Louis ("Lou") Salica (November 16, 1912 – January 30, 2002) was an American boxer, who captured the Undisputed World Bantamweight Title twice in his career, in 1935 and 1940. His managers were Hymie Kaplan and Willie Ketchum. Some sources list a different birth date for Salica, July 26, 1913.
As a youth, Salica won the Flyweight bronze medal as an amateur at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Early life and boxing career Salica was born in Brooklyn, New York to a large Italian family of sixteen children on November 16, 1912.A family of sixteen children in "Salica Faces Young Tommy", Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, pg. 34, 7 September 1934 As an exceptional amateur, he won the New York City Golden Gloves Flyweight Championship in 1932. He won the Metropolitan Flyweight Championship in 1931 and 1932, as well as the 1932 National AAU Flyweight Championship.
Turning professional and fighting in the Brooklyn area from December 1932 to February 1934, he won fifteen of his first sixteen bouts with one draw.
On December 27, 1933, he defeated Native American boxer Pete DeGrasse in a six round points decision in Broadway Arena in Brooklyn. He would fight and defeat DeGrasse again in a longer ten round points decision on May 11, 1937 at Olympic Stadium in Los Angeles. DeGrasse normally fought as a featherweight, outweighed Salica by three pounds.Ray, Bob, "The Sports X-Ray", The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, pg. 37, 13 May 1937 Salica opened a cut over the eye of DeGrasse in the seventh round, but DeGrasse finished strong in the close bout, making many in the crowd question the referee's decision.Salica was outweighed by three pounds in "Salica Given Questionable Verdict Over DeGrasse", Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, pg. 37, 12 May 1937
He defeated Harry Bauman once on April 2, 1934 in a six round points decision at St. Nicholas Arena in New York City.
On August 10, 1934, he defeated Joe Tei Ken, a Korean San Francisco native, in a ten round points decision at Legion Stadium in Hollywood, California. Salica was a slight favorite going into the bout."Olympic Ring Champ Favored", The Evening News, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, pg. 14, 10 August 1944
September 7, 1934, he defeated Filipino boxer Young Tommy in a ten round points decision at Hollywood's Legion Stadium. He came in strong in the final rounds to defeat his opponent. Both boxers weighed very close to 118 in the weigh ins.Salica strongest in final rounds in "Lou Salica Wins in Rally", The News Journal, Wilmington, Delaware, pg. 12, 8 September 1934
On October 19, 1934, in a well publicized bout, he lost to Filipino boxer Speedy Dado in a ten round points decision at Legion Stadium in California. Dado showed greater speed and accuracy in his punching, though Salica often scored points in rounds when Dado was tiring, and clearly won the fifth."Dado Whips Lou Salica", The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, pg. 7, 20 October 1934
On December 20, 1934, he defeated Carlos "Indian" Quinatana in a ten round decision at the Forum in Montreal, Canada. He scored two no count knockdowns in early rounds, but had to come from behind in a strong finish when Quintana made a strong showing in the middle rounds. The bout was an early match for the World Bantamweight elimination tournament."Quintana is Defeated", Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati, Ohio, pg. 10, 21 December 1984
On June 11, 1935, he defeated Pablo Dano in a ten round points decision at Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. As many as 10,000 were anticipated for the fight between two boxers considered bantamweight title contenders, even if only in California.10,000 might have come in Potts, Bill, "Pair Clash at Olympic", Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, pg. 33, 11 June 1935 He would defeat Dano again in a ten round points decision on August 20, 1938 at Gilmore Stadium in Los Angeles.
On July 30, 1935, he met Jerry Mazza in an eighth round draw at the Coney Island Velodrome in Brooklyn. Salica was outweighed by nearly eight pounds in the feature bout."Lou Salica Fights to Draw in New York", The Des Moines Register, Des Moines, Iowa, pg. 7, 31 July 1935
NBA Bantam Champ On August 26, 1935, Salica took the National Boxing Association Bantamweight Championship against Puerto Rican boxer Sixto Escobar in a close fifteen round decision at Dyckman Oval in Manhattan. Many ringside questioned the decision of the judges that gave the win to Salica."Sixto Escobar Soundly Whips Lou Salica", The Bismarck Tribune, Bismarck, North Dakota, pg. 6, 16 November 1935
Loss of Bantam title Salica subsequently lost the World Bantamweight Championship to Escobar just two months later on November 15, 1935 in a fifteen round Unanimous Decision at New York's Madison Square Garden. Escobar floored Salica for a nine count in the third round after a series of right crosses, and staggered him several times during the bout. The United Press gave Escobar nine of the eleven rounds, in a decisive victory where only the ninth, tenth, and eleventh were given graciously to Salica, the ninth being even."Sixto Escobar Whips Lou Salica", The Decatur Daily Review, Decatur, Illinois, pg. 5, 16 November 1935
Bouts after loss of Bantam title Bout with Tony Marino On June 2, 1936, he was defeated by Tony Marino, future NYSAC World Bantamweight Title Holder, in Queensboro Arena in New York. Marino surprised the crowd with an unexpected ten round points decision over Salica, the former World Bantamweight Champion."Scores Unexpected Win" The Pantagraph, Bloomington, Illinois, pg. 10, 3 June 1936 It was a victory that helped Marino rise to greater prominence.The win over Salica was important in "Marino Starts Remaking Ring Rep At Grove", Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn, New York, pg. 25, 30 October 1936
On November 2, 1937, Salica scored a fourth round technical knockout against Joey Wach in Brooklyn. Wach was down three times in the fourth round, the first time for a nine count before the referee stopped the fight after one minute of the fourth. The fighting was fairly even in the first three rounds."Kayo is Scored By Lou Salica", Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Arizona, pg. 11, 3 November 1937
Important California fights On July 22, 1938 he defeated Mexican boxer Emilio Magana in a ninth round technical knockout at Gilmore Stadium in Los Angeles, California. It was an impressive win for Salica, as one reporter described his victory as a "first class going-over" against Magana. Salica fought at only 119 pounds, still in the bantamweight range.Dyer, Braven, The Sports Parade, The Los Angeles Times, pg. 26, 25 July 1938
On August 26, 1938, he defeated "Young" Joe Roche in an eighth round Technical Knockout at Dreamland Auditorium in San Francisco, California.
On January 21, 1939, he fought Tony Dupre to an eight round draw at Ridgewood Grove, in Salica's howmetown of Brooklyn. The bout was a feature fight only scheduled for eight rounds, and according to one source, Salica was fighting for the first time as a featherweight."Lou Salica Wins First Bout as Featherweight", Nevada State Journal, Reno, Nevada, pg. 8, 23 January 1939
On April 6, 1939, he defeated Richie Lemos at Hollywood's Legion Stadium in a ten round points decision in an important win. In July 1941, Lemos would take the NBA World Featherweight Championship."Lou Salica is Lindsay Winner", Santa Cruz Sentinel, Santa Cruz, California, pg. 4, 4 June 1942
On May 19, 1939, he defeated Filipino boxer Little Pancho in a ten round points decision at Hollywood's Legion Stadium. Little Pancho was an important bantamweight and half brother to the great Filipino boxer Pancho Villa.Ward, Allen, "On Second Thought", Oakland Tribune, Oakland, California, pg. 30, 27 October 1939
He defeated Jackie Jurich on August 18, 1939 at Legion Stadium in Hollywood, California in a ninth round knockout. Jurich who was claimant of the American Flyweight Title, was outweighed by Salica by four pounds.Jurich was American Flyweight Champion in "Lou Salica Kayoes Coast Flyweight", Salt Lake Tribune, Salt Lake City, Utah, pg. 25, 19 August 1939
Bantam title bout with Tony Olivera On November 16, 1939, Salica fought a NYSAC World Bantamweight Boxing Championship title bout against Tony Olivera, winning in a ten round points decision in Hollywood, California.
Retaking World Bantam title On March 4, 1940, Salica fought Black Cleveland-based boxer Georgie Pace for the first time in Toronto, Canada in an important NBA World Bantamweight Boxing Championship, but received a Draw for the fifteen round bout. It was Salica's first attempt at the NBA World Title since having lost it to Sixto Escobar.
On September 24, 1940 he reclaimed the NBA World Bantamweight Title against Georgie Pace closer to home in a fifteen round Unanimous Decision at the New York Coliseum in the Bronx. The Arizona Republic wrote, "it was a dead close fight for nine rounds, but Pace tired in the stretch, and Salica came on to win. At the finish with a partisan crowd of 4,183 cheering him on, he (Salica) was barely breathing heavily." The crowd of 4,183 was small for a title fight, perhaps due to fans being less interested in the Bantamweight division than lightweight and above, as well as the frequency with which the title had changed hands.The crowd of 4,183 was small in "Lou Salica Wins Bantamweight Title", Bradford Evening Daily Record, Bradford, Pennsylvania, pg. 10, 25 September 1940"Lou Salica Beats Pace for Crown", Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Arizona, pg. 13, 25 September 1940 Sixto Escobar had vacated his claim to the NBA World Bantamweight Title the previous year. Pace was recognized as the NBA World Bantamweight Title holder at the time of the fight, and Salica was still considered by the New York State Athletic Commission to hold their version of the World Title, largely as a result of his win over Tony Olivera the previous year."Salica Regains Bantam Title", Decatur Daily Review, Decatur, Illinois, pg. 9, 25 September 1940
On December 2, 1940, he technically knocked out Small Montana, former flyweight champion, in the third round in Toronto to defend his World Bantamweight Championship. Salica floored Montana, nine times, before the fight was stopped 1:30 into the third round."Lou Salica Kayoes Small Montana to Keep His Title", The Montana Standard, Butte, Montana, pg. 9, 3 December 1940 Montana was knocked down three times in the first round, four times in the second round, and twice in the third. It was an important win for Salica, who outweighed Montana by four pounds in the weigh-in."Lou Salica Stops Montana in Third; Retains Crown", The Morning News, Wilmington, Delaware, pg. 21, 3 December 1940
Second World Bantam title defenses On April 25, 1941, he won a fifteen round NBA World Bantamweight Championship defense against Lou Transparenti in Baltimore, Maryland.