The Rise and Fall of The Rockford Flash #525-#528
Fun Fact # 525
To Take a hit
Near a boxing ring in Camp Grant (Rockford IL)1921, Samuel (Sammy) Mandela (later changed to Mandell) was trying to get a chance to Box with the Camp’s Soldiers. Despite Samuel being too young to join the military, camp instructor Fred Dryer gave into Sammy’s persistence and gave him permission to join in the matches. Fred “The Singing Boxer" Dryer had previously held the Welterweight championship Titles in Wales, Australia and the United States before being hired as an Instructor by the US Army after suffering a severe knee injury. Under Dryer’s mentorship Sammy quickly became The Bantam (weight class) boxing champion of the camp, utilizing his speed and size to his full advantage. At Dryer’s advice, Sammy went Pro in 1925.
Using his connections, Dryer set up the debut match in indiana against Solly Seeman…. who knocked Sammy out in the first round. Seeman –himself a newcomer– would remain undefeated that year until his loss in the Lightweight championship title. While the loss stung –in both senses of the word– Sammy’s speed did gain the attention of the Legendary Jack Blackburn who would take over Sammy’s training from that point forward and was later credited by Sammy as “The one who taught me to take a hit.”
SOrry to do this, but this fun fact is getting a little long so this fun fact will be continued tomorrow.
Image of Sammy “The Rockford Flash” throwing a punch on top of a building in Chicago
Fun Fact #526
“The Rockford Flash”
The next year (1926) would see a turnaround for Samuel (Sammy) Mandell beating almost every opponent he came across leading to his nickname “The Rockford Flash” for both his speed in the ring and as he sped his way the Lightweight Championship.
However one small hiccup, The match was nearly canceled due to heavy rain, and without money to rent a room for more than one night it looked like Sammy would have to forfeit. However that changed after Sammy used some of his former coach Dryer’s taunting songs, after that “Rocky Kansas” (Rocco Tozzo) really wanted to beat Sammy up. They went 10 rounds to the sound of pouring rain and 20,000 fans in Comiskey Park resulting in Sammy winning the Lightweight World Championship Title which he would successfully defend for the next 4 years (the rain let up around the 5th round). Sammy Mandell was inducted into the Lightweight Boxing Hall of Fame in 1998 and is currently ranked as the 13th greatest lightweight boxer to have ever lived.
As for his trainer Blackburn, he would go onto train The Welterweight World Championship title winner Bud Taylor the next year, The 1935 Heavyweight Champion Joe Louis, and 1935-1938 Lightweight Champion John Henry Lewis. Today he is still remembered as one of the greatest defensive Boxers and trainers to have graced the Sport. However he was denied a spot in The Hall of Fame for instigating a street fight with a fan in 1909 which resulted in several deaths after an unknown assailant opened fire on the crowd which had gathered to watch Blackburn fight.
Sammy (Left) during his bout with Rocky Kansas (Right) (Dark exposure Photograph)
Fun Fact #527
Jobs, Mobs, and Singers
Born on Broome Street, New York, Abraham (Al) Singer was an all-around--Athlete who was discovered by Boxing Trainers Harry Ducker and Hymie Chaplin after watching Singer play a game of Basketball. Shortly thereafter Al would go undefeated for his first two years as an Ametaur fighter winning the AAU Metropolitin Featherweight championship and was dubbed by fans “The Bronx Beauty”.
Yet this time of Joy was not to last as although Al had avoided crime to the best of his ability, his exceptional track record was just too good for the New York Mob to pass up. In 1928 two men came to Al’s training camp and spoke with his manager Harry Drucker who agreed to go with them in his car. Drucker was never seen again, and soon after Chaplin and Al agreed to work with the Mob when required, quickly gaining a reputation for his continued success streak.
Then, Al had his first run-in with Jack Blackburn when he fought Blackburn’s current Trainee “The Blonde Terror” and 1927 Bantamweight Champion Bud Taylor. He only won the match thanks to Bud throwing a low Left hook to Al’s body resulting in Bud’s disqualification. Later it was found The Mob had sent someone to Threaten Bud Taylor, only for Blackburn to jump the man from behind. They then left to return to Taylor’s home in Indiana.
Despite all his success, Al would finally be beaten in August 1929, by Eligio Sardiñas Montalvo (Kid Chocolate) who had grown up in Cuba fighting and learning from world champions like “The Galvan Giant” and Benny Leonard. Now Eligio was told not to fight Al, but Eligio’s hero was his trainer Jack Johnson who had fought through Jim Crow laws and even the KKK to become the first black Heavyweight Champion holding the title from 1908-1915, so Eligio wasn't going to back down anytime soon. Thus with 50,000 people in attendance Al fought Eligio who let Al take the lead in the fight, and bought himself the time needed to become the first to learn that Al did not defend the left side of his head, and quickly abused this to rack up enough points to win. After this loss Al would focus his training more on avoiding hits and –thinking that if he could take out people quickly then he wouldn’t have to worry about defense– throwing knockout punches.
Al Singer
Fun Fact #528
Fall of The Flash
In 1930, Sammy Mandell had been successfully defending his Lightweight Championship title for the past 4 years. However his former trainer warned him to watch out for someone quickly climbing the ranks with his heart set on that title –Al Singer. Sammy wasn’t worried though, he had beaten his previous challengers like future Hall of Famers Tony Canzoneri and Jimmy McLarnin. Still though, he followed Blackburn’s advice and studied how Al fought in order to beat him.
Then –just as Blackburn predicted– Al came for the title, and where Al went the Mob followed quickly betting a large amount on Al in Nevada where gambling was legal. Before a crowd of 35,000 people at Yankee Stadium (located in New York) the match began as both boxers moved cautiously towards each other. Thanks to Blackburn and Eligio, Sammy knew Al had a tough time defending the left side of his head which gave him a “Glass Jaw”. Better yet, Sammy was a “Southpaw” making his fighting style harder to adapt to.
WHAM!
Al Singer dropped Mandell to the mat with a hit from his off hand which was much stronger than Sammy expected. Although Sammy got up, this happened twice more before Sammy could adapt resulting in Singer winning by a first round knock out (1:46). Sammy had lost the Lightweight Title.
In response Sammy’s first mentor Fred Dryer sent a friend of his to challenge Al in a non-title bout. This “Friend” was none other than reigning WelterWeight World Champion Jimmy Mclarnin, and riding high from his win over Sammy, Al Singer accepted.
WHAM!
In the third round Mclarnin flattened Al with a blow to the jaw which left him temporarily paralyzed, and even though he would physically recover, Al never again fought with the ferocity he once had preferring to better protect his head. Less than 2 months (November) later Al forfeited the title to Tony Canzoneri after a blow to the head caused Al to be unable to stand without collapsing and permanent eye damage. Yet Al would later go on to say that he won that day, as after this loss and debilitation the Mob was done with him and didn't bother him again –at least from what he later told interviewers. Don't worry he did later regain the ability to walk, and –surprisingly– even went to apologize to Blackburn for the Mob sending someone to threaten him just two years earlier.
Jimmy Mclarnin
