Kohut, Billy

A kind, courteous, and soft-spoken gentleman, Kohut fought as a middleweight in the 1920s and early 1930s.

Birth and Death Dates:
b. 1907

Career Highlights:
Born in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, Kohut was the son of a government employee and began playing the violin at the age of seven. Within three years, he had given it up and began pursuing a new hobby, boxing, at his local YMHA (Young Men's Hebrew Association). At the age of 13, he lied about his age and began fighting as an amateur, eventually winning 21 of 23 bouts (16 by knockout) as a featherweight. Two years later, he again falsified his age and turned professional at the age of 15.

Although he organized a 12-piece orchestra at the age of 16, Kohut found that boxing was in his blood. In a 1960 interview he said, "I chucked it [the orchestra -- two years later] to apply all my energies to boxing." In August 1929, Kohut fought Jack McVey, one of the top black boxers around and a contender for the Colored Middleweight title. Billy was knocked out in the tenth-round. In December, Kohut fought Harry Smith, the Colored champion who had previously defeated McVey for the crown -- Billy was knocked out in the fourth-round.

In June 1930, Kohut fought one of the top Jewish boxers, "K.O." Kaplan. A contender for the middleweight crown, Kaplan outweighed Billy by six pounds and won a ten-round decision. Two years later, Billy fought Italian middeweight champ, Enzo Fiermonte and lost a six-round decision. He then fought future world champion Ben Jeby in July 1932, but was knocked out in the third-round. Kohut retired following that fight.

Origin:
Brooklyn, New York

Physical description:
165 pounds

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