By Joseph Boyle: Long before ‘Road Warrior’ Glen Johnson entered this world, one International Boxing Hall of Famer became the yardstick by which this particular nickname should be judged. From Cuba and Venezuela to Spain and Belgium, and even South Africa, Freddie Miller really did bring the Featherweight Championship to the world in the 1930s. And long before Johnson had earned his nickname, I was mesmerised by a tale told to me by my grandfather..
In the mid-thirties, he had traveled ninety miles to watch this great southpaw in action. The bout was staged where legends of Irish sport such as Noel Cantwell, Johnny Giles and Liam Brady had graced for many a year-Dalymount Park, in the North of Dublin City. We will have to go on his word alone here, but according to my grandfather ‘Dalyer’ played host to a sizable crowd and one hell of a fighter. On that particular Friday evening, he had defeated a modest opponent by the name of Stanley Jehu.
Born in Cincinnati in 1911, Miller started boxing as a professional at the age of 16. Miller was what could be described as an ‘active’ fighter (understatement of the year!), as he had stepped between the ropes no fewer than 75 times before he turned 19. He had emerged victorious in all but four of these fights. In 1931 he gained his first World title shot against Battling Battalino.
Miller lost on points. However, both men were fighting out of the Pete Reilly stable, and six months later it was agreed that Miller’s time had come. Battalino had decided to let his friend take the win, as he was about to move up to lightweight. Unfortunately, the punch that ‘won’ the fight was so tame that the referee declared the bout a no contest! The NY Times reported that the bout ‘was declared no contest in the third round tonight when Battalino went down under what Referee Lou Bauman declared to be a “light” blow.’ Nonetheless, Miller eventually got his hands on the title in 1933 when he defeated his rival Tommie Paul on points. It was then that Miller chose the scenic route for defending his title. In between countless non-title bouts all over the globe, he defended successfully against fellow Hall of Famers Baby Arizmendi and Jackie Sharkey, among others. He was dethroned by Petey Sarron in 1936, dropping a points decision to an opponent whom he had beaten three times before. He would go on to beat his great rival again in a non-title fight, but then lost in a title fight just five weeks later. Incidentally, this fight took place in Johannesburg and was the first time two U.S fighters had fought for a World title on foreign soil.
Some other notable scalps he took in his incomparable career include Panama Al Brown and Albert ‘Chalky’ Wright. He also battled the great Sammy Angott. These are three more names which sit proudly alongside Miller’s in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Freddie Miller was not the possessor of inhuman-like strength for which Jimmy Wilde was famous for. Knockouts credited to him were likely due to the quality or fitness of his opponent as he was a light puncher (Imagine then, what to punch that ‘KO’d’ Battalino must have been like!). This is what makes his career all the more remarkable. Instead Miller was the possessor of great reflexes and handspeed, which from his southpaw stance gave his opponents a whole host of problems. He could work out an opponent and capitalise on their weakness, and while he was not impossible to hit, hurting him or even discouraging him from coming in was altogether a different proposition. He was as tough as nails, and his will to win saw him through on many occasions. If you outpointed Freddie Miller (which proved to be the only way to beat him until his final bout) it was some achievement. He is rightly considered as one of the greatest southpaws of all time.
Freddie Miller fought somewhere in the region of 250 fights in a 13-year career, and won over 200. He retired at the age of 28 after being stopped for the only time by a local fighter called Herschel Joiner. The years of bravery in the ring had taken their toll on Freddie Miller’s wellbeing and after his health had been declining for a period, he died in 1962. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1997. The Ring Magazine, in their list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years, placed Miller above men such Gene Fullmer, Carlos Zarate, Oscar De La Hoya, Thomas Hearns and fellow Featherweights Azumah Nelson and Eusebio Pedroza. This puts some perspective on how good the man from Cincinnatti was.
There is no doubt that Freddie Miller is a first-rate Hall of Famer, a shoe-in as one of the greatest Featherweights of all time, and possessor of one hell of a record in the game. However, could he possibly be one of the most overlooked boxers of all time considering the adulation that lesser men have received? I thought I would take the opportunity today to issue a timely reminder to all boxing fans, myself included, to spare a thought for any all-time greats that may have been forgotten due to the passing of time.