Johnny Dundee
Encyclopedia
Johnny Dundee was a featherweight
and junior lightweight boxer
who fought from 1910 until 1932. Dundee was born Giuseppe Curreri in Sciacca
, Sicily
, but was raised in the United States
.
Known as the Scotch Wop, Dundee faced all of the great fighters in the featherweight, lightweight and junior-lightweight divisions of his era. He fought the great Benny Leonard
nine times, and Lew Tendler
three times. He also boxed lightweight
champions Freddie Welsh
and Willie Ritchie
.
Dundee was regarded as a skillful boxer with great footwork. He fought 330 bouts, third in ring history, and won the featherweight and junior lightweight world titles. Dundee was knocked out only twice in his career. His final record was 194 wins (22 KOs), 60 losses and 41 draws. The remaining bouts were No Decisions, which were common during the era in which he fought.
He received his first opportunity to win a world title in his 87th fight, in 1913. Although he fought the champion, Johnny Kilbane
, to a draw, he would not receive another shot at a title until 1921. By this time he had fought an astounding 264 fights. He won the title when his opponent, George KO Chaney, was disqualified in the fifth round. Dundee thus became the first universally recognized world junior lightweight champion in ring history.
In 1923 he also unified the world featherweight championship by defeating Eugene Criqui
of France
.
Jack Bernstein
won the World Junior Lightweight Championship on May 30, 1923 from titleholder Dundee in New York City’s Velodrome
in a unanimous 15-round decision. Dundee won it back on December 17 that same year in a 15-round decision in Madison Square Garden
. In their return bout Bernstein again dominated Dundee. Some media called the decision for Dundee “outrageous,” “putrid,” and “a heist.” Time Magazine wrote: "... the crowd hooted. The fans and the journalists watching could credit Dundee with at most only three victorious rounds, the last three, and possibly two other rounds drawn. The judges brought in a decision favoring Dundee. There was blank astonishment. Then a chorus of hoots and denunciations shook the building." Another critic, Wilbur Wood, wrote: "It will be many a year before the memory of the decision handed down in the Bernstein-Dundee fight can be softened down sufficiently to prevent sportsman from undergoing an attack of nausea when it is called to mind." And the New York Times reported: "The decision shocked a crowd of 13,589 persons."http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,727679,00.html The two fought a “rubber” third match 10 months later, on September 15, 1924, 3 months after Dundee lost his Junior Lightweight title. This time the 15-round decision went unanimously to Bernstein.
Unable to make the weight he relinquished the featherweight crown in 1924.
Although today he is almost completely forgotten, Dundee was highly regarded by many old time boxing experts. Ring Magazine founder and editor, Nat Fleischer
, rated Dundee in the top five of his list of greatest featherweights of all time.
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:...
and junior lightweight 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...
who fought from 1910 until 1932. Dundee was born Giuseppe Curreri in Sciacca
Sciacca
Sciacca , also Schiacca, is a town and comune in the province of Agrigento on the southwestern coast of Sicily...
, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, but was raised in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Known as the Scotch Wop, Dundee faced all of the great fighters in the featherweight, lightweight and junior-lightweight divisions of his era. He fought the great Benny Leonard
Benny Leonard
Benny Leonard was an American lightweight boxer. He was named as number 8 on Ring Magazine's list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years and number 7 on ESPN's 50 Greatest Boxers of All-Time....
nine times, and 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:******...
three times. He also boxed lightweight
Lightweight
Light-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....
champions Freddie Welsh
Freddie Welsh
Freddie Welsh was a Welsh lightweight boxing champion. Born in Pontypridd, Wales, and christened Frederick Hall Thomas, he was nicknamed the "Welsh Wizard". Brought up in a tough mining community, Welsh left a middle-class background to make a name for himself in America...
and Willie Ritchie
Willie Ritchie
Willie Ritchie , was the world lightweight boxing champion from 1912 to 1914.-Biography:He was born in San Francisco, California as Gerhardt Anthony Steffen on February 13, 1891...
.
Dundee was regarded as a skillful boxer with great footwork. He fought 330 bouts, third in ring history, and won the featherweight and junior lightweight world titles. Dundee was knocked out only twice in his career. His final record was 194 wins (22 KOs), 60 losses and 41 draws. The remaining bouts were No Decisions, which were common during the era in which he fought.
He received his first opportunity to win a world title in his 87th fight, in 1913. Although he fought the champion, Johnny Kilbane
Johnny Kilbane
John "Johnny" Patrick Kilbane was a featherweight boxer in the early part of the 20th century. He held the featherweight title from 1912 to 1923, the longest period in the division's history...
, to a draw, he would not receive another shot at a title until 1921. By this time he had fought an astounding 264 fights. He won the title when his opponent, George KO Chaney, was disqualified in the fifth round. Dundee thus became the first universally recognized world junior lightweight champion in ring history.
In 1923 he also unified the world featherweight championship by defeating Eugene Criqui
Eugène Criqui
Eugène Criqui was a French boxer who held the world featherweight title in 1923.Criqui was born in the Belleville neighbourhood of Paris. He was a professional pipe-fitter before he turned professional in 1910. He won the French flyweight title in 1912. His boxing career was interrupted when he...
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...
.
Jack Bernstein
Jack Bernstein
Jack Bernstein, also known as "John Dodick," "Kid Murphy," and Young Murphy," was an American boxer. He was World Junior lightweight Champion, with the title taken from and later lost to Johnny Dundee Jack bernstein exposed zionists and was murdered by mossad....
won the World Junior Lightweight Championship on May 30, 1923 from titleholder Dundee in New York City’s Velodrome
Velodrome
A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights...
in a unanimous 15-round decision. Dundee won it back on December 17 that same year in a 15-round decision in Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
. In their return bout Bernstein again dominated Dundee. Some media called the decision for Dundee “outrageous,” “putrid,” and “a heist.” Time Magazine wrote: "... the crowd hooted. The fans and the journalists watching could credit Dundee with at most only three victorious rounds, the last three, and possibly two other rounds drawn. The judges brought in a decision favoring Dundee. There was blank astonishment. Then a chorus of hoots and denunciations shook the building." Another critic, Wilbur Wood, wrote: "It will be many a year before the memory of the decision handed down in the Bernstein-Dundee fight can be softened down sufficiently to prevent sportsman from undergoing an attack of nausea when it is called to mind." And the New York Times reported: "The decision shocked a crowd of 13,589 persons."http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,727679,00.html The two fought a “rubber” third match 10 months later, on September 15, 1924, 3 months after Dundee lost his Junior Lightweight title. This time the 15-round decision went unanimously to Bernstein.
Unable to make the weight he relinquished the featherweight crown in 1924.
Although today he is almost completely forgotten, Dundee was highly regarded by many old time boxing experts. Ring Magazine founder and editor, Nat Fleischer
Nat Fleischer
Nathaniel Stanley Fleischer was a noted American boxing writer and collector. Fleischer inaugurated in 1922, encouraged by Tex Rickard, the Ring Magazine publication...
, rated Dundee in the top five of his list of greatest featherweights of all time.