Herbie Kronowitz

In 1947, having returned to boxing from Coast Guard Service, Kronowitz was ranked tenth in the world among middleweights and was ranked ninth for two months in that year. On March 7, 1947, he faced Artie Levine at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The crowd of 12,000 were enthralled with the 10-round battle between the two Jewish fighters. Levine won the bout, although Kronowitz claimed that while Levine "won the decision, there was no question that I won the fight." [3][1][2] The crowd strongly protested the judges' ruling and Levine had to come from behind to take it, though all three judges favored Levine in the close scoring. Kronowitz was fighting as a replacement in his first main event in the garden. The bout was the last main feature between two Jewish boxers at Madison Square Garden.[4][2]

Kronowitz fought the top contenders in the middleweight division. These included Rocky Castellani and Vinnie Cidone who he lost to in points decisions. The Castellani fight on September 5, 1947, at Madison Square Garden saw Kronowitz winning only the eighth round according to one source. Though a loss, Castellani was one of Kronowitz's best opponents and would later contend for the World Middleweight Championship in 1954. The bout showcased the Jewish boxer as a heavyweight contender, and took place before a sizable crowd of 6,800 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.[5]

Among boxers that he defeated were Harold Green, Billy Walker, Jerry Fiorello, and Pete Mead. The Mead fight was one of Kronowitz's more widely publicized bouts, and Krononowitz was "thoroughly trounced" on September 5, 1947 at Madison Square Garden. Kronowitz lost to Mead a second time in a close fight on January 15, 1948, in another close decision at the Garden.[3][6]

On January 24, 1947, Kronowitz defeated Billy Walker, one of his more skilled competitors, in a rematch at St. Nicholas Arena in New York by a significant margin of the judge's scoring. He had apparently learned Walker's style from their previous meeting and applied the knowledge to his strategy. More potent punching led Kronowitz to the victory. Walker was awarded no more than three rounds by any of the ring officials. The referee for the bout was the great, retired Jewish lightweight boxer, Ruby Goldstein, whose career in the ring may have been cut short by the New York Jewish mob influencing his choice of opponents.[7] In Kronowitz and Walker's first bout on December 9, 1946, Kronowitz won in a somewhat close ten round split decision, also at St. Nicholas. Kronowitz completed his sweep of Walker with an eight round win on April 23, 1949, in a less well publicized bout in Brooklyn.

On May 2, 1947, Kronowitz fought Sonny Horne at New York's St. Nicholas Arena, winning in a ten round unanimous decision. Horne, an Ohio resident, was a prolific and respected middleweight. Both boxers completed near the 160 pound mark.[8]

Kronowitz defeated fellow Jewish boxer Harold Green before a riveted crowd of around 12,000 on June 14, 1947 at Ebbet's Field in New York. Ebbets Field, the beloved home of the Brooklyn Dodgers, was the inevitable choice for the bout that drew a sizable crowd from Brooklyn's Jewish community. In a ten round unanimous decision, Kronowitz took what some reporters called the "Middleweight Championship of Brooklyn" as both participants were well known Brooklyn natives.[2] It was a close fight, though the points decision reflected the official's agreement that Kronowitz had thrown more punches.[9] Kronowitz won the bout largely by his long range boxing, whereas Green dominated the infighting. With an inferior reach, Green dominated the infighting, but Kronowitz put up an excellent defense, using his reach to confine most of Greens well-connected blows to his midsection. Though Kronowitz had only an inch advantage in height over Green, he seemed to use his slight reach advantage effectively and succeeded in keeping most of the fighting at long range. His left was his most effective weapon against his opponent. As in other bouts, Kronowitz was able to use his longer reach to deliver harder punches, particularly at long range.[10]

On August 4, 1947, Kronowitz defeated fellow Brooklyn middleweight Jerry Fiorello by a convincing number of judges points at Queensboro Arena in Queens in an eight round unanimous decision. It was his sixth straight win, and pushed Kronowitz higher in the world welterweight rankings.[11][12]

On November 28, 1947, he fought LaVerne Roach, one of his better opponents, at New York's St. Nicholas Arena before an enthusiastic crowd of 3000. Kronowitz lost in a very close ten round unanimous decision, in which both boxers remained upright throughout. Though Kronowitz proved to be the stronger puncher, rocking his opponent in the first and fifth rounds, Roach, the skilled recently discharged Marine boxer, showed better ringcraft, stamina, and technique. Roach threw more punches focusing more on the midsection of Kronowitz, who appeared to lack a strong defense in that area. An exceptionally trained boxer, Roach lost only one of 48 bouts while fighting for the Marines, and was considered one of the best fighters they had developed during the war.[3][13]

On August 11, 1949, Kronowitz defeated Vinnie Cidone in a main event ten round split decision at Hamilton Arena in Brooklyn, New York. Cidone was 27, and would have a modest career as a local boxer, fighting the majority of his bouts in the Brooklyn area.[3]