed into a hard right. Every other charge ended in a clinch. Three times Berlenbach landed to the head and Slattery’s knees sagged.. A left staggered Slattery, another left turned him around. They went wrestling and Slattery went down from the force of the charge. He was up at eight. Another push sent him down for nine. The champion bored landing at will at the defenseless challenger. He went down but the bell saved him at the count of four.

ROUND ELEVEN

A stiff right to the jaw floored Slattery again for the count of nine the challenger absorbing terrific punishment. Another lunge sent Slattery down for a count of nine They wrestled and Slattery went down again and was up at nine. Berlenbach rushed Slattery to the ropes and with powerful rights and lefts poured a furious charge at the utterly defenseless challenger. The referee started to stop the fight but stopped when Slattery appeared to be weathering the storm. Three times Berlenbach smashed his fist to Slattery’s unprotected face and the Buffalo boy started to sink to the canvas as Referee Patsy Halev then stopped the fight and waved Berlenbach to his corner

The Bridgeport Telegram 13 December 1927

Loughran's Rush in Final Rounds Wears Slattery Down Buffalo Youngster Chooses to Swap Punches with Philadelphia Rival after Loughran Wears Him down with Body Blows—Crowd Is Dissatisfied with Decision By Edward J Neil

Madison Square Garden , NewYork, Dec. 12—(By Associated Press.)

The light heavyweight championship of the world, a diadem disputed for months between the representatives of the New York State Athletic commission and the National Boxing association rested tonight on the curly-headed thatch of Tommy Loughran. Sturdy heavy fisted youngster from Philadelphia.

Loughran, recognized in New York as king of the 175 pounders won the crown beyond all dispute by whipping Jimmy Slattery. rival standard- bearer, in a thrilling fifteen round match that kept 15.000 spectators in the spacious arena in a constant uproar. At the close the crowd roared their disapproval of the decision, and cheers for the Buffalo boy and his game stand volleyed to the rafters as the fighters left the ring.

Despite masterly boxing ability that at times made the speedy Loughran appear slow by comparison, and a willingness to swap punches with an opponent enjoying an eight pound weight advantage, the lithe New York youngster appeared to have been bettered in eight of the 15 rounds after winning five and holding Loughran even for two.

Came With Rush.

Tommy came with a rush toward the close, when Slatterv's dancing legs tired under the torrid pace and arms, wearied by constant blocking, grew trembly and weak. Then it was that Loughran. bleeding slightly from a cut Jimmy had opened under his left eye, stormed in close, flailed both hands in an unceasing stream to the body, and pounded out his margin of victory.

The match was a brilliant display by two master craftsmen, clean, decisive punchers, fast and furious workmen. Showing all the form that won him heraldy as another Jim Corbett before the flashing fists of Dave Shade knocked him from prominence, Slattery outboxed and outgeneralled Loughran through, the early rounds.

Hands hanging limply at his sides "Slats" bounced around the ring, flipping stinging Jabs into Loughran's eves and whipping solid right crosses to the chin. After him pounded the "Philadelphia Adonis," grim and unrelenting. out speeded but by no means out gamed.

Slattery Slows Up.

The occasional right hand shots Loughran drilled into Slattery s body slowed the lighter youth, brought his speed closer to his own and wore the lean youngster down steadily. As his speed gave out under the long grind, Slattery chose to mix in close, swap shots with his husky rival— and lose all claim to the 175 pound title, fighting rather than running away.

There were no knockdowns and neither was in serious danger at any time during the sensational milling, although several times Slattery's clean . rifle-like shots to the chin shot Loughran's 'head back. But Tommy always was able to retaliate by storming in close, laying a barrage on Slattery's ribs, and driving the Buffalo youth away with overhand smashes to the head.

Loughran scaled-in at 173 ½ pounds Slattery 165 ½ . By Rounds

Round One

Both were very cautious as they pranced in the centre of the the ring measuring each other with light lefts to the head. Tommy cut loose with a fierce two fisted body attack that drove Slattery into a neutral corner arms doubled across his ribs. Boxing flashily, Jimmy worked his way out and speared Loughran with lefts to the head but Tommy's fists dug solidly Into the Buffalo boys body. Tommy punched Slattery viciously with short rights to the ribs on the rope. Slattery broke away and peppered Tommy's face with lefts at the bell.

ROUND TWO

They formed a pretty picture, dancing cleverly in the center of the ring shooting with both hands to the head and body, shots that traveled almost too fast. Tommy punched through Slattery's dazzling footwork and rocked the Buffalo boy with a right under the heart. Jimmy gave ground, backing away behind a whiplash left, but Tommy caught him and ripped to his body at the ropes. They jabbed and retreated simultaneously so that the bell found them standing in their own corners with Slattery winking confidently at the ringside denizens.

ROUND THREE

Loughran came steaming out on the offensive shooting lefts to Slattery's chin . Jimmy ducked and dodged backwards, spearing Loughran neatly with a left and right to the head when Tommy missed once. Loughran was warned when a right dropped below the foul line. Slattery took the offensive, threw caution to the wind, and they slugged to the head and body like a pair of leaden footed heavyweights in the center of the room while the crowd roared approval. They broke loose to look the situation over as the gong clanged.

ROUND FOUR

Tommy snapped his left in the general direction of Slattery six times before he managed to tap jimmy’s nose. They were content to jab and duck, counter and block until Slattery chased Loughran into the ropes where they swapped rights to the body. Slattery was dazzlingly fast and Tommy appeared slow and a bit puzzled in comparison. Dancing around hands at his sides. Slattery forced Loughran to miss and march disgusted with back turned to the centre of the ring just before the bell.

ROUND FIVE

The dancing masters pranced and strutted until Loughran smashed Jimmy with a solid right to the chin. Slattery backed into the ropes shooting out a poisonous left, but Tommy crashed both hands solidly to the body. Pinned on the ropes, Slattery took a left and right hook to the head. They were bruising to the body in a clinch when the bell rang.

ROUND SIX

Loughran threw a light to Slattery's chin coming almost all the way across the ring. Jimmie stabbed with the left and danced out of danger, not wasting a motion saving every bit of strength, Slattery boxed about cannily and swapped head punches with Loughran only when an advantage offered. That style brought Tommy in with chin uncovered and Slats smashed him soundly around the head and body with a volley of lefts and rights at the bell.

ROUND SEVEN

Loughran was very cautious, but traded two smashes to Slattery's chin for one right on his own. Jimmy stabbed left and opened a cut under Tommy's, left eye. The going was very fast, both shooting punches with either hand and ripping about the ring in a vain effort to find a real opening for a decisive count. The bell found them sparring.

ROUND EIGHT

Slattery jarred Loughran with three right crosses to the head and drilled his right to the body for good measure. The punches slowed Tommy and his left grew wild. Slattery’s sport weapon bounced steadily to Loughran's head. Slattery cracked a left and right to the chin and Tommy was glad to hold. Tommy ripped a right to Slavery's chin but took two solid clouts to the heart in return. They were dancing at the bell.

ROUND NINE-.

Slattery backed away Tommy’s body attack but Slattery nearly tumbled him from the ring with rights to the ear. Slattery chased the New York champion around the ring with a sizzling attack to the body These shots slowed Loughran and a solid right to the jaw made him hold. In a fierce free swinging exchange at the ropes Loughran drilled Slattery with whistling drives that backed Jimmy into the ropes. The crowd yelled frantically as they smashed head and body until the bell.

ROUND TEN

Loughran slammed a left and right into Jimmy . A right to the forehead shot jimmy s " head back. Tommy punched incessantly in an effort to break through the buffalo youths defense. Jiminy danced away from most of the harm, However and occasionally snapped Loughran’s- head back with his spearing left. Loughran was tired but forcing the issue at the bell.

ROUND ELEVEN

Slattery bounced around apparently fresh as ever while Tommy seemed to have slowed down a bit. Loughran walked straight through Jimmy’s defense with a left uppercut to the chin. Tommy forced Jimmy to the ropes and pounded his mid section . Slattery was content to stab and run saving his energy. A right bounced Slats into the ropes at the gong.

ROUND TWELVE

Again Loughran pinned Slattery on the ropes.Tommy was hooking viciously into Jimmy a body and Jimmy backed into the ropes under another two fisted attack to the head. Left jabs filled the space between them as they danced around the ring. Loughran chased Slattery into the ropes for another fierce body battering. They were sparring at the bell.

ROUND THIRTEEN

Loughran appeared the stronger as they swapped rights to the head. They shuttled back and forth. Tommy bore in close and nailed Slattery with left and right hooks to the jaw. A short right caught Slattery of balance and he went backward into the ropes, Loughran tore after him, getting both hands to the chin as the bell stopped tommy’s best opportunity of the evening.

ROUND FOURTEEN

Slattery rallied to chase Loughran into a corner. Jimmy sent a half dozen hooks to the head. Tommy worked loose and drove Jimmy back with a stiff right to the ear. Slattery appeared arm weary as Tommy smashed to the chin. Wipping back viciously Slattery battered Loughran about the head at the bell on the ropes.

ROUND FIFTEEN

Science went by the boards as both tore together slashing head and body with both hands. Neither gave ground and a two fisted slugging duel in the center of the ring. Slattery smashed a right to Loughran’s chin and took a light counter to the chin in return. Tommy threw two overhand rights full into Slattery's Jaw, Slattery hung on. Slattery pounded the body. Tommy fought his way out with short rights to the head. They were locked in a fierce melee in the center of the ring at the final gong.