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It seems like a long time since the enthusiasm of the famed Youngstown Golden Gloves was the talk of the area boxers and also the notoriety they received in the fight game for many years. I remember a lot of the fighters back then and just a few years back and they were the talk of the town, starting out as amateurs and gradually projected in top pro fighters from this area. There performances in the ring gathered audiences and rightly so, like me, many fans had idols especially if he was from your neighborhood.
Youngstown Gold Gloves
In the Youngstown Golden Gloves there were entities from Northeast Ohio, Western Pennsylvania fighting to do their best to fulfill their boyhood dream of becoming a Golden Glove Champion and going on to bigger heights in the fight game. Many never made it out of the tournaments. Today, the Steel Valley area an claim six world champions, five from the past and one now who is making big headlines. They are Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini, Harry Arroyo, Greg Richardson, and Jeff Lampkin. The other past champion was Jimmy Jones. Today, our hopes are pinned on the sensational Kelly Pavlik. For years, our area was a main ingredient for the Cleveland Golden Gloves, which started right after the Youngstown Golden Gloves and still to this day, many old-timers who fought in the C.P.D. Gloves, told me when the Youngstown group came up, they were all tough. There were some great fights between the two cities.
Thompson A.C.-Niles Police A.C.
Many boxing fans today still remember the Warren Novice tournaments in which Shirl "Jack" Thompson played a big part in and their tough boxers that entered. Thompson, deceased, who was in reality was my mentor along with Matt McGowan of the Niles Police A.C. had two of the best boxing stables in Ohio and both were ex-boxers and knew the fight game. McGowan started his Niles Police A.C. before Thompson, who went from Central A.C. to Thompson A.C.
I saw a good deal of fights with the two trainers fighters and can remember some good fights. Without prejudice I will name a few and with respect to those I do not mention let you know what I thought.
I knew George "Sonny" Horne but never saw him fight as I was too young when Horne started fighting amateur. But later I followed his career and by the time I was eight years Old, Horne was big time and fighting in New York. Horne had a great amateur career and winning many amateur titles and in 1941 was ranked as the best amateur welterweight in the country. Unofficially his amateur record is 74-8 and in the pro ranks over 100 fights, winning seventy five percent. He fought the best, in both the amateur and professional ranks. Overlooked and also from the Niles Police A.C. was Chris Tabor who I thought if it hadn't been for Horne, he could have been the leader of the Niles Police A.C. Tabor also won many amateur titles and had a respectful professional career. Horne and Tabor had some whiz-bank sparring bouts. Another big banger and very seldom gets mentioned is Mike "Blond Bomber" Birskovich. Birskovich was a devastating puncher and had a impressive professional record. There were many others and maybe in a later column I will mention more.
Jack Thompson
I admired Thompson because he was a person who never bragged about his career and never lowered any of his fighters or any other fighters. He always had a good things to say about them. His stables had the likes of multi-talented LaLu Sabotin, Jimmy Sanders, Bobby Hughes, Moe Harvey, Joey Salcone and the underrated Tommy Brocken. Personally, although not confirmed yet, I think McGowan, Thompson and Youngstown's Carmen Chicklo could hold the local record for most Golden Glove Championships from this area.
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