Abe Attell biography
Abe Attell, byname the Little Champ, (born February 22, 1884, San Francisco, California, U.S.—died February 7, 1970, New Paltz, New York), American skilled boxer, undisputed world featherweight champion from 1906 via 1912. Attell was from a poor Jewish household and started his boxing profession at 15 as a way of supplementing the household’s earnings.
In his first 32 bouts he was victorious 31 instances (24 by knockout) and fought to 1 draw. Attell first claimed the vacant featherweight championship on October 28, 1901, after outpointing George Dixon in 15 rounds, though his proper to the title was not universally accepted. Eight days earlier than this struggle Attell and Dixon had fought to a 20-round attract a title match.
When Attell knocked out Harry Forbes within the fifth spherical of their February 1, 1904, match, he was briefly acknowledged because the world’s best featherweight boxer, however in October of that 12 months Attell was knocked out within the fifth spherical by Tommy Sullivan, and the winner claimed the title. (There was, nevertheless, a dispute over Sullivan’s being champion, as a result of he was over the allowable weight for his division.) Finally, after knocking out Jimmy Walsh within the eighth spherical throughout a match in 1906, Attell was universally acknowledged because the featherweight champion. He then made a division-record 21 title defenses.
Two of Attell’s brothers, Caesar and Monte, had been additionally boxers. In 1909 when Monte gained the bantamweight title, the Attells turned the primary brothers to carry world championships concurrently. Abe Attell misplaced the featherweight title to Johnny Kilbane when he was outpointed of their 20-round match on February 22, 1912. It was his final title struggle, however he continued boxing till 1917.
During his profession Attell frequently wager on himself with the intention to enhance his earnings, a standard observe at the moment. After his retirement he turned a member of the entourage of gambler Arnold Rothstein. It was via Rothstein that Attell turned linked with the fixing of the 1919 World Series within the Black Sox Scandal. Indicted after a number of Chicago White Sox gamers testified earlier than an Illinois grand jury that he was concerned in fixing video games in opposition to the Cincinnati Reds, Attell claimed that it was a unique Abe Attell, and the fees in opposition to him had been dropped due to inadequate proof.
Attell was inducted into Ring journal’s Boxing Hall of Fame in 1955.