Al Mello
Encyclopedia
Alfons "Al" Mello Tavares (1906–1993) was an American
Olympic
and Professional boxer
.
on January 31, 1906. As a youth, Al worked in the mills, and took up boxing as a teenager, using the name Al Mello.
Summer Olympics. His first fight, he defeated hometown favorite, Georges Doussot
of France
. In the second round, Al Knocked out Norway
's Edgar Christensen
in the first few minutes of the fight. Now in the quarterfinals, Al was eliminated in a second-round disqualification of the welterweight class
, losing to Héctor Méndez
, of Argentina
, who went on to take Silver.
After the Olympics, Mello turned Pro in 1925, and earned the nickname, "the Stocky Portuguese Battler." Losing only two of his first twenty pro fights, and finished his six year career record of 42 wins, 10 losses, with 22KOs and only lost twice to a TKO, but never a KO.
Of Mello's 10 losses, 4 were for being disqualified for punching low. Some of his notable fights include wins over former welterweight champions, Vince Dundee
and Joe Dundee
, and he fought George Kid Lee four times, losing 3 of the 4.
Al retired after his final fight with Lou Brouillard
at the Boston Garden
on May 15, 1931. This was the only one of two fights where Al lost due to a technical knocked out
, the other was just 23 months earlier in the same venue to his second fight with Gorilla Jones
.
for their honeymoon
, before he bagan his training for a bout at Braves Field
in June.
Al enlisted in the Army, during WWII, and was involved in the Italian Campaign.
After retiring, All opened a family restaurant "Al Mello's Restaurant" in Lowell, until his death in October 1993.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
and Professional 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...
.
Early years
Al Tavares was born in Lowell, MassachusettsLowell, Massachusetts
Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...
on January 31, 1906. As a youth, Al worked in the mills, and took up boxing as a teenager, using the name Al Mello.
Career
After winning the National Amateur Welterweight Championship, as a 5'-7" 148 (welterweight) southpaw (67 inch reach) he qualified for the U.S. Olympic Boxing team. So, at the age of 18, he went to the 1924 ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
Summer Olympics. His first fight, he defeated hometown favorite, Georges Doussot
Georges Doussot
Georges Doussot was a French boxer. He competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics.In 1924, Doussot was eliminated in the first round of the welterweight class after losing his fight to Al Mello.-External links:*...
of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. In the second round, Al Knocked out Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
's Edgar Christensen
Edgar Christensen
Edgar Normann Christensen was a Norwegian-American boxer who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics.Edgar Normann Christensen competed in the Olympics on behalf of Norway in 1924 in Paris. He was eliminated in the second round of the welterweight class after losing his fight to Al Mello...
in the first few minutes of the fight. Now in the quarterfinals, Al was eliminated in a second-round disqualification of the welterweight class
Boxing at the 1924 Summer Olympics - Men's welterweight
The men's welterweight event was part of the boxing programme at the 1924 Summer Olympics. The weight class was the fourth-heaviest contested, and allowed boxers of up to 147 pounds . The competition was held from Tuesday, July 15, 1924 to Sunday, July 20, 1924.29 boxers from 19 nations...
, losing to Héctor Méndez
Hector Mendez
Héctor Eugene Méndez was an Argentine welterweight professional boxer who competed in the 1920s. He won a silver medal in Boxing at the 1924 Summer Olympics, losing against Jean DeLarge in the final bout....
, of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, who went on to take Silver.
After the Olympics, Mello turned Pro in 1925, and earned the nickname, "the Stocky Portuguese Battler." Losing only two of his first twenty pro fights, and finished his six year career record of 42 wins, 10 losses, with 22KOs and only lost twice to a TKO, but never a KO.
Of Mello's 10 losses, 4 were for being disqualified for punching low. Some of his notable fights include wins over former welterweight champions, Vince Dundee
Vince Dundee
Vince Dundee , the former New York State middleweight champion of the world was born Vincenzo Lazzara in Sicily in 1904.-Personal:The Lazzara family emigrated from Sicily to the United States and lived in Baltimore...
and Joe Dundee
Joe Dundee
Salvatore Lazzara, better known by his boxing alias Joe Dundee, was an American boxer. His career began with two straight losses in four-round bouts. Nevertheless, Dundee continued boxing....
, and he fought George Kid Lee four times, losing 3 of the 4.
Al retired after his final fight with Lou Brouillard
Lou Brouillard
Lucien Pierre Brouillard, better known as Lou Brouillard, , was a professional boxer in the welterweight division....
at the Boston Garden
Boston Garden
The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928 as "Boston Madison Square Garden" and outlived its original namesake by some 30 years...
on May 15, 1931. This was the only one of two fights where Al lost due to a technical knocked out
TKO
-In game, music and film:* Three Kingdoms Online, a browser based strategy game* "TKO" , an episode of Babylon 5* "T.K.O. ", a song from Elvis Costello's Punch the Clock album* "TKO", a song from Le Tigre's This Island...
, the other was just 23 months earlier in the same venue to his second fight with Gorilla Jones
Gorilla Jones
William Jones William Jones (May 12, 1906 – January 4, 1982) William Jones (May 12, 1906 – January 4, 1982) (better known as Gorilla Jones, was an American boxer and Middleweight boxing champion of the world.-Professional Boxing Career:...
.
Personal life
Just one year later after turning pro, In April 1926, Al married Miss Mary Veronica Rupa of Lowell, and they went to Atlantic City and New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
for their honeymoon
Honeymoon
-History:One early reference to a honeymoon is in Deuteronomy 24:5 “When a man is newly wed, he need not go out on a military expedition, nor shall any public duty be imposed on him...
, before he bagan his training for a bout at Braves Field
Braves Field
Braves Field was a baseball park that formerly stood on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts. The stadium was home to the Boston Braves National League franchise from 1915–1952, when the team moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin...
in June.
Al enlisted in the Army, during WWII, and was involved in the Italian Campaign.
After retiring, All opened a family restaurant "Al Mello's Restaurant" in Lowell, until his death in October 1993.