Boxing in The 1930s - 1937

1937

• January 1- Freddie Steele retains his National Boxing Association world Middleweight title with a ten round decision win over former world champion Gorilla Jones, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
• January 19- In a rematch, Benny Lynch retains the world Flyweight title with a fifteen round decision over Small Montana, in London.
• February 21- At their rubber match, Sixto Escobar retains his world Bantamweight title with a fifteen round decision victory over Lou Salica in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is also the first world title fight ever held in Puerto Rico.
• May 7- Lou Ambers retains his world Lightweight title with a fifteen round decision over former champion Tony Canzoneri, at their New York rematch.
• June 3- John Henry Lewis retains his world Light-Heavyweight championship with an eighth round knockout of former world champion Bob Olin in St. Louis.
• June 21- Joe Louis becomes Heavyweight champion of the world, knocking out James J. Braddock in round eight, at Chicago. The new champion then says he won't consider himself a champion until he beats Max Schmeling in a rematch.
• August 30- In his first defense of the world Heavyweight title, Joe Louis meets stiff competition from Tommy Farr, but he still manages to retain the title by a fifteen round unanimous decision, at New York.
• September 23- A world title fight marathon in New York City: Harry Jeffra beats Sixto Escobar by decision in fifteen rounds to win the world Bantamweight title; Lou Ambers defeats Pedro Montañez by decision in fifteen to retain the world's Lightweight title; Barney Ross defeats future world Middleweight champion Ceferino Garcia by decision in ten to retain the world Jr. Welterweigh title and Fred Apostoli knocks out Marcel Thil in ten rounds to win the world Middleweight title.
• October 29- Henry Armstrong wins his second simultaneous title, the world Featherweight title (to go along with the world Lightweight championship as recognized by California and Mexico), knocking out defending world champion Petey Sarron in six rounds, at New York.