Freddie Miller (boxer)

Freddie Miller (April 3, 1911 – May 8, 1962) was an American boxer from Cincinnati, Ohio, who won over 200 fights and held the NBA world featherweight championship from 1933 to 1936.

He was named in Ring magazine's list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years.

Miller was born on April 3, 1911, in Cincinnati, Ohio.

He would become known as a quick, and clever boxer with excellent ringcraft, and his southpaw stance would give him a difficult style to defend.

Miller fought Tommy Paul three times in 1931.

In the first two fights, Miller beat Paul by decision in Cincinnati.

In the third, Paul beat Miller by a unanimous decision in Buffalo, New York.

On July 23, 1931, Miller had his first title shot for the National Boxing Association (NBA) World featherweight title, against Battling Battalino.

Miller would go on to lose the match by a ten-round unanimous decision in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Miller went on to face Battalino on January 27, 1932, in Cincinnati for the NBA World Featherweight Title before a small crowd of 2,000 in what was one of the most peculiar fights of his career.

The defending champion, Battalino, came in three pounds overweight and did not put up a good fight.

Battalino went down in the third round from what the referee, Lou Bauman, and many in the crowd, considered a harmless right to the chin.

Some in the crowd suspected a "fix".

When Battalino arose, Miller put him down again.

The referee stopped the fight and declared Miller the winner.

The National Boxing Association and the New York State Athletic Commission, however, overruled the referee and declared the bout a "no contest."

Having declared the bout a no contest, the title become vacant.

Battalino was fined $5,000, and would later be stripped of his title by the NYSAC, taking effect on March 1, 1932.

To end any confusion about his championship status, Battalino voluntarily relinquished the title by March and moved up a weightclass to fight at the lightweight limit.

On January 13, 1933, Miller fought Tommy Paul for the fourth time.

Miller defeated Paul in a ten-round unanimous decision at Chicago Stadium, taking the National Boxing Association World featherweight title.

While still holding the NBA world featherweight title, Miller met Baby Arizmendi, reigning California State World Featherweight champion on January 28, 1933.

Miller won the ten-round match by decision at Los Angeles's Olympic Auditorium, retaining the NBA world featherweight title, and gaining the California State world featherweight title.

On March 21, 1933, Miller defeated Filipino Speedy Dado, California bantamweight champion, for the NBA world featherweight title in a ten-round points decision at Olympic Stadium in Los Angeles.

Miller won seven of the ten rounds, and had Dado on the floor for a six count from a strong right to the head in the second round.

Dado took only rounds three and seven.

Defending the NBA world featherweight title on July 11, 1933, Miller defeated Abie Israel in a fourth-round knockout before 7000 fans at the Civic Ice Arena in Seattle.

In an NBA world featherweight championship on January 1, 1934, Miller defeated Jackie Sharkey at Cincinnati's Music Hall Arena in a ten-round unanimous decision.

Miller took his victory by a wide margin; he put Sharkey to the canvas for a count of seven with a right and left to the jaw in the second, and again for a count of seven using a left to the jaw in the tenth.

Sharkey appeared to win on points only in two rounds, the fourth and the seventh.

In an NBA world featherweight title, Paul Dazzo was knocked out by Miller, 1:20 into the sixth round, at the Jefferson County Armory in Louisville, Kentucky on May 4, 1934.

On the eve of the Kentucky Derby, the bout was the first world title held in the Blue Grass state since 1934.

Taking an edge from the start, Dazzo was credited with the second, third, fourth, and fifth, with Dazzo holding even in the first.

Miller went on a boxing tour of England, Wales, Scotland, Spain, France, Belgium, and Ireland, boxing in all but Scotland and Wales, including the capitals of Brussels, Belgium and Dublin, Ireland.

He fought Josep Gironès twice in Barcelona, Spain on December 1, 1934, and on February 17, 1935, taking the first by a disqualification.

In one of his earlier fights against a future contender, Miller faced Phil Zwick on November 28, 1936, beating him by a fourth-round knockout on January 26, 1931, in Wheeling, West Virginia.

In an exceptionally long reign as champion, Miller fought thirteen times in the next three years before finally losing the title to Petey Sarron on March 2, 1936.

Miller successfully defended his title 12 times.

He defeated Baby Arizmendi, Abie Israel in a rematch, Jackie Sharkey, Paul Dazzo, Nel Tarleton, Jose Girones, Nel Tarleton a second time, Vernon Cormier, Johnny Pena, Gene Espinosa, and Petey Sarron.

Zwick would contend for the world featherweight title in 1941.