Boxing Champion
The late Buffalo native Jimmy Slattery, a two-time light heavyweight boxing champion, turned professional in 1921 at the tender age of seventeen.
Slattery lost his first bid for the world title four short years later, by an 11-round knockout to Paul Berlenbach. Two years later, however, Slattery would bounce back to win his first light heavyweight title, defeating Maxie Rosenbloom in ten rounds on August 30, 1927 at Hartford, Connecticut.
Slattery lost his title just 104 days later to Tommy Loughran of Philadelphia in a grueling 15-round decision in New York’s Madison Square Garden.
Two years and five title defenses later, Loughran moved up to the heavyweight division, creating a vacancy in the light heavyweight division.
As a result, Slattery would get another chance at the title in a 1930 bout with fellow Buffalonian Lou Scozza, before a packed house at Broadway Auditorium. Bragging rights in the Queen City were Slattery’s via his grueling 15-round decision, narrowly escaping a 13-round knockout for the victory.
This time the title was Slattery’s for 135 days before he lost to Rosenbloom in a 15-round decision at Bison Stadium on Michigan Avenue and East Ferry Street. Slattery would get one more shot at the title in 1931, losing to Rosenbloom in yet another 15-round decision, this time in Brooklyn.
In 1935, Slattery retired from professional boxing with an overall record of 109-14-5 with 45 knockouts. Only the second Buffalonian to win a world title in boxing, Slattery died August 30, 1960 at the age of 56, exactly 33 years after winning his first title.
In 1992, he was enshrined forever in the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame legends category.