Benny Bass
Encyclopedia
Benny Bass, known as "Little Fish," (December 15, 1904, in Kiev
, Ukraine
; emigrating to the United States in 1906 – June 25, 1975, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
) was an American boxer
.
He was world featherweight champion, and world junior lightweight champion.
was quoted as saying: "He is the greatest fighter of his weight and inches I have ever set my eyes upon." At a diminutive 5' 2", Benny possessed a bull neck and extraordinary musculature around his shoulders & biceps. He was a powerful force & rarely fought at over 130 pounds. Bass was one of the hardest punchers ever in the featherweight and junior lightweight divisions. Contemporary Ring Magazine writer, Francis Albertani, described Benny as "A deadly puncher, cool as the proverbial pebble under fire and a masterful boxer."
By the age of 15, Benny began his amateur career, winning 95 out of an estimated 100 bouts. He earned a shot at representing the U.S. in the Olympics, but lost a heated decision to future world flyweight champion Frankie Genaro
in the box-offs. Genaro went on to win the gold medal at flyweight in the 1920 Olympics.
In 1920, at age 16, Bass won the U.S. Middle States Flyweight Championship.
Benny turned pro in 1921 under the tutelage of Phil Glassman, who also handled the quintessential Philadelphia fighter, the great Lew Tendler
.
Over the next three years Benny socked his way to an outstanding record of 53–4 with 1 NC, 2-Draws & 13 ND. Then, the great featherweight champion, Lewis "Kid" Kaplan
, resigned the featherweight title due to weight problems leaving a small group of contenders to vie for the vacant crown.
The N.B.A. matched Benny with a leading contender, Morris Kaplan, whose nom de guerre was Red Chapman. Chapman was a mauling bruising in-fighter who had previously lost to Bass (WF-1). Benny and Chapman squared off for the vacant N.B.A. featherweight title on September 19, 1927, in Philadelphia. Upon winning a well-deserved decision Benny Bass became the featherweight
champion of the world.
On February 10th, 1928, he faced Tony Canzoneri
in New York City for the undisputed world title. Even though he lost a 15-round decision along with his title, Bass covered himself with fistic glory in a display of courage & stamina. During the third round of the encounter Bass somehow got his collarbone broken in five places. This kind of injury is excruciatingly painful making even something as simple as clenching your fists & holding them up agonizing. He somehow not only mustered the will too fight on for another 12 rounds; but from the 10th round on, he mounted a furious rally & almost pulled out of an extremely close 15 round split decision loss.
He then successfully challenged Todd Morgan for the junior lightweight title in 1929.
Following a successful title defense, he lost the crown to Kid Chocolate
on July 15, 1931.
He retired after two consecutive 10 round losses in 1940.
During a career that lasted until 1940, Bass registered over 200 fights, and wins over such notables as Freddie 'Red' Cochrane
, Joe Glick, Harry Forbes, Bud Taylor, and Johnny Jadick.
After all the years of blood and effort Benny was dead broke. As Benny put it: "Everybody who needed money got it from me."Cyber Boxing Zone bio
Benny was no dummy, however, and even though he lacked much formal scholastic training he had a sharp mind, as evinced by his fluency in five languages. Applying himself with the same resolve he had displayed in the ring, Benny passed a Civil Service exam and worked a desk job for the Philadelphia traffic courts for many years.
in 2002.
Bass, who was Jewish, was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
in 1994.
He is enshrined in the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall Of Fame.
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
; emigrating to the United States in 1906 – June 25, 1975, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
) was an American boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
.
He was world featherweight champion, and world junior lightweight champion.
Boxing career
Regarding Bass, Jack DempseyJack Dempsey
William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey was an American boxer who held the world heavyweight title from 1919 to 1926. Dempsey's aggressive style and exceptional punching power made him one of the most popular boxers in history. Many of his fights set financial and attendance records, including the first...
was quoted as saying: "He is the greatest fighter of his weight and inches I have ever set my eyes upon." At a diminutive 5' 2", Benny possessed a bull neck and extraordinary musculature around his shoulders & biceps. He was a powerful force & rarely fought at over 130 pounds. Bass was one of the hardest punchers ever in the featherweight and junior lightweight divisions. Contemporary Ring Magazine writer, Francis Albertani, described Benny as "A deadly puncher, cool as the proverbial pebble under fire and a masterful boxer."
By the age of 15, Benny began his amateur career, winning 95 out of an estimated 100 bouts. He earned a shot at representing the U.S. in the Olympics, but lost a heated decision to future world flyweight champion Frankie Genaro
Frankie Genaro
Frank "Frankie" Genaro was a former Olympic gold medalist and boxing world flyweight champion...
in the box-offs. Genaro went on to win the gold medal at flyweight in the 1920 Olympics.
In 1920, at age 16, Bass won the U.S. Middle States Flyweight Championship.
Benny turned pro in 1921 under the tutelage of Phil Glassman, who also handled the quintessential Philadelphia fighter, the great Lew Tendler
Lew Tendler
"Lefty" Lew Tendler was an American boxer. He is a member of the World Boxing Hall of Fame, the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, and the International Boxing Hall of Fame.-External links:******...
.
Over the next three years Benny socked his way to an outstanding record of 53–4 with 1 NC, 2-Draws & 13 ND. Then, the great featherweight champion, Lewis "Kid" Kaplan
Kid Kaplan
Louis Kaplan , better known as Kid Kaplan, was a professional boxer in the Featherweight division. He has been described as one of the greatest Ukrainian boxers.- Background :...
, resigned the featherweight title due to weight problems leaving a small group of contenders to vie for the vacant crown.
The N.B.A. matched Benny with a leading contender, Morris Kaplan, whose nom de guerre was Red Chapman. Chapman was a mauling bruising in-fighter who had previously lost to Bass (WF-1). Benny and Chapman squared off for the vacant N.B.A. featherweight title on September 19, 1927, in Philadelphia. Upon winning a well-deserved decision Benny Bass became the featherweight
Featherweight
Featherweight is a weight class division in the sport of boxing. There are similarly named divisions under several Mixed Martial Arts organizations and in Greco-Roman wrestling.-Professional boxing:...
champion of the world.
On February 10th, 1928, he faced Tony Canzoneri
Tony Canzoneri
Tony Canzoneri was an American boxer who was born in the town of Slidell, Louisiana.Canzoneri, an Italian American, was one of the members of the exclusive group of boxing world champions who have won titles in three or more divisions.- Early life :When he was a teenager, he and his family moved...
in New York City for the undisputed world title. Even though he lost a 15-round decision along with his title, Bass covered himself with fistic glory in a display of courage & stamina. During the third round of the encounter Bass somehow got his collarbone broken in five places. This kind of injury is excruciatingly painful making even something as simple as clenching your fists & holding them up agonizing. He somehow not only mustered the will too fight on for another 12 rounds; but from the 10th round on, he mounted a furious rally & almost pulled out of an extremely close 15 round split decision loss.
He then successfully challenged Todd Morgan for the junior lightweight title in 1929.
Following a successful title defense, he lost the crown to Kid Chocolate
Kid Chocolate
For the boxer of the same nickname see Peter Quillin.Eligio Sardiñas Montalvo , better known as Kid Chocolate, was a Cuban boxer who enjoyed wild success both in the boxing ring and in society life during a span of the 1930s.-Biography:Eligio Montaldo, also nicknamed The Cuban Bon Bon, learned how...
on July 15, 1931.
He retired after two consecutive 10 round losses in 1940.
During a career that lasted until 1940, Bass registered over 200 fights, and wins over such notables as Freddie 'Red' Cochrane
Freddie 'Red' Cochrane
Freddie 'Red' Cochrane , was a professional boxer in the welterweight division who became World Champion in 1941 in that class...
, Joe Glick, Harry Forbes, Bud Taylor, and Johnny Jadick.
After all the years of blood and effort Benny was dead broke. As Benny put it: "Everybody who needed money got it from me."Cyber Boxing Zone bio
Benny was no dummy, however, and even though he lacked much formal scholastic training he had a sharp mind, as evinced by his fluency in five languages. Applying himself with the same resolve he had displayed in the ring, Benny passed a Civil Service exam and worked a desk job for the Philadelphia traffic courts for many years.
Hall of Fame
Bass was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of FameInternational Boxing Hall of Fame
The modern International Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Canastota, New York, United States, within driving distance from the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta...
in 2002.
Bass, who was Jewish, was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
The International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame was opened July 7, 1981, in Netanya, Israel. It honors Jewish athletes and their accomplishments from anywhere around the world....
in 1994.
He is enshrined in the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall Of Fame.