5. Jack 'Kid' Berg (157-26-9, 57KO)

Born: June 28, 1909

Died: April 22, 1991

 

IT WAS quite a fitting nickname when you consider that he turned pro just three weeks shy of his 15th birthday.

 

Berg spent his early career fighting in London's East End and developed a non-stop attack that earned him another nickname, "The Whitechapel Whirlwind."

 

Berg moved to the United States in 1928 and battled contender Billy Petrolle to a draw in their first fight and was stopped in their second encounter. But the following year he scored a win over junior welterweight champion Mushy Callahan in a non-title bout. Then Berg opened the 1930 campaign with a decision over Tony Canzoneri and promoters quickly matched him with Callahan again with the title on the line.  Berg scored a 10th-round knockout to win the title. He returned to the United States and made six successful title defenses.

 

He first ran into Chocolate, or rather Chocolate ran into him, in August of 1930, his fifty-six fight unbeaten streak on the line. The bigger man by some nine pounds, The Whitechapel Whirlwind used every drop of that extra weight to harass and harangue the superior boxer and betting favorite back. Chocolate dominated the early exchanges but Berg finished the stronger of the two—with no more than a round between them in any newspaper report, Berg took the split. Two years later they met again and again Chocolate was beaten, this time over the longer distance of fifteen rounds. Berg was no craftsman, he was nothing like The Cuban Bon-Bon’s equal in that regard, any more than he was the equal of the great Tony Canzoneri but he, too, was bested, absorbing what the New York Times called the worst beating of his career.

 

Chocolate, who later won the world featherweight and junior lightweight titles, was unbeaten in 160 amateur and pro fights before meeting Berg. By the year's end, Berg was considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

 

Canzoneri, now the world lightweight champion, fought Berg in 1931 with the lightweight and junior welterweight crowns at stake. Berg was knocked out in the fourth round and lost on points in a rematch five months later.

 

In 1934, Berg knocked out Harry Mizler to win the British lightweight title but failed in an attempt to capture the British Commonwealth crown two years later. He continued fighting until 1945.