Sammy Angott vs Slugger White

A generator failure halted the contest for an hour and seven minutes, but did nothing to disturb Sammy Angott’s command of the fight. At Gilmore Stadium in Los Angeles on 27 October 1943, the former champion decisively outpointed Luther “Slugger” White over fifteen rounds to regain the vacant National Boxing Association world lightweight title. The interruption came just after the fourth round had begun, leaving the fighters and more than 10,000 spectators waiting for the lights to return.

Angott had relinquished the championship in November 1942 while troubled by a damaged hand. His return the following March had produced a notable victory over Willie Pep, ending the featherweight champion’s unbeaten run of 62 fights. A subsequent defeat by Henry Armstrong had not removed Angott from contention, and he arrived in Los Angeles with the opportunity to recover the NBA championship. Recognition remained divided, with Bob Montgomery holding the New York State Athletic Commission title. Angott weighed 134 pounds; White, the Baltimore contender, weighed the division limit of 135.

From the opening round, Angott prevented the fast punching White from establishing his attack. He moved away and around his opponent, then returned with hard uppercuts from either hand. His changes of timing were particularly effective: White could not consistently catch him as he withdrew, and Angott’s return blows repeatedly found their mark. The former champion took the initiative without simply standing before White and exchanging punches.

Only ten seconds of the fourth round had elapsed when the lighting failed. The men had left their corners and exchanged blows before the ring was plunged into darkness. They initially remained at ringside, wrapped against the cold, before retiring to their dressing rooms while electricians worked on the generator. The spectators waited patiently, some singing “Show Me the Way to Go Home.” When illumination was restored, the fourth resumed with the ten seconds already fought deducted from its remaining time.

The prolonged interval brought no lasting change in the contest. Angott continued to control the exchanges, and his repeated blows gradually weakened White. By the fourteenth round, the Baltimore boxer appeared close to being stopped. Midway through the fifteenth, Angott landed a right to the jaw that sent White through the ropes and out of the ring. White returned promptly and completed the round, although he was unsteady and continued to take punishment. His endurance carried him to the final bell, but there was no serious doubt about the verdict.

All three officials voted for Angott. Referee Benny Whitman returned a score of 91 to 75, while judges Mushy Callahan and Billy Kershner scored it 99 to 66 and 96 to 69 respectively. The Australian scoring system placed 165 points at stake across the fifteen rounds; Whitman’s recorded figures contained an arithmetic error, totalling 166. The official attendance was 10,067, with a gross gate of $35,692 and a net gate of $32,588. Angott received a guaranteed $13,000 and emerged with the NBA title restored, though a meeting with Montgomery was still required to settle the competing championship claims.

I don't know whether this has ever happened before or again since, but such a long delay during a fight seems pretty unique to me. I've never known it to happen in any other fight.

One hour and seven minutes, that’s an extraordinary chance to recover and rethink, yet White still couldn’t change the fight. Angott kept wearing him down, then knocked him out through the ropes with a right in the last round. White deserves respect for returning and finishing, but the unanimous decision was thoroughly deserved. I’d take the timing and judgment Angott showed here over fast hands without control of the exchanges.