Attell, Abe

Abraham Washington Attell

Nicknamed "The Little Hebrew" and "The Little Champ," Attell was the world featherweight champion from 1901-1912 and is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. "I was a conceited fighter," he acknowledged. "I thought I could lick anybody. For a long time, I was right."

A colorful character, Attell was known to place side bets on himself to win a fight, or to knock out an opponent in a specific round. One such potential victim got wind of Attell's wager, and literally ran out of the ring, forfeiting the fight to an aggrieved Attell, rather than be knocked out in that round.

A card player as well, Attell was frequently involved with professional gamblers. His reputation was tarnished in 1919 when he was indicted for his involvement in the Black Sox scandal (several Chicago White Sox players agreed to fix the World Series). Attell always claimed he was innocent, and the charges were eventually dropped due to lack of evidence.

Birth and Death Dates:
b. February 22, 1884 - d. February 7, 1970

Career Highlights:
Considered one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters in history, the 5'4", 122-pound Attell learned to fight on the streets of San Francisco, protecting himself from Irish-American kids who did not relish having a Jewish kid in the neighborhood. In August 1900, Attell had his first professional fight, but he was only allowed to fight by his mother because he promised it would be his "first and last fight." Winning in the second round on a knockout against Kid Lennett, Attell returned home with the $15 purse; from then on, his mother encouraged his career and even bet on him during his championship years.

Like so many fighters, the young Attell started out as a puncher; but he gradually mastered the art of boxing and became a fluid boxer with magnificent defensive skills. Attell began his career with a staggering number of knockouts; he won 23 of his first 29 fights by KO. This style, however, caused him constant injury. He realized there was more to boxing than knocking out the opponent, and said: "The light dawned...A fellow could be a prizefighter and not get hurt, provided he was smart enough. I learned that lesson way back in 1900 and I remembered it until I quit boxing in 1915." Abe credited Hall of Famer George Dixon, whom he faced three times in 1901, with inspiring him to develop a more graceful style.

In September 1901, four months short of his 18th birthday, Attell defeated Dixon in a 15-round decision (it was their third fight; the first two had ended in draws). With the victory, Attell claimed the world featherweight title, although others asserted that Young Corbett was the champ -- the title had been vacated by Terry McGovern, who had not made the weight limit (122-pounds). In 1903, Abe solidified his claim by defeating Johnny Reagan in 20 rounds, and the following year, he knocked out Harry Forbes. Still, the title was in dispute in 1904, as Tommy Sullivan also claimed the crown. The two met in October to settle the dispute, and Attell was knocked out in the fifth round by Sullivan. He retained the title, however, because Sullivan was over the weight limit.

In 1906, Attell was finally recognized as the unanimous world champion after winning a 15-round decision over Jimmy Walsh. Over the next six years, he made 21 successful title defenses (a featherweight record), including knocking out Sullivan in the fourth round in their rematch in 1908. The following year, his brother Monte Attell won the world bantamweight title, marking the first time brothers held world titles simultaneously. On February 22, 1912, Attell defended his title against Johnny Kilbane and lost a twenty-round decision, thus ending his 11 year reign as world champion.

A natural featherweight, Abe also fought and beat some of the best lightweights and welterweights of his era. After dominating his division for so long, Attell began to drift away from the sport after losing the title. He fought sparingly in 1912-1913, announcing his retirement a few times before coming back for individual fights; his final professional bout was in January 1917. He is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, the San Francisco Boxing Hall of Fame, and the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

Origin:
San Francisco, California

Career Statistics:
Professional record:
Wins: 92 (51 by knockout)
Losses: 10
Draws: 18
No decisions: 45

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