Harry Stone (boxer)

Stone took an important early win in a slow and deliberate twenty round points decision against Terry McGraw on October 4, 1909, in Baltimore. Though the win looked decisive to the referees, the fighting was close, and both boxers scored frequently with blows. Stone's blows did not quite have the steam of McGraw's, but they landed more frequently. Both boxers did well in the infighting, but Stone showed a greater ability to parry blows and to take the lead in the fighting.[11]

Two months later, on October 28, 1909, Stone fought a fifteen-round draw with Leach Cross, an exceptional Jewish lightweight, known as "The Fighting Dentist". The bout was considered tame and dull by many of those present, and Cross was warned by referee Joe Gans to make more of an effort to fight. After the eighth round, Stone became the aggressor and landed often to both the chest and face. Cross countered with blows, but reporters considered his and Stone's blows to lack steam. In the tenth, the referee was again forced to break the boxers from a clinch and encourage them to trade blows. There were no knockdowns in the bout.[12][13][14]

Jack Britton

Facing his best known opponent on November 29, 1909, Stone fought Hall of Famer, and future world welterweight champion Jack Britton, losing a six-round newspaper decision. He would meet Britton again on July 17, 1912, and lose once more in a ten-round newspaper decision in New York's St. Nicholas Arena. Britton won easily, and had Stone groggy in the seventh from a right to the jaw, but the bell saved Stone.[15] Though able to take the punishment offered by Britton, and mount his own fierce attack at times, Stone took only the fourth round according to one reporter. Britton was not assessed as fighting at his best in the bout, but Stone was credited for remaining on his feet throughout the bout, and putting up enough of a defense to avoid a knockdown. Once again, Stone made contact with his left jab, a signature blow in many of his bouts. His inability to climb his way to the top in the competitive New York boxing world, soon spurred Stone to consider the larger crowds and bigger purses in Australia.[16][17]

Stone lost to Dick Nelson on January 11, 1910, in Lymansville, Road Island in a well publicized 15 round points decision. Nelson took the fight to Stone in every round, but Stone made an excellent showing and several ringside thought he deserved a draw for his efforts. Nelson was a well-rated lightweight who met future welterweight champions Harry Lewis and the Dixie kid that year.[18]

On September 26, 1911, Stone lost a ten-round newspaper decision to well known lightweight Young Nichie at New York's Twentieth Century Athletic Club. Stone had a slight advantage in reach but gave up about ten pounds in weight, which may have been the deciding factor in the close match.[19]

In one of his best publicized early bouts on January 18, 1912, Stone lost to Battling Gates at the Luzerne Theater in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Losing by only a shade in an action packed six rounds, he attempted to put Gates away early but met his match in his skilled opponent's counter-attack. Gates was able to parry and duck the powerful blows dealt by Stone at long range, but in infighting, Gates carelessly took punishment from the longer reach of Stone, who scored frequently at close range.[20] Gates appeared to do the better fighting in the first five rounds, but Stone had strength enough left to take the sixth. He was described accurately by the Wilkes-Barre Record as being one of the best at his weight in the world.[21]

Stone defeated high rated fringe lightweight contender Joe Thomas on April 1, 1912, in what was arranged to be a draw in New Orleans, Louisiana. Stone's victory put him in line to face Frank Russell for a second time in a bout that would end in another draw, but on points.[22]

Though he had a ten-pound weight advantage, Stone lost to featherweight Joe Shugrue on August 26, 1912, in a rare match in New York's historic Madison Square Garden. In what was frequently a fast fight, Shugrue shone as the aggressor and threw more and better placed punches. On occasion, fighting toe to toe, the combatants would throw caution to the wind, and fight with little science or technique. Shugrue would become an exceptional lightweight who fought many of the greatest lightweights of his era including Ted Kid Lewis, and Johnny Dundee.[23]

Mat Wells with belt

On November 29, 1913, at the age of only twenty, Stone defeated the former English lightweight and future world welterweight champion Matt Wells before an impressive crowd of 12,000 in a fifteen-round points decision in Sydney. In 1911, Wells had become the first Jewish lightweight champion of Great Britain, and taken the Lonsdale belt. The decision for Stone was a popular one and he was said to have boxed brilliantly and kept the crowd on their feet. Though outweighed by four pounds, Stone finished the bout stronger than his opponent. The fight was even in most regards throughout but Wells was cautioned for questionable tactics at many points in the bout. Many considered the victory Stone's most impressive early career win and an indication of future promise.[2][24][25]

Johnny Summers, 1909

While still only twenty, Stone defeated the reigning 1912 BBofC and NSC British welterweight champion Johnny Summers on May 18, 1913, in a non-title twenty round points decision at Olympic Stadium in Brisbane, Australia. Though less experienced and six years younger, he was considered by most reporters to have outpointed Summers in nearly every round.[9][26] In September, Stone defeated Summers again in a twenty-round points decision in Sydney. Stone later said of his second win against Summers, that he looked back on the fight as the "greatest of all his Sydney encounters". Assessing Summers' skills, Stone wrote "He was a fighter with a world-wide reputation, and he had a wallop that would stop any clowning if he landed it, but his speed was not comparable to mine".[27] He later fought Summers to a twenty-round draw in Kensington, England on June 13, 1914, in a bout that was billed as a world welterweight championship, though the draw ruling prevented Summers from taking the title. Summers started with great speed and attacked fiercely while Stone clinched to avoid punishment. In the sixth, Stone rallied and got in some punishing body blows. After the eighth, Summer's pace slackened, and Stone blocked his leads more effectively.[28] Many in the crowd believed that Stone had defeated Summers by a large margin, but may have been hampered by the bias of the hometown judges.[29]

On December 13, 1913, Stone defeated Pal Brown, one of his most skilled opponents, at the Olympia Athletic Club in Sydney, Australia in a twenty-round points decision. Stone wrote of Brown that "He was clever; his punches had a snap in them that hurt". Stone claimed to defeat Brown he had to dispense with his hopping tactic and keep both feet planted firmly on the ground.[27] Brown, an American from Minnesota, did well in Australia defeating the Australian lightweight champion Hughie Mehegan.[9]

Abe "The Newsboy" Hollandersky, claimed to have sparred with Stone for a few rounds around 1911–14. Both were New York Jewish welterweights who worked as newsboys, frequented Tom Sharkey's bar and boxing studio, boxed over 200 bouts, and had a few of the same boxing opponents. Stone delivered papers near Sharkey's in his youth, and boxed there a few times as well.[30]

In a twenty-round points decision on June 15, 1914, Stone lost to the exceptional British lightweight Jerry Delaney before a sizable crowd in the National Sporting Club in Covent Garden, England. After his wins over Mat Wells and Johnny Summers, Stone was viewed as a top contender for the British lightweight championship. The National Sporting Club was the most prestigious venue for sports events in London and this bout was the main event. A known quantity, Delaney had competed in an elimination tournament for the British lightweight title in March 1914. Delaney was known to have a great deal of power in both fists, and was predicted to win the bout by the London Times, though Stone had a slight lead in the early betting.[32] In the contest, Delaney easily outpointed Stone, scoring frequently throughout the bout, particularly with his left. It was only the skilled dodging, bobbing, and slipping punches employed by Stone that allowed him to last through the long match, but he was known well for his skills at ringcraft. The purse for the well attended bout was 700 British pounds.[33]

According to British boxing historian Barry Wells, Stone claimed the world welterweight championship between 1914 and 1916, but the title was not sanctioned by a global body, as it would be later.[9]

Ted "Kid" Lewis

Before a modest crowd of 2000, Stone lost any claim to the world welterweight title on March 1, 1916, to fellow Jewish boxer, London-born Brit Ted "Kid" Lewis, in a twenty-round one-sided thriller in New Orleans. The fight was fast and furious with few pauses in the action, and both boxers were considered to be in relatively good condition at the end. Lewis was described as the aggressor throughout the match, and considered by most sources to have clearly been the better boxer. The victor won fifteen and as many as eighteen rounds of the battle and Stone avoided being knocked out several times only by the use of skillful ducking and side-stepping.[9][44][45] In the six rounds credited to Stone, the New York boxer blocked Lewis's blows and briefly appeared ready to assume the offensive. Lewis, who had a very slight advantage of three pounds in weight and even slighter advantage in height, did not appear to be in danger in any time during the fight. Lasting through the bout, Lewis was at his best in the last four rounds, which weighed heavily in the judges's decision. As testament, to the validity of Stone's world welterweight title claim, Lewis laid claim to the title after his victory over Stone, but many felt Briton or other welterweights had an equally valid claim to the title.[46][47] The referees officially gave Lewis eleven rounds, Stone six, and declared three even. Lewis would later be rated by the statistical boxing website Boxrec as the seventeenth best welterweight of all time.[48]

Stone won the Australian welterweight title on July 27, 1920, in an impressive twenty round points decision against Fred Kay. Kay attributed his loss to the cold weather in Australia.[50][51] Stone defeated Kay again in August in Perth, Australia in a 20-round rematch.[52] On December 27, 1924, Stone lost the West Australian state welterweight title to native Eddie Young Butcher in a twenty-round points decision in Perth, which greatly diminished his claim to the title. Butcher would take the official title in December 1925.

In what was likely his greatest victory, Stone won the Australian lightweight title before an impressive crowd of 9000 on April 23, 1921, in a twenty-round bout in Melbourne, Australia, against Welshman Llew Edwards. The fight was described as an outstanding show of scientific boxing with both boxers well matched.[53] Edwards seemed to look tired and a bit haggard during the bout, and suffered from a cut over his eye received in the fifth, though he fought with vitality and strength. Edwards had the disadvantage of protecting his eye, which reduced his ability to take the offensive, particularly against Stone's left. Stone gained the advantage and was said to have his "hands, feet, and shoulders all working, while the manner in which he bore into his opponent was both interesting and effective". In the seventh, Edwards punished Edward's body against the ropes early in the bout and did better in the infighting, but Stone threw more punches. As late as the eleventh and thirteenth, Edwards landed a few telling blows, but Stone remained in calculated command, and landed more blows. Edwards needed stitches to lacerations in both eyelids later in his dressing room, but his right seemed to have taken the most punishment. The boxers received around 350 English pounds for their efforts.[54] Edwards had previously taken both the British and the British Empire featherweight titles in 1915.

Stone lost the title later that year on August 20, 1921, in a well publicized twenty-round decision before a capacity house against Sid Godfrey in Sydney Stadium. Stone, an early favorite at 7–4, could not land a well placed punch against Godfrey, who forced the pace and landed blows more cleanly. The champion took the largest purse of his career, and looked the easy victor by the third round. Godfrey had previously been Australian featherweight champion, and became the first Australian to take the lightweight title in seven years.[55][56][4][9] Stone would lose to Godfrey again in a disappointing rematch for the title in twenty rounds at West Melbourne Stadium on September 31, 1922. At 29, Stone was outmatched by the 25 year old Godfrey, who had the skill to adapt to Stone's rapidly changing boxing styles and fight through him, using better technique and ringcraft.[57][58]

Stone remained in Australia for the next ten years, having over 100 fights.[2]

On February 18, 1922, Stone again defeated Llew Edwards in a fight at West Melbourne Stadium discontinued in the seventh round when Edwards's handlers were forced to throw in the towel, as their boxer had been completely outclassed. Edwards' manager claimed that his boxer's eyesight may have failed him.[59]

Stone took the Western District of New South Wales welterweight title in a bout that was stopped in the eighth round on September 27, 1924, at Broken Hill, New South Wales, and retained the title in an eleventh round disqualification against Eddie Young Butcher on October 4, 1924, at the same ring. On May 8, 1926, in an important and widely publicized bout, Stone lost to Australian great Stan Craig of New South Wales in a twenty-round points decision in New Castle, Australia.[9]

One of his better known losses was against World Boxing Hall of Famer Ceferino Garcia, a 1939 world middleweight champion, in a twelve-round points decision in the Philippines on September 4, 1926.[9] Garcia would also contend for the welterweight championship against Barney Ross in 1937.

Continuing to fight in middle age, in the last two months of his career, at age 40, he fought three twenty round bouts just five weeks apart.[2]