Solly Krieger

Solly Krieger (March 28, 1909 – September 24, 1964) was an American middleweight boxer who fought from 1928 to 1941.

Krieger was born on March 28, 1909, in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York.

He attended Eastern District High School, and was active in baseball, football, basketball, and soccer, but preferred boxing to his other sports.

His father, who was born in Poland and was initially a tailor, was religiously observant, and had strong opposition to his son Solly's youthful desire to pursue boxing as a career.

Krieger was a Golden Gloves champion in his amateur career.

In 1928, turning professional, he was mentored by the legendary Hymie Caplan, who had also coached Syd Terris, Ruby Goldstein, and Al Singer.

Between 1928–31, he won eighteen four to six round bouts in clubs, with an impressive nine by knockout.

He lost only twice to Jose Rodriguez on August 15, 1929, and Joey LeGrey, on May 26, 1930.

Very early in his career he was known as a cautious boxer with strong defensive skills.

After surgery for an injured left elbow, the result of a handball accident, he lost his ability to jab with his left hand, and found the need to develop more powerful blows.

As a result, he became a more free wheeling heavy hitter with a very strong left hook.

As he was relatively short armed but powerful for a middleweight, he preferred to box on the inside and from clinches where his reach was not a disadvantage.

In June 1931, after Mickey Walker relinquished the title, there was no universally recognized World Champion to fill his shoes.

On October 16, 1931, Krieger was knocked out for the first time in his career by future 1933 Middleweight Champion Vince Dundee in Madison Square Garden in eight of ten rounds.

In 1934, having problems with his arm, he fought only twice.

The surgery he had to correct the problem removed calcium deposits, but left him with a left arm slightly shorter than his right.

He adopted a style that allowed him to have his best years in 1935–36 winning with great frequency and utilizing his strength, counterpunching, and defensive skills.

On October 22, 1936, he won an exciting twelve round match against Oscar Rankins in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Describing how he could appear to be taking a beating in a fight like the one with Rankins, while actually avoiding or blocking most of the blows coming his way, he once said, "I started walking in on my opponents but I countered. People used to think I was taking a beating, but I could weave while standing still...I'd walk in and look like I was a punching bag half the time, but I'd never get hit. That operation (on left arm) was the turning point of my life."

The Pittsburgh Press noted how Krieger appeared to be taking serious punishment in the Rankin fight, but came back stronger.

It wrote "From a mile behind to a mile in front came Krieger after the Coast colored boy (Rankin) tired, principally from rocking right hands off Solly's chin and sinking both hands deep in his body. And when he came there was no stopping. Unmarked, despite being a perfect target in the early rounds..."

Many newspapers considered the fight one of the greatest middleweight bouts of all time.

In 1937, the New York State Athletic Commission named Frank Apolstoli and Solly Krieger number one, and number two respectively in their divisions.

To determine which boxer would reign as the number one middleweight, Krieger and Apostoli fought on April 4, 1937, at the Hippodrome in New York.

Suffering from a deep cut in his lower lip, Krieger had to discontinue the fight, resulting in a TKO in the fifth round.

Doctor William Walker made the determination to end the bout at the end of the fifth but had considered ending the fight in the prior round.

Krieger had previously lost to Apostoli on February 17, 1937, on points in an exciting ten round bout at the Hippodrome.

Both bouts were a setback for Krieger, but not an end to his quest for the title.

Krieger had three important bouts with Billy Conn, who would take the Light Heavyweight Championship after their last bout.

In their first bout on December 16, 1937, he won decisively by unanimous decision in Pittsburgh in twelve rounds.

Billy Conn later said of the bout, "This guy Krieger was the toughest...I ever fought. I ached for a week after my first fight with him. He could lick anything around now."

He held the NBA World Middleweight Championship in 1938–39.

Krieger, who was Jewish, was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

In their second bout on November 28, 1938, again in Duquesne Gardens, in Pittsburgh, Krieger lost by unanimous decision in twelve rounds.

In 1938, Krieger won five straight knockouts, starting with George Black, and Al Diamond in one round, Johnny Rossi in four, and then Stanley Hasrato in seven.

In his knockout against Izzy Jannazzo, on April 6, 1938, at the Hippodrome, Krieger effectively used strong body blows to win the fight, but did not gain the eleventh-round TKO until his "wild punches" began to land.

Janazzo had neither the reach nor the skills of Conn or Hostak who were both over four inches taller than Solly.

In his May 20, 1938, loss to Glen Lee at Madison Square Garden, Krieger lost all but one round in the opinion of the Milwaukee Journal, despite a recent layoff by Lee.

Krieger's loss to a boxer who had no advantage in reach did not bode well for his upcoming fight with the more skilled and slightly taller Freddie Steele.

The Journal also noted that Lee was able to send hooks to Krieger throughout the bout, indicating that Solly was having trouble defending during infighting.