Pete Latzo

Pete Latzo (August 1, 1902 – July 7, 1968) was an American boxer who held the World Welterweight Championship from 1926 to 1927.

Latzo was born on August 1, 1902, in Colerain, Pennsylvania, near the heart of coal-mining county.

By several accounts, Latzo spent some of his early years mining, and working as a "breaker boy" whose primary job was to pick slate and other impurities from anthracite coal.

His brother Steve preceded him as a boxer in local rings with some success, once losing to Mickey Walker by knockout.

His older brother Joe also boxed briefly in and around Scranton.

For a period, Latzo's brother Mike managed his career, though his primary managers were Paddy Mullins, and Jimmy Johnston.

In their first welterweight title fight on March 22, 1923, Mickey Walker defeated Latzo in a twelve-round newspapers decision before a crowd of 10,000 in Newark, New Jersey.

Latzo took a tremendous beating, suffering particularly from shots to the body, and was down for a count of three from a solid left to the jaw in the fourth.

Latzo continued to take severe punishment to the body in the sixth but managed to stay on his feet.

With both men exhausted, the fighting in the seventh through eleventh rounds was comparatively slow, and though the twelfth saw more action from both combatants, Latzo was stunned but not floored by a left to the chin shortly before the final bell.

In an impressive upset, Latzo defeated Mickey Walker to take the world welterweight championship before a crowd of 12,000 on May 20, 1926, in a ten-round unanimous decision in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

The bout was marred somewhat by frequent clinching, holding and covering up, and it lacked haymakers and knockdowns, but Latzo brilliantly executed his win after previously losing to Walker, a 3-1 favorite to win the match.

The Associated Press gave Latzo five rounds, with three to Walker, and two even, and both judges ruled in his favor.

He defeated Jewish boxer Willie Harmon on June 29, 1926, in a fifth-round knockout in Newark, New Jersey.

If he had lost by knockout, Latzo's recently earned title may have been at risk.

The combatants fought with neither having a strong advantage in the first four rounds.

A strong left to the body that dazed Harmon followed by a solid right to the jaw during infighting in the fifth ended the bout, though Harmon had been down very briefly in the first.

Though he was a sturdy ring veteran, it was Harmon's first loss by knockout.

Latzo fought one of his last defenses of the welterweight title on July 9, 1926, against Georgie Levine, winning in a fourth round disqualification before a crowd of around 22,000 at New York's Polo Grounds.

After gaining a significant margin on points, Latzo dropped to the canvas in pain.

The referee upheld his claim of being hit by a low blow, 1:28 into the fourth round, ending the bout.

He lost the welterweight crown to Joe Dundee on June 3, 1927, in a fifteen-round majority decision before one of his largest audiences, an impressive crowd of 30,000, at the New York City's Polo Grounds.

In a fairly decisive win, the Associated Press gave Dundee ten of the fifteen rounds, building his largest points margin in the later rounds.

Latzo started strong, looking best in the first, second, fourth, and twelfth, but took brutal body punishment, particularly to the kidneys, through much of the bout.

By the tenth, gaining confidence and sensing victory, Dundee went to Latzo's head as well as his body with greater frequency.

Several reporters attributed Latzo's lack of endurance in the later rounds to his difficulty making the 147 pound welterweight limit.

Latzo lost to exceptional black boxer Tiger Flowers, former world middleweight champion, on September 30, 1927, in a ten-round unanimous decision at Artillery Park in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

The crowd of 10,000 saw Flowers take seven rounds, though Latzo performed well in the remaining three, and dominated much of the infighting, particularly in the fifth and sixth when he delivered several close range body rocking blows.

Flowers' dominating the long range fighting was understandable as he had at least a four-inch reach advantage, which required Latzo to gain points inside.

On November 21, 1927, Latzo had lost to Rosenbloom in a ten-round split decision at the Arena in Philadelphia.

In a close and very fast bout, Rosenbloom scored well at long range with his straight left and left hook, but at close range, Latzo scored consistently as well.

In the ninth, Rosenbloom delivered a strong blow with his left to Latzo's jaw, and may have won by a shade in the tenth when the fighting was furious.

The bout was a vicious encounter throughout and Rosenbloom bled from a cut over his eye from the seventh round til the finish.

After losing the welter crown Latzo invaded the heavier ranks.

For the duration of his career he fought middleweights, light heavyweights, and even a few quality heavyweights.

Latzo fought many great fighters in his career, including future heavyweight champion Jim Braddock, and middleweight champion Tiger Flowers.

He is an inductee of the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame.

He defeated future world light heavyweight champion Maxie Rosenbloom on February 6, 1928, in a ten-round points decision in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

Latzo pulled ahead in the two final rounds in a close bout that ended in a decision unpopular with the crowd.

In a close bout, one judge gave the decision to Rosenbloom, one called it a draw, and the referee decided in favor of Latzo.