Born in
Philadelphia on November
29,
1902, Tommy Loughran was one of the all-time
master boxers, ranked as the No. 6 light
heavyweight of all time in the International
Boxing Research Organization rankings, No. 4
by legendary boxing writer Nat Fleischer.
Loughran fought and defeated some of the greatest fighters of his era,
among them Harry Greb, Georges Carpentier,
Jim Braddock, Mickey Walker, Young Stribling
and Mike McTigue, just to name a few.
One of the most skilled boxers in
ring history, Loughran was a light puncher,
having recorded only 18 knockouts in his pro
career, but his agile footwork and clever
style more than made up for it in the ring.
According to records, Loughran began
his boxing career in 1919. In 1922 Tommy
boxed no-decision bouts with Bryan Downey,
future light heavyweight champion Mike
McTigue, future hall-of-fame middleweight
champion Harry Greb, and future heavyweight
champion Gene Tunney. In January of 1923, he
again fought Greb in a no-decision bout
,and, later that same month, in their third
fight, lost a 15-round decision n an
unsuccessful bid for Greb’s American light
heavyweight title. In the remanding year of
1923, Tommy boxed two no-decision bouts with
McTigue, defeated Greb in 10 rounds once,
then lost to him in another 10-rounder.
In 1924 Loughran defeated
ex-middleweight champion Johnny Wilson in 10
rounds, was stopped by Young Stribling in
six, and fought to a draw in a non-title
fight with Greb, who happened to be the
newly crowned middleweight champ. In 1925
Loughran again lost a 10-round decision to
Young Stribling, fought to a draw with
future light heavyweight champion Jack
Delaney, and stopped Tony “Young” Marullo in
eight.
In 1926, he won a 10-round decision
over former light heavyweight champion
Georges Carpentier, and scored decisions
over Johnny Risko, Martin Burke and Chuck
Wiggins.
He opened 1927 with decisive wins over
“Young” Marullo in January, Johnny Risko in
February and Young Stribling, leading to a
15-round decision win over Mike McTigue for
the light heavyweight championship of the
world.
Tommy won the light heavyweight title on October 7th,
1927 in New York. Loughran went on to
dominate the light heavyweight ranks through
the late 1920s, until relinquishing the
title in 1929 to campaign as a heavyweight.
As a light heavyweight he put his title on
the line against Jimmy Slattery, Leo Lomski,
Pete Latzo, (twice) Loughran also won a ten
rounder over Mickey Walker. It was The Toy
Bulldog’s unsuccessful bid to become light
heavyweight champion of the world while he
still held the middleweight crown. Tommy’s
final defense of the light heavyweight title
was on July 18th,
1929 when he defeated Jim Braddock over 15
rounds. After defeating Braddock, Loughran
retired undefeated as a light heavyweight
champion to enter the heavyweight ranks.
Tommy
Loughran’s first bid at the heavyweight
title was on September 26th,
1929 which quickly ended in a 3rd
round knockout at the hands of Jack Sharkey,
the future heavyweight champion.
In February
and March of 1930 Loughran defeated
heavyweights Pierre Charles in Miami and
Jack Renault in Philadelphia. In April and
June of 1930 Tommy lost two fights to Ernie
Schaaf, than later in November of that year
he defeated King Levinsky.
Loughran decisioned future heavyweight champ Max Baer on February 6th,
1931, then went on to defeat Schaaf, Johnny
Risko, and Paulino Uzcudun. He finally lost
a 10 rounder to King Levinsky in November of
1930. The following year he was stopped in
two by Steve Hamas, then lost and won
decisions in return fights with Hamas and
lost to Stanley Poreda.
In 1933 Tommy defeated
Levinsky and Hamas and lost to Johnny Risko.
He won a 15 round decision over Jack
Sharkey, who was by now the ex-heavyweight
champion and ended the year with a victory
over giant heavyweight Ray Impellitiere. On
March 1, 1934 Tommy Loughran challenged
heavyweight Primo Carnera for the world
heavyweight championship in Miami. In that
contest Tommy gave away considerable weight,
eighty-six pounds, yet managed to go the
distance, losing a close 15 round decision.
Eight months later Loughran fought to a draw
with South America’s Arturo Godoy in Buenos
Aires, than defeated Godoy in a return match
in January of 1935. Later that year in 35’
he lost to Godoy in Santiago, Chili, and
defeated Impellitiere and Al Ettore.
In 1936 Loughran lost to Tommy Farr
in London and again won over Impellitiere.
Tommy Loughran officially retired from
boxing after winning one last fight in
January 1937 against Sonny Walker. Tommy
Loughran had 172 recorded fights. “His own
records show 227 bouts during his 19 year
career.” According to official records Tommy
Loughran fought 172 fights of which he won
96, 18 by KO. He boxed 45 no decision
fights, drew 8 times, and lost 23 times,
twice by KO.
Tommy Loughran was officially
inducted into the International Boxing
Hall-of-Fame in 1991.
