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The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia -- Lineal Champion

Tony Zale
(Anthony Florian Zaleski; "Man of Steel")

BORN May 29 1914; Gary, Indiana (Some sources report 1913)
DIED March 20 1997; Chicago, Illinois (Some sources report March 21 1997)
HEIGHT 5-8
WEIGHT 154 3/4-165 lbs
MANAGERS Harry Shall, John Zale, Art Winch, Sam Pian
TRAINERS Izzy Klein, Ray Arcel
RECORD 67-18-2 (45 KO)

 

Zale was a warrior, a battler of the first order who knew how to fight; He knew all the tricks and how to use them; He had "savvy" and could box or punch; He carried solid, stiff blows in his fists; Tony ranks among the All-Time greats on the lists of many boxing people; During his career, he won the Middleweight Championship of the World

Tony is best known for his three "wars" with Rocky Graziano but he also defeated such men as Al Hostak, Fred Apostoli, Georgie Abrams, Henry Schaft, Tony Martin, Steve Mamakos, Ben Brown and Lou Woods

Herb Goldman ranked Zale as the #10 All-Time Middleweight; Tony was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991

*** AMATEUR BOUT ***
1934
       Melio Bettina                                                L  3
          -Inter-City Golden Gloves Light Heavyweight Championship


*** PROFESSIONAL BOUTS ***

1934
Jun 11 Eddie Allen                Chicago, Il                       W  4
Jun 15 Johnny Simpson             Chicago, Il                       W  4
Jun 21 Bobby Millsap              Chicago, Il                      KO  1
Jun 25 Johnny Liston              Chicago, Il                      KO  3
Jul  2 Ossie Jefferson            Chicago, Il                      KO  3
Jul  9 Lou Bartell                Chicago, Il                       W  4
Jul 16 Einar Hedquist             Chicago, Il                      KO  4
Jul 30 Bobby Millsap              Chicago, Il                       W  4
Aug  6 Bruce Wade                 Peoria, Il                       KO  3
Aug 13 Billy Hood                 Chicago, Il                       L  6
Aug 15 George Black               Chicago, Il                       L  6
Aug 27 Wilbur Stokes              Chicago, Il                       W  8
Sep  3 Mickey Misko               Chicago, Il                       L  8
Sep 17 Mickey Misko               Chicago, Il                      KO  4
Oct  8 Jack Blackburn             Chicago, Il                       W  8
Oct 22 Frankie Misko              Chicago, Il                      KO  6
Oct 28 Jackie Schwartz            Milwaukee, Il                    KO  4
Nov  5 Jack Chavez                Chicago, Il                       W  8
Nov 26 Kid Leonard                Peoria, Il                        L 10
Dec 17 Jack Gibbons               Chicago, Il                       L 10
Dec 28 Joey Bazzone               Chicago, Il                       L  6

1935
Feb 25 Jack Blackburn             Chicago, Il                       W  6
Mar 11 Max Elling                 Chicago, Il                       W  8
Mar 27 Frank Glover               Cincinnati, Oh                   LK  9
May  6 Johnny Phagan              Chicago, Il                      LK  6
Jul  2 Dave Clark                 Chicago, Il                       L  5

1936
Apr 13 Jack Moran                 Chicago, Il                       D  5

1937
Jul 26 Elby Johnson               Chicago, Il                       W  4
Aug 17 Emanuel Davila             Chicago, Il                       L  4
Sep 17 Elby Johnson               Chicago, Il                      KO  3
Oct 11 Billy Brown                Chicago, Il                      KO  1
Oct 18 Bobby Gerry                Chicago, Il                      KO  2
Nov  1 Nate Bolden                Chicago, Il                       L  5
Nov 10 Leon Jackson               Gary, In                          W  6
Nov 22 Nate Bolden                Chicago, Il                       W  6

1938
Jan  3 Nate Bolden                Chicago, Il                       W  8
Jan 24 Henry Schaft               Chicago, Il                       W  8
Feb 21 Jimmy Clark                Chicago, Il                      LK  1
Mar 28 King Wyatt                 Chicago, Il                       W  8
May 16 Bobby LaMonte              Chicago, Il                      KO  5
Jun 13 Jimmy Clark                Chicago, Il                      KO  8
Jul 18 Billy Celebron             Chicago, Il                       D 10
Aug 22 Billy Celebron             Chicago, Il                       L 10
Oct 10 Tony Cisco                 Chicago, Il                       W 10
Oct 31 Jimmy Clark                Chicago, Il                      KO  2
Nov 18 Enzo Iannozzi              Chicago, Il                       W  6

1939
Jan  2 Nate Bolden                Chicago, Il                       L 10
May  1 Johnny Shaw                Chicago, Il                      KO  5
May 23 Babe Orgovan               New York, NY                      W  6
Aug 14 Milton Shivers             Chicago, Il                      KO  3
Oct  6 Sherman Edwards            Chicago, Il                      KO  3
Nov  3 Al Wardlow                 Youngstown, Oh                   KO  3
Nov 11 Eddie Meleski              Chicago, Il                      KO  1
Dec 12 Babe Orgovan               Chicago, Il                      KO  3

1940
Jan 29 Al Hostak                  Chicago, Il                       W 10
Feb 29 Enzo Iannozzi              Youngstown, Oh                   KO  4
Mar 29 Ben Brown                  Chicago, Il                      KO  3
Jun 12 Baby Kid Chocolate         Youngstown, Oh                   KO  4
Jul 19 Al Hostak                  Seattle, Wa                      KO 13
          -NBA Middleweight Championship of the World
Aug 21 Billy Soose                Chicago, Il                       L 10
Nov 19 Fred Apostoli              Seattle, Wa                       W 10

1941
Jan  1 Tony Cianciola             Milwaukee, Wi                    KO  7
Jan 10 Steve Mamakos              Chicago, Il                       W 10
Feb 21 Steve Mamakos              Chicago, Il                      KO 14
          -NBA Middleweight Championship of the World
May 28 Al Hostak                  Chicago, Il                      KO  2
          -NBA Middleweight Championship of the World
Jul 23 Ossie Harris               Chicago, Il                      KO  1
Aug 16 Billy Pryor                Milwaukee, Wi                    KO  9
Nov 28 Georgie Abrams             New York, NY                      W 15
          -Middleweight Championship of the World

1942
Feb 13 Billy Conn                 New York, NY                      L 12

1946
Jan  7 Bobby Giles                Kansas City, Mo                  KO  4
Jan 17 Tony Gilo                  Norfolk, Va                      KO  5
Feb  7 Oscar Boyd                 Des Moines, Ia                   KO  3
Feb 26 Bobby Claus                Houston, Tx                      KO  4
Apr 12 Ira Hughes                 Houston, Tx                      KO  2
May  2 Eddie Rossi                Memphis, Tn                      KO  4
Sep 27 Rocky Graziano             New York, NY                     KO  6
          -Middleweight Championship of the World

1947
Feb  3 Deacon Logan               Omaha, Ne                        KO  6
Feb 12 Len Wadsworth              Wichita, Ks                      KO  3
Mar 20 Tommy Charles              Memphis, Tn                      KO  4
Apr  1 Al Timmons                 Kansas City, Mo                  KO  5
May  8 Cliff Beckett              Youngstown, Oh                   KO  6
Jul 16 Rocky Graziano             Chicago, Il                      LK  6
          -Middleweight Championship of the World

1948
Jan 23 Al Turner                  Grand Rapids, Mi                 KO  5
Mar  8 Bobby Claus                Little Rock, Ar                  KO  4
Mar 19 Lou Woods                  Toledo, Oh                       KO  3
Jun 10 Rocky Graziano             Newark, NJ                       KO  3
          -Middleweight Championship of the World
Sep 21 Marcel Cerdan              Jersey City, NJ                  LK 12
          -Middleweight Championship of the World

1959
          -Zale applied for a boxing license 

1973
Mar  8 Rocky Graziano             New York, NY                     EX   

1979
       an unnamed opponent        Montreal, Que, Can               EX   



Record courtesy of Tracy Callis, Historian, International Boxing Research Organization

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