Mike Ballerino

BORN    April 10 1901; Asbury Park, New Jersey (Fought out of Bayonne, New Jersey)
DIED April 4 1965; Tampa, Florida
HEIGHT  5-5
WEIGHT  118-137 lbs
MANAGERS  Frank Churchill, Eddie Tait, Mel Cooke
RECORD 37-31-15 (8 KO, 24 ND)

Ballerino was neither a classy, polished boxer nor a powerful hitter but he was loaded with determination and it took him to the top; He was a prime example of "will over skill"; During his career, he won the Junior Lightweight Championship of the World

Ballerino defeated such men as Steve "Kid" Sullivan, Vincent "Pepper" Martin, Tony Vaccarelli, Johnny Kochansky, "Allentown" Johnny Leonard, Georgie Balduc and Eddie Lord

1920
       Kid Ponzo                  Manila, Philippines               KO  3
          -Some sources report "Kid Posno"       
       Young Gilbert              Manila, Philippines               KO  3
       Pancho Villa               Manila, Philippines                L  6
       Pancho Villa               Manila, Philippines                L  6
       Pancho Villa               Manila, Philippines               ND  6
       Pancho Villa               Manila, Philippines               ND  6
       Andres "Kid" Aguilar       Manila, Philippines                W  4
       Kid Saunders               Manila, Philippines                W  4
       Kid Ponzo                  Manila, Philippines                W  4
          -Some sources report "Kid Posno"
       Jimmy "Kid" Taylor         Manila, Philippines                W  4
       Leoncio Bernabe            Manila, Philippines                W  6
Jul  3 Irineo Flores              Manila, Philippines                L  4
          -Some sources report "D 6"
       Syd Keenan                 Manila, Philippines                L  8
       Eddie Moore                Manila, Philippines                W 10

1921
Jan 10 Pancho Villa               Manila, Philippines                D 15
       Cowboy Reyes               Manila, Philippines                D 10
Mar  5 Pancho Villa               Manila, Philippines                L 10
       Kid Garcia                 Manila, Philippines               KO 11
       Kid Tango                  Manila, Philippines               KO  3
May  8 Pancho Villa               Manila, Philippines                L 15
          -Some sources report 5/06/21
       Tip O'Neill                Manila, Philippines                W  8
       Young Givini               Manila, Philippines               KO  1
Jul 25 Pancho Villa               Manila, Philippines                D 15
Aug 23 Pancho Villa               Manila, Philippines                L 20
Sep 10 Pete Sarmiento             Manila, Philippines                D  8
          -Some sources report "D 10"
Oct  5 Pancho Villa               Manila, Philippines                L 20
Dec 29 Frankie Britt              Tacoma, Wa                         D  6 
          -Some sources report 1922 in "Aberdeen, Wa"

1922
Jan 12 Eddie Moore                Tacoma, Wa                         W  6
       Jimmy Cole                 Tacoma, Wa                         W  4
Feb 22 Mirillo Guida              Fort Lewis, Wa                     L  8
Mar 23 Mike Mitchell              Tacoma, Wa                         W  4
Mar 28 Tom "Soldier" Shea         Fort Lewis, Wa                    TK  3
       Joe "Soldier" Toth         Fort Lewis, Wa                    TK  3
       Frankie Pantley            Seattle, Wa                        W  4
       Mike DePinto                                                  W  6
May  4 Kid LaRose                 Tacoma, Wa                         W  4
May 18 Sammy Gordon               Tacoma, Wa                         L  4
          -Some sources report "W 4"
Jun 12 Mike DePinto               Aberdeen, Wa                       D  6
Jun 26 Mike DePinto               Fort Lewis, Wa                     L  4
Sep  8 Ernie Dailey               Olympia, Wa                        W  6
Sep 14 Sammy Gordon               Tacoma, Wa                         D  6
Sep 28 Vic Foley                  Tacoma, Wa                         D  6
Oct 13 Vic Foley                  Vancouver, BC, Can                 D 10
Oct 25 Bud Ridley                 Tacoma, Wa                         D  6

1923
Jan  5 Frankie Jerome             New York, NY                       D 12
Jan 19 Carl Tremaine              New York, NY                      LT  2
Feb 13 Billy Fitzsimmons          Boston, Ma                         W 10
       Bobby Wolgast                                                ND  8
       Cuddy DeMarco                                                ND  8
Mar 16 Harvey Bright              New York, NY                       L 10
Mar 19 Bobby Wolgast              Philadelphia, Pa                  ND  8
          -Some sources report "ND 6"
Apr 30 Cuddy DeMarco              Philadelphia, Pa                  ND  8
          -Some sources report "ND 6"
May 28 Cuddy DeMarco              Pittsburgh, Pa                    ND 10
Jun 17 Charley Goodman            New York, NY                       L  6
          -Some sources report 6/18/23
Jul 31 "K.O." Joe O'Donnell       Philadelphia, Pa                  ND  8
Aug 22 Joe Nelson                 New York, NY                       W 10
Nov 19 Al Markie                  Philadelphia, Pa                  ND  8
Dec 28 Mickey Brown               New York, NY                       W 10

1924
Feb 21 "Young" Joe Souza          Brooklyn, NY                       W 10
Mar 14 Joe Ryder                  New York, NY                       W 12
       "Young" Joe Souza          New York, NY                       W 10
Apr 22 Joey Celmars               Bayonne, NJ                       ND 12
May 30 Steve "Kid" Sullivan       Brooklyn, NY                       W 12
          -Some sources report "W 10"
Jun 24 Vincent "Pepper" Martin    Brooklyn, NY                       W 12
Jul 15 "Allentown" Johnny Leonard Brooklyn, NY                       W 10
Aug  5 "Allentown" Johnny Leonard Brooklyn, NY                       W 12
Sep 10 Tony Vaccarelli            Brooklyn, NY                       W 10
Oct 15 Steve "Kid" Sullivan       New York, NY                      LK  5
          -Junior Lightweight Championship of the World
Dec 15 Steve "Kid" Sullivan       Milwaukee, Wi                     ND 10

1925
Jan  1 Frankie Monroe             Milwaukee, Wi                     ND 10
Feb  5 Vincent "Pepper" Martin    Brooklyn, NY                      KO 11
Apr  1 Steve "Kid" Sullivan       Philadelphia, Pa                   W 10
          -Junior Lightweight Championship of the World;
           Some sources report "W 12"
May 15 Mickey Brown               Bayonne, NJ                       ND 12
May 30 Frankie Callahan           Columbus, Oh                      ND 10
          -Some sources report 6/01/25
Jun 12 Frankie Schaeffer          Aurora, Il                        ND 10
Jun 16 Billy Henry                Kansas City, Mo                   ND 10
Jun 23 Babe Ruth                  Philadelphia, Pa                   D 10
Jul  6 Vincent "Pepper" Martin    Long Island City, NY               W 15
          -Junior Lightweight Championship of the World
Aug 14 Billy Henry                Bayonne, NJ                       ND 10
Oct 21 Asa "Ace" Hudkins          Los Angeles, Ca                    L 10
Dec  2 Tod Morgan                 Los Angeles, Ca                   LT 10
          -Junior Lightweight Championship of the World

1926
Jun  5 "Allentown" Johnny Leonard Long Island City, NY               L 10
Jun 25 Petey Mack                 Bayonne, NJ                       ND 10
Jul  9 Augie Pisano               Long Beach, NY                     L 10
          -Some sources report "L 6"
Jul 21 "Allentown" Johnny Leonard Bayonne, NJ                       ND 10
Aug 30 Georgie Day                New Haven, Ct                      L 10
Sep 15 Johnny Kochansky           Bayonne, NJ                       ND 10
Sep 30 Eddie Lord                 New Haven, Ct                      W 10
Nov  8 Tommy Herman               Philadelphia, Pa                   L 10
Nov 13 Joe Glick                  Brooklyn, NY                       D 10
Nov 29 Georgie Balduc             Brooklyn, NY                       W 10
Dec 20 Joe Glick                  Brooklyn, NY                       D 10

1927
Jan 24 Al Foreman                 Philadelphia, Pa                   L 10
          -Some sources report "W 10"
Feb  2 Maxie Holub                Akron, Oh                         ND 10
Mar  5 Marty Silvers              Brooklyn, NY                       D  6
Mar 19 Nat Kawler                 Schenectady, NY                    L 10
Apr 19 Jack Duffy                 Akron, Oh                         ND 10
Apr 26 King Tut                   St. Paul, Mn                      ND 10
          -Some sources report "L 10"
Sep  3 Bobby Burns                Brooklyn, NY                       L  6
Oct 17 Benny Bass                 Philadelphia, Pa                   L 10
Nov 11 Joey Medill                Chicago, Il                        L 10
Nov 21 Mike Dundee                Dayton, Oh                        LT 10

1928
Jan 20 Tommy Grogan               Omaha, Ne                         LT  4
Jun 27 Maxie Strub                Meadville, Pa                      L 10

1929
May    Murray Fuchs               Bayonne, NJ                       ND 10

1935
Dec 16 Cyril Joseph               Newark, NJ                        LT  6

1936
Oct 17 Cyril Joseph               Newark, NJ                        LK  5

*** The Following Bout Is Reported But Not Confirmed ***

1922
       Sammy Gordon               Tacoma, Wa                         W  4

Review courtesy of Tracy Callis, Historian, International Boxing Research Organization