86 years ago
Melio Bettina vs Tiger Jack Fox
Date: 3rd February 1939
Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York, USA
Title: vacant NYSAC World Light-heavyweight Title
Referee: Eddie Joseph
Melio Bettina
(
43
-
6
-
2
)
Weight: 172½ lbs
Tiger Jack Fox
(
98
-
15
-
10
)
Weight: 173¾ lbs
On February 3, 1939, the historic Madison Square Garden in New York City set the stage for a significant boxing encounter. Melio Bettina and Tiger Jack Fox squared off for the vacant NYSAC World Light Heavyweight Title. This match promised drama and delivered intensely competitive action.
Melio Bettina, entering the ring with a record of 43 wins, 6 losses, and 2 draws, weighed in at 172½ lbs. Known for his robust fighting style and resilience, Bettina was facing Tiger Jack Fox, an experienced and formidable opponent who boasted a record of 98 wins, 15 losses, and 10 draws, weighing in at 173¾ lbs. Despite his impressive record, Fox was noted for his lackadaisical approach to training and preparation, which included carrying the disadvantage of a recent serious injury—a stab wound near his heart received just two months prior in a Harlem hotel altercation.
The fight began with both fighters measuring each other. Still, as the rounds progressed, Bettina's conditioning and preparation began to show. By the eighth round, the effects of Fox's inadequate preparation were evident. Bettina landed a potent left hook that sent Fox to the canvas. Although Fox bravely rose at the count of nine, he was visibly shaken. Bettina capitalized by pressing him into the ropes and unleashing a flurry of punches that led to a three-count against the ropes.
The decisive moment came in the ninth round when Bettina continued his relentless assault, battering Fox against the ropes. With Fox unable to effectively defend himself and absorb the continued offensive, referee Eddie Joseph intervened at 1:22 into the round, stopping the fight and awarding Bettina a technical knockout victory.
This victory crowned Melio Bettina as the NYSAC World Light Heavyweight Champion. It highlighted his tactical acumen and physical preparedness, traits that starkly contrasted with Fox's more haphazard approach to the sport. However, Bettina's reign as champion would be short-lived. Five months later, he faced Billy Conn in a bout that contested the vacant NBA world title. In that encounter, Bettina would lose the NYSAC title, proving once again how fiercely competitive and unpredictable the world of boxing could be.