Challengers who won title in 12 or fewer fights

[Mike DeLisa]

Fights

3 Saensak Muangsurin ---WBC jr. Weltetrweight
4 Veeraphol Sahaprom ---WBA Bantamweight
6 Paul Weir ---WBO Minimumweight
7 Jeff Fenech ---IBF Bantamweight
7 Muangchi Kittikasem ---IBF jr Fly
8 Sot Chitilada ---WBC Fly crown
8 Leon Spinks ---Lineal Heavyweight
8 Joichiro Tatsuyosh ---WBC Bantamweight -- lost it in fight 9, but won interim interim version in fight 11
9 Napa Kiatwanchai ---WBC Minimum title -- he had a draw for it in fight 7.
9 Davey Moore WBA jr middle
9 Jung Il Byun WBC Bantam
9 Hiroki Ioka WBC minimum
9 Paul Weir WBO Light Fly
11 Jim Jeffries Lineal Heavyweight
11 Chan Hee Park WBC fly title
11 Yokthai Sithoar WBA superflyweight
11 Jorge Mata WBO Interim Minimumweight -- won actual title in fight 12.
12 Hilario Zapata WBC jr. Fly
12 Alimi Goitia WBA Superflyweight
12 Oscar De La Hoya WBO Superfeatherweight

[gregbeyer]

jim jeffries was 9-0-2 when he won the heavyweight title. that seems a glaring ommision.
greg

[Mike DeLisa]

YUP! Thanks for pointing that out! Jeffries actually might have been 7-0-2!~

[KOJOE90]

Paul Weir. WBO Minimumweight Title. 6th fight.
Paul Weir. WBO Light Flyweight Title. 9th fight.

[Mike DeLisa]

Good one -- love those alphabet titles!

[raylawpc]

By my count, Jeffries' record was either 11-0, 12-0 or 13-0 when he fought Fitzsimmons. On October 29, 1895, one "E. Jeffries" TKOed Hank Lorraine in a bout at the Los Angeles AC Gymnasium. Some years later, Jeff verified he, in fact, boxed Lorraine, but said the bout was only an exhibition. However, the LA Times article describing the bout does not give any indication that it was an exhibition. I also recently found a report of a scheduled bout in 1895 with somebody named Dan Burns at the LA AC Gym, but no result. And it appears that a bout reported in the Ring Record Book with one Jim Barber never took place. Indeed, I am about 99% certain that there was never a fight with Jim Barber. However, if both the Lorraine bout and the Burns bout actually took place - and weren't exhibitions - then Jeff's record going into the Fitz bout was 13-0. If the Lorraine fight was an exhibition and the Burns fight never took place, his record was 11-0.

His "official record," as published in his 1910 autobiography My Life and Battles, was 11-0 going into the Fitz fight. In my opinion, Jeffries' record was 12-0 when he fought Fitz. The reason: I don't think the Lorraine bout was an exhibition. The account of the bout makes it sound like a full-fledged fight. There is no proof of a Dan Burns fight.

Regardless, winning the title from Fitz in so few fights was an awesome achievement.

An interesting catagory might be "most exhibitions." In that catagory, Jeff might have been an all-time champion. By my count, Jeffries engaged in 334 exhibition bouts during various tours across the United States before and during his reign as champion, and during his comeback for the Johnson fight. And I know there were many more. By my estimate, probably about 450 to 500 - if you count the exhibitions he boxed when closing a theatrical performance, and the exihibitions he had in the 1920s when on Vaudeville tour with Tom Sharkey.

[Mike DeLisa]

I suggest you take a look at the CBZ record for Jeffries at http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/jeffries.htm

Best info is that the Barber fight was a rough and tumble wrestling match at Santa Monica beach.

He also had 2 20-round draws in San Francisco.

[raylawpc]

Hi CBZ:

Yes, I am the one who supplied that particular quote to our mutual friend Tracy Callis. I am only 99% certain - make that 99.9% certain - because Jeff had a bad habit of sometimes . . . well, let's just say the story changed in the telling from time to time. But there is no other record of the alleged bout other than the entry in the Ring Record Book. Jeff's bad memory is also why I discount his later claim that the Lorraine fight was only an exhibition. It sure doesn't sound that way from the account in the LA Times.

Of course, you are absolutely right that two of those pre-title fights against Ruhlin and Choynski were draws. Each time, I meant to write "12 fights" or "11 fights", but my brain put "12-0" or "11-0." Really stupid of me not to check my message before hitting the "post" button. Thanks for pointing out my mistake.

[iskigoe]

My 20 Greatest

By Hype Igoe
International News Service Sports Writer

ARTICLE NO. 4
By HYPE IGOE
NEW YORK, Mar. 7 1932 —

Jim Jeffries, who had been Jim Corbett's huge sparring partner
when Jim was training for his fight with Bob Fitzsimmons at
Carson City, two years later, had gone into a ring at Coney Island
and bashed the Great Ruby off his throne! Champion in his
eleventh' fight!

Its seems to me Hype went back through his articles to write these stories . Igoe was also considered the top historian in his time and famous for knowing the facts . You can be sure 99.9%
he knew all about Jeffries and how many fights he took to get to the title . Being great friends with both Corbett and Jeffries this would have been and important fact to him . I would find it hard to argue with his 11 .

Igoe

[raylawpc]

Here is the account of the E. Jeffries - Hank Lorraine fight from the October 30, 1895 LA Times at page 5:

"The opening preliminary was a four-round set-to between E. Jeffries and Hank Lorraine, two heavyweifghts, with Jeffries at least fifteen pounds heavier than his opponent. Jeffries, by reason of his superior weight, had no trouble in doing what he pleased with Lorraine, although the latter is known to be a game boxer. Time was called in the second round after Lorraine had been punished quite severely by his big antagonist."

I haven't checked the other LA newspapers of the period, but until I see otherwise, that bout sounds like a fight to me, not an exhibition. I will continue to list Jeff's pre-Fitzsimmons record in my materials as 10-0-2. (As noted in my previous post: Jim Jeffries later said that he boxed Lorraine, but claimed it was an exhibition.)

[Mike DeLisa]

I have no problem attributing the Lorraine bout to the record for Jeffries. Im glad you are in touch with Tracy, as he is a top notch researcher and we are so proud to ahve him here at the CBZ from virtually its inception over a decade ago!
As far as "official" records -- I try to make the CBZ the site -- and we are always willing to amend based on new facts.

[raylawpc]

Yes, I see Tracy has already added the Lorraine fight to Jeff's record. Although we have never met personally, I have exchanged e-mails with Tracy from time to time over the years and he, along with Chuck Johnston, have provided useful guidance in my research on Jeff's career.

[newpoppop]

Didn't Leon Spinks have fewer than 12 fights when he defeated Ali?

[PeteLeo]

Yep. Eight fights (of which one was a draw, I believe). Check Mike's first post on this thread. PeteLeo.

[raylawpc]

BTW, I have confirmed in the Los Angeles Herald that Jim Jeffries defeated Hank Lorraine in a professional bout on October 29, 1895 at the Los Angeles Athletic Club. So, Jeff's record was 10-0-2 at the time he fought Bob Fitzsimmons for the title. I have looked through all the LA newspapers for 1895 and 1896, and found no record of a fight with Jim Barber.