Did You Know? Today in Boxing History

By Carlos “The Boxing Man” Ortenblad

Today is the 85-year anniversary of a fight between Panama Al Brown and Eugene Huat. It was a rematch. Brown won by a 15-round Unanimous Decision. The fight happened at Montreal, Canada, and Montreal would, decades later, host the 1976 Olympic Games. About 11,000 people watched the Brown-Huat rematch and the gate was circa US$18,000, which, in 2016 dollars, translates to about US285,901.58. This duel marked the first time in Montreal history that the no-foul rule was duly enforced, to avoid any possibility which could be akin to the recent Huat-Newsboy Brown bout. According to the Montreal Gazette: “The contest was so one-sided that it became tiresome to the thousands who gathered around the ringside and many kept calling to Brown to go on and knock Huat out.”

Brown retained the title of National Boxing Association World Bantamweight Champion by defeating Huat.

It is also the 80-year anniversary of a fight between Henry Armstrong and Mike Belloise. The fight happened at the Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, USA. Armstrong won on points after 10 rounds. Armstrong added New York recognition as featherweight champion, as he already held the title of California-Mexico World Featherweight Champion. He would only become Undisputed World Featherweight Champion once he beat Petey Sarron on Friday, October 29, 1937.

Long Live Boxing!