Beau Jack made his first appearance in Madison Square Garden in 1941. An iconic figure in the Garden during the forties, Beau appeared thirteen times between 1942 and 1946. He initially established the record for appearances in the Garden’s main event in February 1948, when he fought his 26th featured contest. Now, almost two years later, Jack would extend his record to 27 main events. Appearing in his historical record-setting 27th main event at Madison Square Garden, Beau faced Tuzo Portugez on Friday, December 16, 1949. Beau’s multitude of fights in the Garden during the Golden Era of Boxing was instrumental in branding Madison Square Garden the legendary arena that it still is today.
Sam Crawford, a Pennsylvania welterweight, began training Beau at Stillman’s Gym in early November for his upcoming fight against Tuzo Portugez (1927–2013) scheduled for December 16. Portugez, a 22-year-old boxer and holder of the Central American welterweight and middleweight titles, hailed from San Jose, Costa Rico. In his November 16 U.S. debut, Tuzo defeated Bobby Mann. Coming in with a 24–5–4 record, the 5'7" tall Tuzo held a 4½ pound weight advantage over Jack, weighing in at 146½ pounds. At fight time, the oddsmakers had Tuzo a 6½ to 5 favorite.
Most of the male fans in the small crowd of 7,281, including Jack, were sporting beards. The country, especially the Midwest, southwest, and far west were suffering from a severe water shortage with water tables dropping well below the ground surface. Agriculture and industry were two main culprits. Experts in southern Arizona estimated that water was being taken from the water table for irrigation at a rate three to four times faster than it could replenish.1
In New York, residents were requested to cut 200,000,000 gallons from the 1,145,000,000 gallons of water used daily. Officials estimated that residential water consumption comprised 57 percent of the water usage in a given day. New York’s water shortage was heightened by an eight-inch rainfall deficit and city reservoirs 37 percent below capacity. The high water consumption and waste led city officials to institute its first “Dry Friday,” a bathless, shaveless day. New York’s population of 8,000,000 residents were asked to not bathe or shave that day. GIs were faced with demerits if they were not smooth-faced and Army officials ordered all showers closed for 24 hours. Water for the fighters had to be imported from Saratoga Springs and was limited to five gallons.
As the bout got underway, it was apparent that the San Jose youngster had a significant edge in energy. By the second round, the strong Central American belter gained power and stamina, while Jack began to weaken. Beau’s famous windmill attack seemed to be a thing of the past. In the third round, the dark-haired Tuzo smacked Beau with his jab and right hand, bloodying his mouth and nose. Beau struck back in the fifth stanza, cutting Tuzo over his left eye. In the later rounds, the former champion was visibly drained and dancing around the ring in an attempt to mask his fatigue. There were no knockdowns in the fight, but both men were bloodied at the end. Beau put up a fight, but it was becoming more and more evident that his years of competitive boxing were coming to an end.
The decision went to the scorecards. After penalizing both fighters for low blows, Judge Jack Gordon scored the contest six to three for Portugez, with one round even. Judge Art Ardala scored the fight five to four for Beau with one round even. Referee Al Berle scored Portugez the winner, seven rounds to three. The AP scorecard scored the fight five to four for Portugez, with one round even. Portugez emerged victorious with a split decision victory. The gate for Beau’s 27th main event appearance was $20,382, the lowest of all of his previous main events at the Garden. Sadly for Beau, it was his last fight in Madison Square Garden.
Following the bout, Beau announced that he was nearing retirement. He had given boxing and his fans the best of what he had. “I made a promise to God at the start of my career to fight for 10 years and then quit,” said Beau. “The time is drawing near. I’ll continue until the middle of next year, then quit the ring forever.”2 It was a gloomy announcement for Jack. Boxing was his life. “I was always eager to give my best and please the public every time I pulled on a pair of gloves,” voiced Jack. “I think I filled that part of the bill and will continue to do so until I quit.”3 Beau confided that he planned to retire to his 40-acre farm near Augusta.
To make matters worse, on January 17, 1950, Jack was admitted to St. Claire’s Hospital due to the recurrence of his previous knee injury to his right knee. His medial semi-lunar cartilage was torn yet again. Following surgery, he recuperated in the hospital for a couple of weeks. Regardless of his most recent setback, Beau expected to continue in the welterweight division after his knee healed, hoping to earn his way into some lucrative fights. Regrettably, his opportunities to collect substantial purses had significantly depreciated. His bout with Tuzo Portugez would be the last of his contests with a gate of $20,000 or more.
Discharged from the hospital, Beau headed to St. Petersburg to see his mother and rest. In the middle of March, Chick Wergeles reported to the media that Beau was doing well and was jumping around again. Answering questions about Beau’s boxing career and age, Chick countered, “He’s only a baby.”
Following a four-month layoff to allow his right knee to heal, Beau was ready for action. On April 3, 1950, two days after his 29th birthday, Beau entered the ring for his second appearance at the Hartford Auditorium. His opponent was a battle-scarred veteran from Youngstown, Ohio, Joey Carkido (1929–2004). When Carkido was sixteen years old, he used his Brother Louis’ birth certificate to begin his professional career, joining fellow Youngstown boxer Tony Janiro. Carkido had a professional record of 54–19–7 but had been knocked out four times in the last year and had lost eight of his previous nine contests. He also had a longstanding issue with cutting around his eyes. At fight time Joey was a significant underdog.
Many of the 1,061 fans at the Auditorium would be unexpectedly surprised when the contest ended. As usual, Beau came out swinging, trying to overwhelm his adversary with punches. Although he may have missed more punches than he threw, Jack was the aggressor throughout the fight, continuously attacking Carkido’s head and body with punishing blows. Joey, however, was unable to hurt Jack, even with his best punches. Jack simply mauled Carkido. The best Joey could offer was a little inside fighting.
The fight appeared so lopsided that many of the fans left during the eighth and ninth rounds. Astonishingly, when the victor’s hand was raised by Referee John Cluney, it was Carkido’s hand. Cluney scored the fight one-sidedly in Carkido’s favor by a margin of forty-eight points to thirty-eight points. He gave Carkido eight rounds to Beau’s two. The Hartford Courant’s press scorecard, on the other hand, was almost opposite, giving Beau the victory, five rounds to two, with three rounds scored even, for a score of forty-eight to forty-three. Enraged fans were so upset they rushed forward to question how Referee Cluney arrived at his verdict.
Beau’s boxing career had encountered an unscrupulous bump in the road. For the first time in his career, Jack suffered three losses in a row. Beau was frustrated with his unjust loss to Carkido but determined to resume his comeback, believing better days were ahead.
Jack didn’t have much time to worry about it. He was on the road to Augusta to work the 13th Masters Tournament held on April 6 through 9. Jimmy Demaret, dressed in his Easter finest, snagged the Green Jacket with a round of 69 on the final day and an overall score of five under par. He was the first person to ever win three Masters, previously winning in 1940 and 1947.
After the tournament, Jack made his way back up the east coast to Washington, D.C., to clash with the former lightweight champion, Lew Jenkins (1916–1981). The hard-hitting Jenkins held the title from May 10, 1940, when he knocked out Lou Ambers until December 19, 1941, when he lost the title to Sammy Angott. Having battled in 118 professional scraps, the scrawny 33-year-old boxer from Sweetwater, Texas had his share of battle scars. The “Sweetwater Swatter” was also a heavy drinker and on occasion was known to fight drunk.
The ten-round welterweight bout was Beau’s second at Uline Arena. In the buildup for the fight, the press underscored that both timeworn fighters were beyond their glory days.
A pair of former lightweight champions, now in the twilight of their fistic careers, regain the national spotlight once more Friday night when they clash in Washington, D.C.… There is no hope for further championships—just the desire and necessity to keep going in the only trade they know.4
Only 937 die-hard fistic fans showed up for the match. Regardless, the April 14 fight was carried on ABC radio and via video by NBC-TV.
Beau came out fanatically at the opening bell, bombarding the 5'8" tall Jenkins with body punches. The fight quickly turned into a free-for-all with Jenkins taunting Jack with racial slurs. “It didn’t bother me,” Jack said later, “I’ve heard it all my life.”5 Then Lew callously spit in Beau’s face four times. All of Lew’s vulgar mannerisms and tactics just provoked Jack even more.
Each pugilist appeared to be loading up their punches, eyeing a knockout, but Beau was rapidly winning the skirmish with barrages of body shots. Jenkins’ form rapidly vanished in the third round. After throwing a straight right past Beau’s jaw, Beau countered, landing a hard blow to Jenkins’ left kidney. Jenkins went down hard for a nine count. After Jenkins raised himself off the canvas, an incensed Beau immediately landed a hard right to Lew’s forehead, opening an old cut above Lew’s scarred right eye, producing a stream of blood.
Beau Jack dodges a punch by Lew Jenkins at Uline Arena, April 14, 1950 (ACME Telephoto).
Beau pummeled Lew again in the fourth round. The fifth was all Beau as well. With twenty-eight seconds left in the round, Beau landed a sharp punch to Jenkin’s midsection that sent him to the canvas, clutching his groin. In agony, Jenkins immediately grabbed his crotch, as the disapproving crowd roared in protest, reacting to a palpable low blow. In pain, Jenkins’ handlers had to carry him to his corner. Referee Ray Bowen quickly ruled Beau’s punch low and gave Jenkins five minutes to recover. It was Beau’s third penalty for low blows.
Taking his time to recover, Jenkins slumped on his stool, his face cut up and swollen. As the recovery time expired, Jenkins was ready to return to battle, but his manager Blinky Palermo and trainers restrained him from going back out. Referee Bowen immediately called Dr. Leon Gordon of the District of Columbia Boxing Commission inside the ring to determine whether Jenkins could continue. Gordon quickly concluded that Lew was perfectly able to carry on with the bout. Jenkins, however, stayed on his stool.
After the fight, Dr. Gordon commented on Jenkins’ condition. “In my opinion Jenkins was perfectly able to continue and was willing to,” stated Dr. Gordon. “His handlers refused to permit him to fight. He was hit by a glancing blow on the groin, but the five-minute rest had enabled him to recover and he should have continued.”6 Since Jenkins failed to come out in the sixth, Referee Bowen had no choice but to award Beau victory by TKO.
There was mass confusion regarding which round the knockout occurred. Thousands of people who were watching the fight on television began calling newspapers across the country for clarification. Since the “knockout” happened at the end of the fifth round, boxing aficionados thought it must have been scored a fifth-round knockout. However, Bowen scored it as a sixth-round knockout, due to Jenkins’ failure to come out in the sixth round. Amidst the agitation of the crowd, Jack won an unpopular technical knockout against the Texas mauler and former lightweight champion, Lew Jenkins. Jenkins retired after his loss to Jack with an overall record was 73–41–5. Subsequently, he enlisted in the Army, where he earned a Silver Star in the Korean War for bravery. In 1999, eighteen years after his death, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Beau had a little over three weeks off before he appeared in the ring again, this time in Providence, Rhode Island. Jack met Jackie Weber for the second time on May 8, 1950. In their previous match 16 months earlier, Beau earned a unanimous decision. Weber was 7–6–2 since then and had lost four of his last six fights.
Weber, the local boy from Pawtucket, didn’t stand a chance against the two-time former lightweight king. Beau, at 29 years of age, displayed speed and power, battering Weber around the ring. Perhaps Beau’s best attack of the night was his savage attack on Weber’s body. Following a barrage of hooks and rights to the body, Weber painfully uttered to his corner at the end of the sixth round that he was nauseated and incapable of continuing. Failing to answer the bell in the seventh round, the local boy suffered defeat at the hands of Jack, who recorded a seventh-round technical knockout. For the second consecutive time, Beau scored TKOs over his foe due to their inability to finish.
Two weeks later, on May 22, 1950, Beau entered the ring against the dark-haired, Italian-American Johnny Potenti (1923–1981) of Worcester, Massachusetts. The ten-round preliminary fight took place in Boston Garden before a mediocre crowd of 3,645. No longer was Beau fighting in the main event. Middleweights Joe Rindone and Joe Blackwood earned that honor. The twenty-seven-year-old Potenti was 42–1 in his professional career and had knocked out nineteen of his opponents. Known as a tommy-gun fighter, Johnny had a stiff left jab, a hard right, as well as respectable ring skills and was undefeated in his last 20 bouts. Potenti also had seven and a half pounds on the veteran and was two years younger. Potenti weighed in at 148¾ pounds to Jack’s 141¼ pounds.
At the opening bell, both men came out ready for battle, but Beau rapidly gained control of the fight, belaboring Potenti with heavy rights to his body in every round. Throwing wild punches along with straight punches, Beau puzzled the Worcester fighter. Beau put his adversary on the canvas twice in the third round with wide left hooks to the body. The first time Potenti went down to a knee and came back up immediately. The second time, he fell to both knees and took a mandatory eight count. When Johnny came inside, Beau clinched and dished out an inside battering. Potenti attempted to rally in the tenth round, jolting Beau with a hard right to his chin, but his rally was short-lived. Beau went on to win a unanimous victory. It was only Potenti’s second loss in 44 professional fights. Like Lew Jenkins, Potenti retired after the match with a record of 32–2–0. The fight card produced a gross gate of $8,881 and a net of $6,501.
The next day, Beau, along with members of the Brooklyn Dodgers, made a guest appearance at the 10th annual Fathers’ Children’s and Orphans’ Dinner. Held at the Men’s Club of Union Temple in Brooklyn, the honored guests were the 150 orphans and underprivileged children. It was an honor for Beau, an “orphan” himself, to spend time with the children.
Within a couple of weeks, Jerry Sacks, promoter for the Hoosier Boxing Club, announced that the club would be hosting a charity bout between Beau Jack and 22-year-old Ronnie Harper at the Indianapolis State Fairgrounds to benefit the Marion County Cancer Society. Harper hailed from Logan, West Virginia, but fought out of Detroit, Michigan. His young journeyman record was 26–21–4, but he had won his last five fights.
The ten-round main event was scheduled for Wednesday, June 28. Beau arrived in Indy a couple of days before the fight to finish up his training. On Monday night, Beau made a guest appearance at the Golden Gloves tournament taking place at Hagerstown High School to watch the action and meet with the young amateurs.
It was a mild Indiana evening with temperatures in the upper sixties on fight night. With the boxing ring placed inside the fairground’s race track, over 4,000 spectators assembled in the grandstands.
Ronnie was a gritty young man, but experience got the best of youth. Beau dominated the fight from the opening bell. Throwing right crosses and left hooks, he repeatedly rocked Harper. His vicious body attack wore the young lad out in the early rounds. Late in the fourth, Beau landed four pounding lefts to Harper’s midsection followed by two stunning rights to the jaw. Referee Frank Arford had seen enough. He refused to let Harper come out in the fifth round. Although Harper’s corner contested the decision, Arford maintained that Harper was listless and wasn’t even aware of what round of the fight it was. Alleviating any doubt, the two judges concurred with the stoppage. Beau netted victory by technical knockout 2:13 minutes into the fifth round.
In his tenth year of professional boxing, Beau fought his first bout in his home state of Georgia. Scheduled for Thursday, July 17, Beau’s next contest was in Atlanta. Jack arrived at Hartsfield Airport on July 13 to prepare for his upcoming combat with Bobby Timpson. Timpson, hailing from Youngstown, Ohio, excelled as an amateur, winning the Golden Gloves Championship of Eastern Ohio. Debuting on July 19, 1945, his record was 32–27–3. Since defeating Joey Freda on October 14, 1947, however, Bobby began to fade, losing 13 of his last 16 bouts.
Following Beau’s arrival in Atlanta, he held a news conference announcing once again that he would retire from boxing at the end of the year to live with his family in Augusta. “This will be my last year in pro boxing,” said the one-time shoe shine boy. “New York is a great place to fight and make money, but I am anxious to live with my family and friends back in Augusta.”7
Three thousand fans showed up at the Municipal Auditorium to watch Beau’s first fight in Georgia. Opened in 1909, the auditorium was home to concerts, theatre, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and frequent boxing and wrestling matches. Although Beau had a four-pound weight advantage, Timpson had the benefit of youth. Timpson, at 23 years of age, was six years younger than 29-year-old Jack.
At the opening bell, both men came out with poised fortitude in their eyes, battling on even terms during the first three rounds. In the fourth, the former world champion seized control. Beau assaulted Timpson with his “famous bolo right to the body,” dumping him onto the canvas for a two count. Timpson went down for a second time in the fifth after Beau smashed him with a right uppercut. Looking for a knockout as the sixth round began, Beau rushed Timpson with malicious intent, landing a smashing left hook to Timpson’s eye, followed by an authoritative right bolo punch to the body. Within 40 seconds of the sixth round, Referee Sgt. Bryant Bass, Beau’s previous sparring partner, stopped the bout, declaring Jack the winner by TKO. Following the contest, Beau called his wife and kids who were now living in Philadelphia. He proudly boasted that his kids would not go to sleep until he called them after a fight.
Within the next week, Beau’s financial turmoil made headlines again. At the end of July, it was learned that the Internal Revenue Service was garnishing Beau’s bank account in Augusta for back taxes. The previous fall, sportswriter Wendell Smith had announced in his Sports Beat column that Beau’s earnings had disappeared. Management was blamed. Smith’s conclusion appeared particularly valid given this latest news that whatever money Beau had in his bank account was being garnished for back taxes. Taxes should have been paid on Beau’s behalf by his management. Given his financial turmoil, Jack was compelled to continue boxing.
Hawaii was next on Beau’s travel itinerary. Promoter Al Karasick was intent on bringing Beau to Hawaii for a couple of fights. Beau had never been to Hawaii, but he was excited about spending time on the Islands. He figured he could relax by fishing while making needed money boxing.
On August 29, Karasick announced that he had signed Jack to fight local welterweight Frankie Fernandez in Honolulu on October 3. As an enticement, Karasick provided Beau a $5,000 guarantee, plus two round-trip airplane tickets from New York. Jack had eagerly waited for a chance at Fernandez so he could avenge his stablemate Tommy Bell’s loss to Frankie two years earlier. The next week, however, Fernandez backed out of the bout, declaring that he had been battling a severe case of the flu and had been bedridden for over a month.
Not wanting to lose his promotion, Karasick suggested another Hawaiian fighter, “Wildcat” Philip Kim (1926–1958), as a substitute. Karasick, however, needed to strike a new deal with Chick Wergeles, as Kim was not as powerful of a draw as Fernandez. A compromise was reached, and on September 19, Karasick announced that Beau would face Philip Kim at Honolulu Stadium on October 3.
Beau and Chick arrived in Honolulu on Monday night, September 25. Fishing was Jack’s first concern upon arrival. “One of the reasons I signed for a bout in Hawaii is because of the fine fishing grounds here,” Jack said. “That’s my chief hobby.”8 Beau proudly boasted that his biggest catch to date was a 580-pound tuna off the coast of New Jersey.
Zealous Hawaiian pugilists clamored at the opportunity to see Jack in action. As Beau completed his prefight training at Sad Sam’s Gym, locals turned out in hordes to witness the former lightweight champion in person. Beau didn’t disappoint. He showed off his form as he worked the speed bag, heavy bag, and performed some shadow boxing. Beau lived for training and pleasing the fans. Chick actually had to sternly order Beau to quit working out before Beau would leave the gym. After Beau’s workout, Kim arrived at Sad Sam’s for his training.
Kim was a powerful puncher and boasted a 25–2–2 record with 17 of his victories coming by way of knockout. This was by far the biggest opportunity of his young career. “Wildcat” Kim’s manager, Eishie Toyama, confidently declared that Kim was prepared for Jack. “The Wildcat has only one thing in mind,” his manager, Eishie Toyama, said, “He wants to beat Beau Jack. And he is more confident and determined than I have ever seen him. He’s right physically and mentally.”9
Unfazed, Chick Wergeles acknowledged that Beau was not as good as he once was, but promised local sportswriter Red McQueen, “If Jack doesn’t give your fans one of the greatest performances they have ever seen here, I’ll buy you the best hat in town.”10 In another interview, Wergeles continued to brag about his boxer. “Beau has fought the best fighters in the world in his division and as a result is long on experience,” Wergeles bragged, “and we didn’t come all the way from New York to lose. Beau likes it here, and he wants to spend several extra weeks in Honolulu. And he wants to fight Frankie Fernandez.”11 Holding the edge over Kim in experience, Jack was anxious to get past Kim so he could face Fernandez. He had been gunning for a bout with Fernandez for almost two years.
Honolulu Stadium was the venue for the fight. Honolulu Stadium, as described in Arthur Suehiro’s book Honolulu Stadium: Where Hawaii Played,12 was a part of Honolulu’s golden era. Built in 1926, the landmark venue hosted the Hula Bowl, University of Hawaii football team, stock car racing, boxing, baseball, etc. Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, and Jessie Owens played within the walls of the stadium, as did Elvis Presley. The stadium had seating for 24,000 but was subsequently outdated and replaced by Aloha Stadium in 1976.
A mediocre crowd of 5,176, paying a gate of $12,204, impatiently assembled to see Beau Jack in action against their local fighter. Both men had a reputation for aggressiveness and throwing heaps of punches, and the pugilistic fans were counting on a brawl. They would not be disappointed.
A scrap broke out in the first round. Right after the bell rang, Beau belted Kim with a roundhouse uppercut. Beau buffaloed the young boxer with his constant movement and bolo punches. Astonished, Kim retreated as in awe of Beau, while Beau just kept landing blows to his body, coupled with sharp left hooks, wearing the younger fighter down. Nevertheless, Beau didn’t start out well in the scoring. Referee Willie Whittle deducted a point from Beau for throwing two low blows in the first round. Chick Wergeles protested so adamantly that after the fight Whittle demanded the Territorial Boxing Commission punish Wergeles for pushing him and acting belligerent while opposing the point deduction.
The only highlight for Kim in the first six rounds occurred in the second stanza when Kim managed to inflict a nasty cut on Beau’s lip that would require nine stitches. Unfortunately for Kim, it didn’t slow down Beau’s attack. Bleeding freely from his mouth and swallowing a lot of blood, Beau battled through the next couple of rounds. Kim finally showed up in the seventh round, landing a stiff left and a jolting right just before the closing bell rang. Beau was still groggy and confounded when the eighth round began. Forcefully, Kim thundered a right to Beau’s jaw and hit him with a flurry of shots, backing Jack into the ropes. Hurt against the ropes, Jack couldn’t defend himself, but Kim failed to inflict more damage on the defenseless former champion when he had him wounded. In a moment of bad judgment, Kim backed off, instead choosing to box with Beau. That is just what Beau needed, a chance to recover. At the end of ten rounds, Judge Bill Pacheco scored the contest even. Judge Kenneth Olds and Referee Willie Whittle, however, gave the edge to Beau 14–13 and 18–2 respectively. Beau emerged from the blood-spattered bout a victor on points.
In his post-fight comments, Kim responded to criticism that he hadn’t taken advantage of Beau when he wounded him in the eighth round. Kim explained that he hurt his hands earlier in the stanza and feared damage to his knuckles if he continued to barrage Beau on the ropes. In their dressing rooms, both fighters expressed admiration for each other. Kim stated, “He’s still a champion in my book.” Reflecting on Kim, Beau declared, “He’s tough. I like to fight a guy like Kim who throws a lot of punches.”13
Unfortunately, eight years later, Kim was found shot to death lying in the front seat of his car in a Los Angeles parking lot, just three blocks from the central police station. Kim, known for brushing with the law and gambling, was 32 years old. He had retired a couple of years earlier with a record of 43–15–3.
Beau returned to New York to prepare for his next bout. However, he had to cancel his upcoming contest with John L. Davis because his lip was so chopped up from the Kim fight. A couple of days later, Beau’s aspiration to meet Frankie Fernandez (1919–2004) was granted. He entered into a contract to fight Fernandez in Honolulu on November 7. For his efforts, Jack was provided a $4,000 guarantee, plus two round-trip airline tickets and expenses for himself and Chick. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the bout was postponed until the 14th. Beau would have to wait one more week.
Before long, Beau and Chick boarded their flight for a return trip to Hawaii. Thirty-one-year-old Frankie Fernandez, two years older than Beau, was the greatest Island fistic attraction of the day. He was the TBC welterweight champ and had a stellar record of 24–2–0. Although Frankie had won his last four bouts, there were some questions about his readiness, as he was coming off an eight-month layoff, last fighting on February 28, when he outpointed Milo Savage of Seattle, Washington.
Hawaiian Sportswriter Red McQueen, having previously witnessed Fernandez fight, predicted Fernandez would take Beau out before the sixth round. One thing for sure, the bout, like Beau’s first bout in Hawaii, was anticipated to be a brawl. Commenting on the upcoming match, Beau said, “I know it will be a tough fight and I am going to do my best. You asked if I knew anything about Fernandez. Well, Tommy Bell was telling us something about him. But I didn’t pay much attention. You see, I don’t like to be told about my opponents. I prefer to find out about them in the ring and fight them accordingly.”14 Beau was about to find out more than he desired to know about Fernandez.
The November 14 welterweight bout at Honolulu Stadium was a mêlée with punches soaring. Fernandez came out early in the first round, catching Beau off guard with his aggressiveness and boxing skills. He kept beating Beau to the punch, staggering him with straight rights and lefts to Beau’s jaw and temple. When Beau attempted to throw his looping bolo punch, Fernandez just stepped inside and cracked Beau’s jaw with rights and lefts. The second round was much the same, except Beau was penalized for a low blow. During the third, Frankie ripped a hard right over Beau’s left eye, opening his previous wound, which began to bleed. With 30 seconds left in the fifth round, Fernandez pinned Beau against the ropes, leaving him stunned from rights and lefts. At the sound of the bell, Beau sarcastically straightened up and threw a salute to Fernandez.
Jack came back vigorously in the sixth round, belting Frankie in the midsection with his famous right-hand bolo punch. However, there was little Beau could do. He was merely outclassed and out boxed by Fernandez. To make matters worse, Beau had another point taken away in the ninth round for a kidney punch.
Although both men were brawling, they valiantly displayed honorable sportsmanship. In the third round, Fernandez fell into the ropes after losing his balance. Beau graciously permitted Frankie to come back up and regain his composure before continuing. In the eighth round, Frankie reciprocated when Jack’s head went outside the ropes, allowing Beau to re-gather himself.
In the end, Beau lost a unanimous decision to Fernandez. Referee Willie Whitle scored the contest 18–8, Judge Richard Bearse 20–9, and Judge James Carreira 22–8, all in favor of Fernandez. “Fernandez ripped the Georgia windmill to earn a convincing decision last night at the Stadium,” wrote Andrew Mitsukado of the Honolulu Advertiser.15 After the fight, Gene Wilhelm, sportswriter for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, spoke with both men. Questioned about Frankie’s punching power, Beau responded, “Well, I took everything he threw. But he’s sure a strong boy, very strong.”16 Fernandez praised Beau. “He sure can hit…. When he starts winding up like a windmill, you just gotta do something and quick.”17
Beau lost the decision, but the promoters suffered a knockout when the weather forecast for fight night included thunderstorms and rain. Contrary to predictions, the night was nice and dry. Irrespective of the improved weather, at least half of the expected fans did not turn out. The purse of $11,322.40 provided by the relatively small crowd of 4,649 fans did not even cover the main event after taxes.
On November 16, promoter Lou Thomas announced that he had once again signed Beau Jack and John L. Davis for a ten-round welterweight bout at the San Francisco Civic Auditorium for Friday night, November 24, 1950. Beau had canceled their previously scheduled contest because of injuries suffered to his mouth during his clash with Kim. Jack and Chick flew into San Francisco from Hawaii on Friday night, November 17. Four days later, Wergeles called the bout off again, this time asserting that Beau’s left eye had not healed from the Fernandez bout. Moreover, Chick pleaded that unexpectedly the cut above Beau’s eye was re-opened during training for the upcoming combat. In a terse reply, California State Athletic Commissioner Joe Phillips proclaimed that if Beau did not appear for the fight, he faced suspension in California and possibly the rest of the states affiliated with the NBA.
Beau complied and appeared before the Commission for a physical. Following their examination, the Commission’s physicians concluded that Beau’s eye did not seem problematic and should be fully healed in time for the fight. Adamantly rejecting their opinion, Wergeles commented, “The state athletic commission told me today they would have me suspended all over the country if we didn’t go through with the fight, but I’m not going to endanger the health of my fighter.”18 Even after promoter Jimmie Murray said he would be willing to postpone the fight a week, Wergeles refused.
Alan Ward, the sports editor for the Oakland Tribune, provided another motive as to why the bout was called off. “The grapevine has it that Wergeles was touted off the fight by interests unfriendly to Thomas, and Thomas’ associate, Jimmy Murray of Oakland.”19 Commissioner Joe Phillips concurred, stating he was confident that pressure had been put on Wergeles not to fight. With the Commission’s understanding, Beau and Chick flew back to New York on Monday night, November 20, four days before the scheduled bout.
Beau next entered the ring at the Milwaukee Auditorium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He faced 24-year-old Fitzie Pruden (1927–1990), a 144-pound, 5'8" tall fighter from Toronto, Canada. The double headliner took place on New Year’s Day, January 1, 1951. Since his debut in 1947, Pruden had racked up a notable record of 45–10–0 and earned the right to face Beau by impressively outpointing John LaBroi on Thanksgiving Day. Six years younger than Beau, Pruden had a three-pound weight advantage.
As usual, Beau came out strong. His very first punch was a stunning right to the Canadian’s chin. Barely standing upright on his unsteady legs, Pruden almost toppled over. The contest appeared like it might be over, but Pruden weathered the round. Resiliently, Fritzie came back fiercely in the second round, driving Beau back. From there on it was a bloody slugfest. At the end of ten vicious rounds, the decision went to the scorecards. Referee Dauber Kaeger scored Beau the winner but the two judges favored Pruden. Pruden was declared the winner by split decision. The crowd of 4,156 fans produced a gate of $12,697.
Seventeen days later, Jack met Irishman Del Flanagan (1928–2003) from St. Paul, Minnesota. Flanagan came into the fight riding a 47-bout win streak and was determined to increase his streak to 48 victories. Beau entered the ring with two consecutive losses.
The venue for the contest was the Auditorium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Built in 1927, the Minneapolis Auditorium had seating for 10,545. It was also the initial home of the Minneapolis Lakers of the NBL, which subsequently joined the NBA and moved to Los Angeles, where they changed their name to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Beau arrived in St. Paul two days before the bout to finish up preparations. Both men trained at the Ringside Gym. Arrogantly, 22-year-old Flanagan told the press that he was going to knock Beau Jack out. “I’ve scored 23 knockouts in 47 professional fights, and after I put Jack away it’ll be 24 knockouts in 48 fights.”20 Flanagan was a slick and elusive boxer. It was difficult for most of his opponents to land a glove on him, even if he was standing in front of them. Del possessed a hard-straight left that he fired off like a machine gun. On fight night, January 18, the crowd numbered 4,784, producing a gate of $15,678.60. Beau weighed in at 138 pounds, while Del weighed in at 139¼ pounds.
Flanagan stormed out at the opening bell, taking command of the battle. Within two minutes, he had blood flowing from Beau’s nose. Using his speed and left jabs, the 5'8" tall Flanagan kept the former champion at distance. Del pounded Beau with his left jab. When there was no opening for his jab, he tagged Beau with his left hook. Jack finally showed a little life in the fifth, throwing left hooks to the body and catching Del with a hard bolo punch. A crafty boxer, Flanagan learned fast and was prepared the next time Beau wound up his bolo punch, detonating a left hook to Beau’s chin. Del was also ready when Beau came rushing out in the sixth round. As Beau rushed forward, Flanagan landed two rights directly on Beau’s button. Beau came on yet again in the eighth round with lefts to the body. Flanagan, however, was not an easy target to hit, retreating at times behind his left jab. Jack managed to win the ninth round, working Flanagan’s body with lefts and bolo punches. In the final round, both fighters gave their all, standing toe to toe as they eyed a knockout. Flanagan, however, was too much for Beau, winning a unanimous decision and his 48th consecutive victory. It was only the second time in Beau’s career that he had lost three fights in a row. In his last twelve matches, Beau was six and six.
In his post-fight comments, Flanagan said Beau never hurt him, but admitted “he is the trickiest fighter I have ever fought.”21 Beau sang Flanagan’s praises. “That boy is going to be the next lightweight champion. He isn’t a hard puncher but how he can box. You just can’t hit the boy solid.22 What a boxer,” exclaimed Jack. “You don’t know until you are in there with him how hard he is to hit cleanly. Even my good shots, where I thought I had him where he could be hurt, seemed to go soft the way he moved with them or tipped me off balance. Yes, he can be a champion.”23 Agreeing, Chick Wergeles declared, “There is the next world lightweight champion. He is a master boxer.”24 Del would never get a title shot, but he would end his professional career with a record of 105–22–2. Both he and his Brother Glen were inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 2003.
Oakland Civic Auditorium, c. 1917 (Wikimedia Commons).
In less than two weeks, Beau was back on the West Coast for his upcoming fight against Emil Barao (1926–2008) of Hayward, California. The bout was scheduled for January 31, 1951, at the Oakland Civic Auditorium in Oakland, California. Built in 1914, the arena had a beautiful glass covered roof and seating for 4,000 spectators.
For the first time in two years, Beau was entering the ring for the third time in less than a month. A significant step down in opponents, Emil had lost his last three fights and had a journeyman record of 33–33–9.
Barao and Jack circled each other at the opening bell. Barao seemed in awe of Beau’s windmill attack, backtracking while Beau pursued him, scoring with bolo punches and lefts to the body. Beau focused most of his attack on Barao’s head and body, scoring as he landed punches. In the eighth round, Jack bombarded Barao with body punches and then went to his head. At the end of the round, however, Barao stood his ground and landed a right hand on Beau’s jaw, knocking him to the canvas for a no count. Barao also came out strong in the tenth round, rattling the former champion with flurries of rights and lefts. Beau looked as if he had been in a barroom brawl after Barao opened a cut on his mouth and bloodied his nose with brutal left hooks. Nonetheless, he couldn’t overcome Beau’s domination in the earlier rounds. At the end of ten rounds, a battered Beau was declared the victor by unanimous decision, winning eight rounds to Barao’s two rounds.
On February 8, promoter Manny Almeida announced that he had signed lightweight champion Ike Williams and former champion Beau Jack for a ten-round overweight bout scheduled for March 5. The contest would take place at the Rhode Island Auditorium in Providence. Beau had lost to Ike by TKO in a lightweight title fight a couple of years earlier. Even though Ike lost his last bout, dropping a unanimous decision to Joe Miceli in a non-title match on February 19, he was heavily favored over Jack, 10–1. The only advantage Beau had was that he came in four pounds heavier than Williams, weighing 146 pounds to 142 pounds for Williams.
Astonishingly, Beau surprised the oddsmakers and pugilistic fans. Fighting with a distinct advantage in the early rounds, Beau pelted the taller Williams with left hooks and uppercuts. Jack landed two hard right uppercuts in the third, bewildering Williams. Beau was in a groove as he fought from his crouched stance. In the fifth round, he bombarded Williams and landed, perhaps his best punch of the night, a left hook to Ike’s body dazing the champion. In the sixth, Beau knocked Ike to the canvas with an overhand right. Unfortunately, Referee Sharkey Buonanno inadvertently called it a slip, instead of a knockdown. Both fighters ended up falling out of the ring twice as Williams tried to push Beau out of his crouching stance. Ike fought back hard, outpunching Jack ten to one in the later rounds.
At the final bell, the underdog Beau Jack was cheered rowdily by the 3,695 appreciative fans. Ike Williams, however, was awarded an immensely unpopular split decision, with the two judges giving the victory to Williams and Referee Sharkey Buonanno giving Beau Jack the victory. When the decision was announced, the disgruntled crowd condemned the decision with choruses of boos. The gate was only $7,095.
To meet his next adversary, Beau traveled to Coliseum Arena in New Orleans. He faced Leroy Willis for the second time on March 30, 1951. Beau had defeated Willis by unanimous decision in their previous bout on December 17, 1948.
Like their first contest, the bout wasn’t much of a fight. Beau consistently landed bolo punches, a sweeping arched uppercut, on Willis’ head, as well as some heavy blows to his chin. Enduring the storm, Willis connected with some good punches, but couldn’t score often enough. Using his “neck-stretching bolo punch,” Beau again won an easy unanimous decision over the Detroit fighter.
Gil Turner Puts the Nail in the Coffin
Beau at thirty years of age wasn’t as good as he once was, but he kept going. After the Willis bout, Jack signed to fight a young unbeaten boxer, twenty-year-old Philadelphian Gil Turner (1930–1996). As an amateur, Turner had won the National AAU Welterweight Championship. Since recently turning professional, Turner had a record of 17–0, with 16 knockouts.
Before the fight, Beau worked out at Olympia Gym in Philadelphia where he impressed onlookers. One of those present was “Jersey” Joe Walcott, who said: “That Beau looks real good. In fact, he looks like a winner to me!”25 At the weigh-in, Beau was 142 pounds, while Turner was 142½ pounds. Gil had a four-inch height advantage but came in as a 6–5 underdog mainly because of his lack of professional experience. It was also his first ten-round bout.
John DaGrosa, a member of the Pennsylvania Athletic Commission, cautioned the fighters before the bout, but he spoke most directly to Beau. Talking to Jack, he said, “I know that you have been a tremendous credit to the game. You know all the tricks,” said DaGrosa as he looked at Beau. “Turner is a promising fighter. He has been winning his fights cleanly and fairly. He has never resorted to questionable tactics in the ring. To your credit, you do not do anything that is illegal. But I also know that, if the occasion arises, you can use trickery.”26 Clearly, DaGrosa wanted a clean fight from Beau.
The fight took place before 6,094 spectators, mostly Turner fans, at the Arena in Philadelphia on April 16, 1951, producing a gate of $18,884.35. The raucous crowd was in an uproar from the opening bell until the final bell. It was a big test for the young unbeaten Philadelphia fighter. What Turner lacked in professional experience, he made up in quickness, stamina, and power. He dished out every punch he had, but Beau’s resilience carried him through the fight.
Turner took command of the fight early and never lost it. As Jack rushed in at the opening bell, Turner pounded him with a two-fisted attack to his head. Both men traded bolo punches, but Gil shook Beau up, beating him with left hooks and rights to the head. He continually rocked Beau twice with hard rights and lefts to his jaw. As instructed by his corner, in the seventh round, Turner took a breather. It was the only round that Beau won. In the final stanzas, Turner coasted, throwing flurries of punches to discourage Beau and win the rounds. Astonishingly, Beau was able to withstand Turner’s punishment and keep standing. At the final bell, Beau waived an “airy greeting to his young adversary,” but the outcome was a foregone conclusion.27 Turner cruised to a unanimous decision victory over the former champ, winning all ten rounds on Judge Frank Knaresborough’s scorecard and eight rounds on both Referee Charley Daggert and Judge Zach Clayton’s card.
Sitting in his dressing room after the fight, Beau praised Gil. “Turner seems to have everything,” Beau said appreciatively. “He’s got the making of a ring champion. If he’s not rushed too fast, he ought to get there.”28 Beau iterated that his heart wasn’t in the fight. “I fought the best I could, but it wasn’t good enough,” said Jack. “I was in good shape … but I was worried. My heart wasn’t in the fight.”29 Apparently, Jack was in the middle of a dismal domestic quarrel that had kept him from focusing on his training. It was so bad, he purportedly almost called off the fight.
Several days later, contemplating a rematch, promoter Herman Taylor asked Chick how Beau was doing. Chick stated that Beau had patched up his domestic issues and was in harmony again. On May 13, Taylor announced that he had signed Beau Jack and Gil Turner for a rematch scheduled for May 21. One month after their first bout, the two warriors entered the ring again at the Arena in Philadelphia. A crowd of 4,649 fans gathered for the contest. Beau weighed 145 pounds. Turner weighed 143 pounds.
As in their first bout, Turner jumped on Beau early, consistently pounding rights against his jaw. Jack’s best round was the third when he traded evenly with Turner. No matter how hard Beau tried, however, he couldn’t endure the punching power of Turner. By the eighth stanza, Gil had hammered Beau helpless. Turner stormed Beau with a flurry of rights and lefts. Then Turner landed a massive right uppercut that sent Beau reeling into Turner’s corner. Stepping between the fighters, Referee Charley Daggert had seen enough punishment. He stopped the fight 1:26 minutes into the eighth round.
It was a devastating loss for Beau Jack. A dejected Beau cried as he was led to his corner. “I love to fight,” he sobbed, “why did he stop it?”30 It was only the third time in his 12-year career that Beau had been stopped. Following the fight, the Pennsylvania Athletic Commission, impressed by Turner, announced that it would not recognize any welterweight champion who had not fought Gil Turner. Beau had now lost six of his last eight contests.
1. “Many Sections of Country Are Feeling Water Shortage Pinch, Green Bay Press-Gazette, December 5, 1949, 2.
2. Joe Lee, “Jack Nears End of Boxing Trial,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, December 17, 1949, 6.
3. Ibid.
4. “Jenkins-Beau Jack Meeting Tops Week’s Boxing Card,” Morning News, April 10, 1950, 15.
5. Tom Archdeacon, “Beau Jack: At Age 61, the Spirit Is Still Strong,” Miami News, May 24, 1982, 25, 28.
6. “Award Jack TKO Decision After Foul,” Star-Gazette, April 15, 1950, 7.
7. “Beau Jack to Retire at Year’s End, He Says,” Democrat and Chronicle, July 14, 1950, 31.
8. “Beau Jack Arrives, First Concern Is Over Fishing,” Honolulu Star-Bulletin, September 26, 1950, 6.
9. Andrew Mitsukado, “Beau Jack Fights Philip Lee,” Honolulu Advertiser, October 3, 1950, 12.
10. Red McQueen, “Hoomalimali by Red McQueen,” Honolulu Advertiser, October 1, 1950, 9.
11. Andrew Mitsukado, “Punching Duel Expected,” Honolulu Star-Advertiser, October 1, 1950, 10.
12. Arthur Suehiro, Honolulu Stadium: Where Hawaii Played (China: Watermark Publishing, 1995).
13. Gene Wilhelm, “Beau Jack Decisions Kim,” Honolulu Star-Bulletin, October 4, 1950, 21.
14. Andrew Mitsukado, “Jack Sees Tough Fight with Fernandez,” Honolulu Advertiser, November 9, 1950, 29.
15. Andrew Mitsukado, “Frankie Fernandez Decisions Jack,” Honolulu Advertiser, November 15, 1950, 18.
16. Gene Wilhelm, “Only 4,649 Pay to See Slugging Bee,” Honolulu Star-Bulletin, November 15, 1950, 20.
17. Ibid.
18. “Trouble Brews as Jack-Davis Bout Cancelled,” Honolulu Advertiser, November 21, 1950, 13.
19. Alan Ward, “On Second Thought,” Oakland Tribune, November 21, 1950, 39.
20. “Del Vows He’ll Knock Out Jack,” Minneapolis Star, January 15, 1951, 24.
21. “‘Del Fought Perfect Fight’ Says Viscusi,” Star Tribune, January 19, 1951, 18.
22. Ibid.
23. Dick Cullum, “Cullum’s Column,” Star Tribune, January 20, 1951, 13.
24. Ibid.
25. “Lecture Given Jack-Turner; Beau Impresses Gym Crowd,” Philadelphia Inquirer, April 13, 1951, 48.
26. Ibid.
27. John Webster, “Turner Gains Decision Over Jack,” Philadelphia Inquirer, April 17, 1951, 34.
28. Ibid.
29. John Webster, “Sportscope,” Philadelphia Inquirer, May 13, 1951, 67.
30. “Gil Turner Beats Beau Jack on TKO,” Shamokin News-Dispatch, May 22, 1951, 10.