The Conn-Greb Boxing Club

Come out this Thursday at 6PM for our Power Punching Clinic with WBC #13-ranked Lyubo “The Demolition Man” Pinchuk.

With 17 victories and 11 KOs, “The Demolition Man” owns a 65% knockout rate and will break down the technique behind generating real punching power.

FREE for Conn-Greb members / $50 drop-in for non-members.

PITTSBURGH BOXING NOIR

Imagine the scenario: a deserted arena.

All is still where a mere hour before, all was cheers and celebration.

Now all is silence.

A forlorn boxer stands alone, mulling over his lost (or never-realized fortunes) long after the lights have gone out and the crowds have gone home.

He knows the gangsters are out there

Out there in the alley

…waiting for him.

Welcome to the world of boxing in Film Noir.

Boxing was often the subject of these gritty movies, films like “The Set Up” (in which Robert Ryan name drops HARRY GREB!) “Body and Soul” “The Harder They Fall” and the noir-influenced classic “Raging Bull.”

Boxing and film noir were a perfect fit, both filled with the same shadowy imagery and dangerous but unforgettable characters.

The cigarette smoke, the back room deals and the hard luck stories; the profanity-spewing spectators, the mobsters, racketeers, pimps, hustlers and con men.

New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco were most closely associated with the genre. But Pittsburgh very much encompassed the noir imagery too.

But the gangsters never got the same control over the Steel City that they did over those other places.

There was too broad of an ethnic mix here, too many cultural mindsets that the mobsters couldn't understand, and therefore couldn't control.

Our boxers and managers weren't afraid to look these out-of-town torpedoes right in the eye and say "no."

…and furthermore, that they could shove their threats where the ocean breeze don't blow, the bulges in their trenchcoat pockets be damned.

HARRY GREB, BILLY CONN, RED MASON, JOHNNY RAY, TOMMY YAROSZ and WILLIE DAVIES all did exactly that, and are a shining example of this breed of men.

They refused to do business with the dark dealers, no matter what threats were leveled or cash buyouts were offered.

Some became world champions anyway, like Greb and Conn.
Others, like Davies and Yarosz, paid dearly for their “no.”

Not with their lives, but with the shattering of their championship hopes and dreams.

The imagery that captures the noir aspects of the era’s boxing and film noir is compelling.

Enjoy!

(Featured boxers: Sammy Angott, Buck McTiernan, Henry Armstrong, Jake LaMotta, Al Hostak, Rocky Graziano)

“There are no happy endings.” – Noir Proverb

SMOKY CITY DIRTY DOZEN 11-12

11. MICHAEL MOORER
This Monessen slugger has the unique distinction of being the first southpaw to ever win the world heavyweight championship. He is also the first fighter from this region to hold the belt, the other heavyweight champs from Pennsylvania - Joe Frazier and Larry Holmes- both hailed from the eastern portion of the state. Though he only fought in his native region twice, his accomplishments in the ring have been a source of pride for all West PA.

Moorer began his career as a light-heavyweight, fighting out of the prestigious Kronk Gym under Emanuel Stewart. He quickly developed a reputation as a fierce puncher and was championed in the press by stablemate Thomas Hearns.

After outgrowing the division, he invaded the heavyweight ranks in the early 90s and soon became a leading contender. He engaged in a titanic slugfest with fellow puncher Bert Cooper that is remembered as one of the greatest, most thrilling fights of the era.

He won the world title by decisioning Evander Holyfield on April 22, 1994. He lost it by knockout seven months later to George Foreman in a fight he was winning handily. After that loss his career had its ups and downs, but he unquestionably left his mark on the history of heavyweight boxing.

Moorer retired in 2008 with a record of 52-4-1 (40 knockouts). He is enshrined in the Boxing Hall of Fame.

12. TOMMY YAROSZ
Middleweight champ Teddy Yarosz established the family name in boxing, and it was thought that it would fade after he retired, as siblings rarely found the magic that made their brothers successful. But his younger brother Tommy proved that old cliché was wrong, becoming a much-avoided contender in two separate divisions.

Like Teddy, he was a clever boxer, hard as nails, and never heard the fatal ten-count in his career. Tommy suffered only one stoppage loss (due to a cut) in his entire 92-bout career and his seven years, 55-fight unbeaten streak in the 1940s was one of the era’s standout achievements. The combination of trainer Ray Arcel’s wisdom and Tommy’s talent made them a formidable team.

But WWII and the frozen titles hindered him. He served his country and came home full of renewed ambition, only to find that organized crime had sunk its hooks deeper into boxing than ever before. But staying true to a Pittsburgh tradition codified by men like Harry Greb and Willie Davies, Yarosz steadfastly refused to be intimidated and didn’t give gangsters an inch.

One of Tommy’s more noteworthy achievements was a win over Australian battler Dave Sands, a man even the great Sugar Ray Robinson had reservations about fighting. He also out-boxed Jake LaMotta in losing a highly unpopular decision in Jake's hometown. The result was “lustily booed” by the MSG audience and decried even by “The Ring.”

Yarosz fought on for two more years but never received a title shot during his outstanding career.

Great company, great conversation, and some of the best coffee in the city. ☕🥊

Come hang out with us this Saturday at 10AM. Hope to see you there!

Numbers 9 and 10

9. JACKIE WILSON
“Pittsburgh Jackie,” the first African American champion from Pittsburgh, is a sadly forgotten fighter who should be remembered for being one of the finest featherweights of all time and certainly one of the greats of his era.

The Homewood lad possessed enormous natural talent, with blazing speed, nimble footwork, and a respectable pop in both fists. In most eras he would have stood out as unquestionably the premiere fighter at his weight.

The problem was his era also featured Henry Armstrong, Chalky Wright and Willie Pep, three of the brightest stars in division history and all of whom managed to eclipse him, Armstrong with his exciting cyclonic attack, Wright with his murderous punching power and Pep with his unsolvable defense and unparalleled boxing savvy.

But Wilson sustained a level of excellence that is hard to ignore. He beat several world champs during his career, including Tommy Paul, Freddie Miller and a very young Sammy Angott. He won the NBA Featherweight title by beating Richie Lemos, but the generally recognized champion at that time was Chalky Wright, who for added spice was a topic of hot gossip for his affair with the pugilist-loving movie star Mae West.

It was hard for Jackie to compete with that.

Like many fighters of the era, Wilson hung around the game longer than he should have, winning only two of his final eighteen bouts. But if one looks beyond the numbers, it becomes easy to appreciate the true greatness of the man.

10. BILLY SOOSE
If Farrell-born Hungarian Soose wasn’t the greatest amateur of all time, then he was pretty close. Before boxing for Penn State, he amassed an imposing record of 170-6, plus three Golden Gloves titles and the US Amateur Crown.

As if this weren’t enough, he had former middleweight great Leo Houck as his coach at PSU. Houck carried vast boxing knowledge, accrued from over 200 pro fights against the likes of Harry Greb, Frank Klaus, Gene Tunney, Mike Gibbons and others.

Billy quickly cleaned out the college ranks, winning 17 bouts, all but one by first round KO. He was so devastating that officials feared he would kill someone, and coaches of the teams on PSU’s schedule threatened a boycott of Soose. Thus, a rule was instituted banning Golden Gloves champs from competing in college boxing. Billy was kicked off the team and left PSU, determined to pursue a pro career.

His amateur experience had been so vast that he was already a finished fighter for the most part. He began in Los Angeles and after only five bouts had his West PA homecoming when he was pitted against the tough 41-bout veteran Al Quaill from Brookline. Also on the card were Billy Conn, Teddy Yarosz and Sammy Angott-- all champions and extremely popular with the local crowd.

Soose knew he had to put forth a spectacular effort in that kind of company to have any hope of making an impact. And make an impact he did, getting up off the floor to out-box the charging Quaill and win an impressive decision.

Soose went on to win the middleweight title and faced some of boxing’s brightest lights, including Tony Zale, Ken Overlin, Jimmy Bivins and Ceferino Garcia. He retired eight months after winning the belt, former heavyweight champ Gene Tunney personally recruiting him into the Navy in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor.

A big thank you — and best of luck — to our good friend Teddy Acklin as he heads off to Grove City College.

Teddy came to us as a teenager, and we couldn’t be prouder of the young man he has become. Along the way, he has also developed into a very slick boxer.

Whether he was sparring, holding mitts, running classes, helping someone out, organizing the gym or cleaning up at the end of the day, Teddy has truly been part of the backbone of the Conn-Greb Boxing Club.

He always shows up with a great attitude, gives 100%, and is willing to help anyone who needs it. We’re incredibly proud of him and excited to see what this next chapter brings.

Fortunately for us, Grove City isn’t too far away, so we expect to still see plenty of Teddy around the gym.

Onward & Upward, Teddy! 🥊

Numbers 7 and 8

7. TEDDY YAROSZ
Yarosz was 59-0 before suffering his first loss, and that a controversial one by split decision. Considering he was averaging about two fights per month for four years and not being sheltered from tough opponents, it is an impressive feat.

The welterweight division in Pittsburgh at the time had fierce competition of every conceivable style. But Yarosz beat them all before moving up to middleweight and becoming world champion.

It was the Great Depression and this town, like the rest of the nation, was yearning for happier times. In the 1920s it was all music, dancing, and Harry Greb. Now the music had stopped, our champion Greb was dead, and we were looking for a hero to fill the void. Yarosz was the man.

Handsome and talented, Teddy filled local arenas like nobody before him and allowed audiences to forget their problems for a while with his smooth boxing and dominant performances.

Billy Conn was just as handsome, more charismatic, and much more exciting in the ring. But he couldn’t usurp the spot Yarosz held with the hometown crowd, and in all three of their close bouts it was Teddy who was the fan favorite. It would take Conn’s gallant stand against Joe Louis before he could claim equal footing with Yarosz in the hearts of Pittsburghers.

Fellow champ Ken Overlin, who had fought and beat them all, marveled at the boxing skill of the Northside Pole, stating “I never could lick that guy. Who does lick him, anyway?” The answer is, not too many. Yarosz beat several world titlists in addition to Overlin, including Conn, Archie Moore, Vince Dundee, Lou Brouillard, Solly Krieger, Ben Jeby, Babe Risko, Pete Latzo and Tommy Freeman.

Even as he aged Teddy never shied away from fighting the best around and he willingly signed to fight imposing figures like Ezzard Charles and Lloyd Marshall, both very avoided middleweights.

Pure Pittsburgh steel. That was Teddy Yarosz.

8. FRANK KLAUS
With an enormous skull that was shaped like the bow of the Merrimac (and darn near as indestructible), Klaus rammed headfirst into the chaotic middleweight division of the 1910’s and didn’t emerge from the maelstrom until that championship crown adorned his oversized dome.

He was a bulldozer of a fighter, not as clever as Jack Dillon or Billy Papke, nor as hard-hitting as Georges Carpentier or Eddie McGoorty. But Klaus was as gritty and determined as any man alive and swept all those worthies out of the way to earn the right to be called the world champion.

Unfortunately for Klaus, he didn’t have much time to enjoy his laurels, losing his title to George Chip a year after winning universal recognition. But by then he was winding down as a fighter, having fought 97 grinding bouts between 1905 and 1913. If he couldn’t beat Chip (a good fighter, but not in Klaus’ league overall) then it was doubtful he was going to be successful against all the other hungry young faces lurking just beyond the horizon, like Mike Gibbons, Jeff Smith, Les Darcy and townsman Harry Greb.

Frank decided on the wise course of action and hung up his gloves. He later became one of the top trainers in Pittsburgh for many years.

He is often overlooked today because his reign was sandwiched in between the double eclipse of the celebrated Stanley Ketchel and Harry Greb eras. But Klaus retired having fought and beaten some of the historical division’s roughest, rowdiest men, rising to the pinnacle of his chosen career in a steady, workmanlike fashion that did his German ancestors proud, not to mention the boys at his favorite brew pub.