1. Georgie Abrams was an American boxer who came very close to winning the World Middleweight Championship in November 1941 against Tony Zale and was a top contender for the title in the early 1940s.
38 Facts About Georgie Abrams
1. 2.
Georgie Abrams was managed by Bo Bregman, and Chris Dundee.
3.
Georgie Abrams was born the son of a shoemaker in Roanoke, Virginia on November 11,1918.
4.
Georgie Abrams was given the middle name "Freedom" for being born on Armistice Day.
5.
Georgie Abrams briefly attended Tri-State College in Angola, Indiana, having to leave for financial reasons.
6.
Georgie Abrams earned a shot at middleweight champion Tony Zale by defeating such contenders as Billy Soose, Teddy Yarosz, and Lou Brouillard.
7.
On June 6,1936, Georgie Abrams defeated Teddy Yarosz in a ten-round split decision at the Griffith Stadium in Washington, DC In a July 5,1938, rating of American middleweights, Yarosz was placed at tenth by the Cincinnati Enquirer.
8.
Georgie Abrams was given seven of the eight rounds by most of the judges, and numerous facial cuts at the end, though Balsamo led 3 to 1 in the pre-fight betting.
9.
On June 20,1939, Georgie Abrams defeated Lou Brouillard in a ten-round points decision at Griffith Stadium at Abram's home turf in Washington, DC, in a ten-round points decision.
10.
The Italian Flatbush native Pimpinella, a New York Golden Gloves winner, fought such boxing greats as Lew Tendler, British born champion Jack "Kid" Berg, Billy Soose, and Fritzie Zivic, as well as sharing some of the opponents Georgie Abrams had fought including Phil Furr.
11.
Georgie Abrams defeated Ernie Vigh on March 26,1940, in an eight-round points decision at the New York Coliseum in the Bronx.
12.
Vigh was the victim of an accidental head butt in the second, and Georgie Abrams landed a hard left hook to the face of Vigh in the third.
13.
On December 12,1940, Georgie Abrams defeated Izzy Jannazzo in a ten-round split decision at Carlin's Park in Baltimore.
14.
Georgie Abrams dominated the infighting, but Jannazzo put on a more scientific and cautious defense.
15.
On January 20,1941, Georgie Abrams defeated Jimmy Leto in a unanimous decision at Carlin's Park in Baltimore, Maryland.
16.
Georgie Abrams scored with rights and lefts throughout the bout, probably having an edge in all but the first and seventh rounds.
17.
On July 30,1941, Georgie Abrams defeated Billy Soose at Madison Square Garden in a ten-round unanimous decision.
18.
Georgie Abrams took a formal furlough from his Naval Reserve Station to attend the bout, already serving as a Boatswain's Mate prior to America's official entry into the WWII.
19.
Georgie Abrams met Gary, Indiana native Tony Zale in Madison Square Garden in a World Middleweight Championship match on November 28,1941, before a crowd of nearly 10,000.
20.
Georgie Abrams was already serving in the Navy at an air station in Jacksonville, Florida as a boxing Boatswain's Mate under the invitation of Lt.
21.
When Georgie Abrams was discharged from the Navy in 1946, he fought several tune up fights, though was slowed somewhat in his return to the ring by a kidney operation.
22.
Georgie Abrams won with fast left jabs and strong right crosses in a fast fight.
23.
Georgie Abrams won the early rounds with accurate punches, withstood a comeback attempt in the middle rounds.
24.
Georgie Abrams next challenged the French middleweight Marcel Cerdan before 17,000 spectators at Madison Square Garden.
25.
Georgie Abrams lost a close ten round decision on December 6,1946, though it was a unanimous ruling among the judges, who included Ruby Goldstein.
26.
The shorter armed but heavier Georgie Abrams was able to maneuver inside of Robinson's longer reach keeping much of the fighting at close quarters.
27.
Georgie Abrams staggered his opponent with hard rights in both the sixth and ninth.
28.
Robinson once remarked that Georgie Abrams had given him his toughest bout.
29.
Georgie Abrams was down in the first and second rounds before the bout was stopped in the fifth.
30.
On November 17,1947, Georgie Abrams lost to Fred Apostoli, a former navy veteran, in a close ten round mixed decision at the Civic Auditorium in San Francisco.
31.
Georgie Abrams lost to Anton Raadik in a tenth round technical knockout on April 21,1948, at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago, Illinois.
32.
Georgie Abrams was down in the ninth, and twice in the tenth, and according to the United Press, he was battered around the ring so badly that his manager, Chris Dundee, announced he was through.
33.
Georgie Abrams had one exhibition of his paintings in New York in July 1947 while he was still boxing which was not a great success.
34.
Georgie Abrams worked at various times as an auto dealer, liquor salesman, and owner of a tavern.
35.
Georgie Abrams suffered a serious heart attack in the early 1980s.
36.
Georgie Abrams married his third wife, Vicki Lee, a former singer in Tommy Dorsey's band, in 1984 and was previously married to Terrie Tumin when he lived in New York.
37.
Georgie Abrams died on June 30,1994, in Las Vegas after suffering a stroke.
38.
Georgie Abrams was posthumously inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 2005.