Lomski, Leo

Nicknamed the "Aberdeen Assassin," Lomski was a popular light-heavyweight contender in the 1920s and early 1930s. He received only one title shot during his career, against Tommy Loughran in 1928. Lomski knocked the champ down twice in the first-round, but lost a close 15-round decision. During his career, Lomski fought world champions 13 times, going 5-6-2 in those bouts without ever getting knocked out. In an era of great light-heavyweights like Maxie Rosenbloom, Tommy Loughran, Mickey Walker, Pete Latzo, and James Braddock, Lomski fought them all, and must be considered one of the best fighters in his division in the first-half of the 20th Century. Unfortunately, the level of competition meant that some key losses kept Lomski from ever getting a second title shot.

Birth and Death Dates:
b. October 27, 1903 - d. November 1975

Career Highlights:
Lomski, whose father was a Polish Jew, grew up in Aberdeen, Washington where he and his brother, "were the only Jewish boys in the whole city." Initially encouraged to box by a commanding officer in the Navy, Lomski returned to civilian life and fought in logging camps and towns in Idaho, where he worked as a lumberjack. Lomski soon became a very popular fighter in the Northwest under manager Eddie Eicher. A middleweight at that time, Lomski knocked out Billy Harms in the second round in 1923, then defeated Billy Wright in a 15-round decision in January 1924 (he was billed as Leo Lumpsky from Idaho).

Lomski suffered his first career loss in March 1924 on a fourth-round TKO against Billy Conley in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho. He rebounded powerfully, and won his next 23 fights. Fighting in Seattle, Aberdeen, and other cities in Washington, Lomski's streak was threatened only once. In December 1925, he was knocked down in the second and ninth-rounds by Mickey Rockson, but rallied to win a 10-round decision. Although the streak ended two fights later when he lost to Joe Roche in San Francisco in January 1926, Lomski defeated Jock Malone in June to capture the Coast middleweight title; the crowd of 5,000 was the largest in Seattle fight history to that date.

In September 1926, Lomski avenged his earlier defeat to Joe Roche when he won the rematch by knocking out his opponent in the fourth-round of their title fight (for the Coast crown). The following January, Lomski faced former world middleweight champion Tiger Flowers in Los Angeles, and won a 10-round decision. Lomski, having conquered the West Coast, travelled to New York to fight the best on the East Coast. In June and July 1927, Lomski dispatched all three opponents he faced in New York City, including future light-heavyweight champion Maxie Rosenbloom in a 12-round decision on June 21. He returned to Aberdeen in August, and won two more bouts before finally moving up to light-heavyweight in September.

On September 6, 1927, Lomski fought Ernie Owens to a 10-round draw. He then quickly ascended the ranks of the division when he defeated contender Yale Okun on November 4. In that contest, Leo administered what veteran boxing writer Hype Igoe called, "the worst body beating any man had taken in a New York ring since [the late 1900s]." Leo's victory over Okun set him up for a title shot and caused Igoe to declare, "LEO LOMSKI IS THE BEST FIGHTER IN THIS COUNTRY." Speculation was rampant over who Lomski would next fight; he was given a title bout in January 1928 against champ Tommy Loughran. Lomski fought well, knocking Loughran down twice in the first-round, but eventually lost a 15-round decision in New York.

Lomski remained in New York City and fought one month later at Madison Square Garden against former champion Mike McTigue, defeating his older opponent in a 10-round decision in front of a crowd of 12,000. Still a top contender, Lomski found getting another title shot tougher than expected. While some boxers avoided him (former and future world champ Jimmy Slattery refused to fight Lomski), he also missed opportunities to rise through the ranks and become the No. 1 contender. On June 13, he took on welterweight champion and light-heavyweight contender Pete Latzo (Latzo had lost a title fight with Loughran three months earlier) at Ebbet's Field in front of 18,000, but lost on a foul in the sixth-round. That loss ended the possibility of a scheduled July 4 fight with the great middleweight champion Mickey Walker, a fight that might have enhanced Lomski's chance at another title fight.

Although the loss to Latzo postponed any hope of an immediate title bout, Lomski found the light-heavyweight division full of great fighters to battle. In August 1928, he fought a rematch with Maxie Rosenbloom that ended in a 10-round draw. The following month, he avenged his loss to Latzo by winning the rematch in a 10-round decision. Lomski fought contender (and future heavyweight champ) James J. Braddock, and won a 10-round decision, in January 1929. He then lost to Rosenbloom in March, and Mickey Walker in August, to end any hopes he had of fighting for the title that year.

In January 1930, Lomski was still hoping for a title shot as he entered the ring against Rosenbloom for a fourth time. Lomski was a 6 to 5 favorite, but lost all 10-rounds, and walked away a beaten man. Rosenbloom captured the world championship in June (these two gladiators eventually fought six times, and Lomski went 1-3-2). Two weeks after losing to Rosenbloom, Lomski fought Braddock in a rematch in Chicago promoted by the legendary Jack Dempsey. Lomski was knocked down twice in front of only 5,432 people who braved the sub-zero temperature to see the bout, which was ruled a 10-round draw. The ruling was reversed by the Illinois State Athletic Commission on January 28, when the referee stated he "erred" on the original scorecard, and the decision was given to Lomski.

By 1930, Lomski was still fighting top competition, but his skills were in decline. On September 11, he was knocked out for the first time in his career by King Levinsky in the fifth-round after being knocked down six times in the first-round and three times in the second. In a November fight against Jack Silver, Lomski knocked his opponent out, but his once powerful punches were said to "lack old steam." By 1931, he was in and out of shape and even cancelled an exhibition because he was not in condition at the time, weighing 199 pounds.

In October 1932, he was referred to as "the former Aberdeen Assassin" before a bout. Although he won a few more fights, they were not against the top competition he had previously fought. The final blow came on April 4, 1933 when Lomski was knocked down in the first and second rounds, and "knocked colder than a mackerel" in the third, by Frank Van Hee. Lomski retired following the fight, but attempted a comeback three years later. In 1936, he won eight of twelve fights, but retired for good after getting knocked out in the sixth round by Lee Ramage in December. A baseball umpire in the 1930s and 1940s, he lived in Aberdeen for the remainder of his life, after fighting roughly 125 bouts during his career.

Origin:
Oregon

Physical description:
5'10", 155-185 pounds

Career Statistics:
Professional record: (incomplete)
Wins: 76 (31 by knockout)
Losses: 24
Draws: 11

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