Johnny Dundee

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Johnny Dundee (b. November 22, 1893, d. April 22, 1965) was a featherweight and junior lightweight boxer who fought from 1910 until 1932. Dundee was born Giuseppe Carrora in Sciacca, Sicily, but was raised in the United States.

Known as the Scotch Wop, Dundee faced all of the great fighters in the featherweight, lightweight and junior-lightweight divisions of his era. He fought the great Benny Leonard nine times, and Lew Tendler three times. He also boxed lightweight champions Freddy Welsh and Willie Ritchie.

Dundee was regarded as a skillful boxer with great footwork. He fought 330 bouts, third in ring history, and won the featherweight and junior lightweight world titles. Dundee was knocked out only twice in his career. His final record was 194 wins (22 KOs), 60 losses and 41 draws. The remaining bouts were No Decisions, which were common during the era in which he fought.

He received his first opportunity to win a world title in his 87th fight, in 1913. Although he fought the champion, Johnny Kilbane, to a draw, he would not receive another shot at a title until 1921. By this time he had fought an astounding 264 fights. He won the title when his opponent, George "KO" Chaney, was disqualified in the fifth round. Dundee thus became the first universally recognized world junior lightweight champion in ring history.

In 1923 he also unified the world featherweight championship by defeating Eugene Criqui of France. Unable to make the weight he relinquished the featherweight crown in 1924.

Although today he is almost completely forgotten, Dundee was highly regarded by many old time boxing experts. Ring Magazine founder and editor, Nat Fleischer, rated Dundee in the top five of his list of greatest featherweights of all time.