Charlie Phil Rosenberg

Charley Phil Rosenberg (Charles Green; August 15, 1902 – March 12, 1976) was an American boxer.

Charlie Rosenberg was born in New York City's Lower East Side on August 15, 1902, as Charles Green.

He came from a large family of nine siblings.

Before he was born, his father died in an accident while working as a laborer at a clothing factory.

His widowed mother Rachel, struggling to provide for the family, was forced to place three of his siblings in a Hebrew Orphan Asylum.

When Charley was only five, his mother decided to move the family from the Lower East Side to Harlem, a more ethnically mixed section that still contained many Jews.

Charley grew up poor and struggling in a neighborhood where children from different races and religions often competed in the streets to get by.

Rosenberg was working as an errand boy for a millinery shop when co-worker Phil Rosenberg had to pull out of a scheduled match.

He won his bout substituting for Phil Rosenberg, and subsequently took his name as his ring moniker.

He retained his real first name of Charlie.

Rosenberg began fighting as a bantamweight in 1921, and lost most of his fights through May 1922.

Charlie's manager Harry Segal, frustrated with Charlie's poor record in his early fights, may have intentionally overmatched him with Olympic Flyweight Champion Frankie Genaro around that time.

Although losing the twelve round points decision at the Commonwealth Sporting Club against Genaro on May 23, 1922, the close fight could have gone either way, and Charlie's manager was impressed with his young boxer's ability to learn.

Rosenberg had picked up pointers on bobbing, ducking, and effectively using his left, from Jewish boxing great Benny Valgar, while training at his gym.

He would meet Genaro again on October 21, 1922, in another close twelve round bout.

Rosenberg would become known for his speed, hard hitting ability, and cleverness in the ring.

After his first bout with Genaro, Rosenberg defeated important prospects Sammy Butts and Henry Catena.

He won a twelve round decision against the up and coming local bantamweight Butts in a semi-final bout at New York's Commonwealth Sporting Club on July 8, 1922.

On October 30, 1923, he defeated the prolific Black boxer Danny Edwards, in a ten round points decision at New York's Pioneer Sporting Club.

Edwards would fight top talent in his long career, including several champions, but he had a three inch height disadvantage against Rosenberg.

The talented Black boxer had a lead in the first five rounds, but Rosenberg performed well enough in the final five to take the decision.

In the sixth, Rosenberg battered Edwards with both hands to the face and body and nearly staggered him at the round's end with a right.

Edwards showed experience and ring generalship to complete the final four rounds still on his feet as he tired.

He defeated Harry London on November 22, 1923, in a twelve round points decision at the Commonwealth Sporting Club at 120 pounds.

He then lost to talented future Bantamweight Champion Bud Taylor on October 19, 1923, in Madison Square Garden.

In their twelve round October decision, Rosenberg finished strong in the last two rounds when he caught Taylor with solid right hooks to the chin, though Taylor connected often, with a solid blow in the last round, and clearly won the first two rounds.

Many in the crowd were disappointed in the ruling for Taylor, though he may have lost his advantage from an injured right hand in the fifth.

On November 29, 1923, and January 28, 1924, Martin defeated Rosenberg, in close decisions on points, both times in New York's Madison Square Garden.

In their third meeting, a fast and furious affair on April 29, 1924, Rosenberg gave Martin a closer battle which ended in a ten round draw.

Martin seemed to take the first four rounds, but in the next four Rosenberg slipped many of Martin's blows, and raked his opponent with well placed left jabs that may have dazed Martin at times.

The match was again at Madison Square Garden and enthralled the 8,000 fans.

Rosenberg defeated Irish boxer Johnny Curtin, one of his top bantamweight competitors, on October 10, 1924, in an important ten round points decision before a crowd at Madison Square Garden.

In his career, Curtin would box most of the great bantamweights of his era.

Rosenberg won a ten round decision from Black boxer Wilbur Cohen on November 15, 1924, in New York.

Cohen fought the best fighters of his generation, including many champions, but their fight at Harlem's Commonwealth Sporting Club, brought limited publicity, likely because it was an early interracial bout.

Charlie won nine fights in a row in 1924, three by knockouts, and earned a title shot.

He was the World Bantamweight Champion from 1925 to 1927.

His trainers were the legendary Ray Arcel, and Whitey Bimstein, and his manager was Harry Segal.

Rosenberg and "Cannonball" Eddie Martin, 1925 Bantamweight Champion of the World, met three times, twice in six round decisions and once in a draw.

He defeated Eddie Martin on March 20, 1925, to win the world bantamweight crown.