34 Facts About Johnny Dundee

Johnny "The Scotch Wop" Dundee was an American featherweight and the first world junior lightweight champion boxer who fought from 1910 until 1932.

Johnny Dundee was inducted into the Ring Magazine Hall of Fame in 1957 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame class of 1991.

Johnny Dundee's parents immigrated to the United States in 1909.

Johnny Dundee was raised on Manhattan's West Side where his father owned a fish shop on 41st Street and 9th Avenue.

Johnny Dundee fought his first fight at Sharkey Athletic Club, on 65th Street and Broadway.

In 1913, Johnny Dundee earned a world title fight in his 87th fight.

Johnny Dundee fought 20 rounds against World Featherweight champion, Johnny Kilbane in Vernon, California.

In 1921, Johnny Dundee won the junior lightweight championship when his opponent, George "KO" Chaney, was disqualified in the fifth round.

On July 6,1922, Johnny Dundee defeated "Little" Jackie Sharkey by unanimous decision in a fifteen-round Junior Lightweight title bout at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn.

Johnny Dundee was criticized for the fight with the New York Evening World writing that Dundee was "losing his fighting fire" by allowing the bout to go fifteen rounds.

Johnny Dundee successfully defended his junior lightweight crown three times before losing it to Jack Bernstein on May 30,1923.

Johnny Dundee was expected to win; however, he lost a unanimous fifteen-round decision despite knocking Bernstein down in the third round.

Less than two months later, Johnny Dundee was given the opportunity to fight featherweight champion, and war hero, Eugene Criqui.

Johnny Dundee lost 28 pounds in four weeks in order to fight him, making 126 pounds on the days of the fight.

However, part of the contract for this fight required that he give Johnny Dundee a shot at the title within sixty days.

Johnny Dundee knocked him down four times and beat him by a fifteen-round decision.

On December 17,1923, Johnny Dundee fought Jack Bernstein again at Madison Square Garden.

In contrast, the Milwaukee Journal noted that Johnny Dundee finished strong in the bout, and agreed with the decision.

Less than a year after unifying the title, Johnny Dundee lost the junior lightweight title to Steve "Kid" Sullivan on June 20,1924.

Johnny Dundee then relinquished the featherweight crown, on August 10,1924, at his manager's urging because he had outgrown the 126 pound weight limit.

Rivals backed away when Johnny Dundee sidles backward because he bounced off at the craziest angles.

Local New York boxing legend, Johnny Martin, said of Dundee:.

Johnny Dundee was nothing as a hitter, but he could box your ears off.

The big idea when you fought Johnny Dundee was not too appear too ridiculous.

Johnny Dundee won 35 percent of his fights, 6 percent ended in knock outs, 10 percent were losses and five percent were draws.

In 1957, Johnny Dundee was voted into the Boxing Hall of Fame.

Johnny Dundee married a woman named Lucille on June 26,1912.

Johnny Dundee died thirteen days later of a respiratory infection complicated by pneumonia.

Johnny Dundee, who had become a successful businessman after boxing, left an estate valued at $300,000.

Johnny Dundee faced many great fighters in the featherweight, junior-lightweight, and lightweight divisions of his era including Benny Leonard, Lew Tendler, and lightweight champions Freddie Welsh and Willie Ritchie.

Johnny Dundee was regarded as a skillful boxer with great footwork.

Johnny Dundee was known to be highly regarded among the boxing community and his peers:.

Johnny Dundee was strictly a product of a generation that has long since passed and will not return.

Johnny Dundee was a fighter in the era when boxing was in full flower, a superior craftsman among a lot of other superior craftsmen.