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Angott’s boxing career left many pleased as punch

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Sammy Angott is the only world boxing champion that Washington County has produced.

A Washington native, Angott won the world lightweight (135 pounds) title for the first time in 1940 and had a 16-year career in the ring that included 94 wins. During his career, Angott’s family remained in Washington.

Angott was born in 1915 and started boxing as a teenager. After only a dozen of fights he became a Golden Gloves champion in Pittsburgh.

“Three years in a row he was a Gold Gloves champ on the national level,” said Angott’s grandson, also named Sammy Angott, who resides in Massillon, Ohio.

Boxing was a way of life for many people back in the 1930s and ’40s, as it was one of the two most popular sports in the country.

Angott’s first professional fight took place in 1935. For a number of his early fights, Angott earned only $35 to $50 per bout.

Angott fought Davey Day for the National Boxing Association title May 3, 1940, in Louisville, Ky., the day before the Kentucky Derby.

“That was a big fight for Granddad. He beat Day and won the lightweight championship,” Angott explained.

“Back then there were two championship organizations. On was the NBA, which was recognized in 41 states. The other was the New York Commission, which was recognized in nine states. In 1941, Angott was recognized as the “undisputed lightweight world champ.”

For the title fight against Day, the Kentucky boxing commission scrapped the traditional three-judge scoring system, opting instead for only the referee to score the fight. Former world heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey was the referee and he scored the bout in favor of Angott by two points.

Angott fought twice in Hollywood.

“The first time was in 1943 against Slugger White, who held the WBA title,” Angott said. “My grandfather beat White to regain the lightweight title. I have pictures of my grandfather posing with actress Rita Hayworth.”

Angott earned another title when he knocked out Ike Williams at Forbes Field in 1945.

How famous was this boxer from Washington?

“Granddad is in more than a dozen halls of fame, including the Boxing Hall of Fame in Madison Square Garden. The ring he fought in at MSG was moved to the ‘Ring’ (famous boxing publication) museum located in New York.”

Angott’s granddaughter, Tammy Driskell, has seen the famous ring.

“We were allowed to step in the ring. It was a strange but yet beautiful feeling to be in that ring and have our (family) pictures taken,” she said.

In the ring, against his opponents, Angott liked to have fun.

“Oh, he was comical,” his grandson said. “He was fighting Wille Pep, so here’s grandpa the ring clown-taunting Pep and smiling for the photographers has he was fighting. He loved being in the ring.”

Angott would be mentioned in the Guinness Book of Records.

“He has the distinction of being inducted in the most halls of fame,” Angott said proudly, “and nobody fought more fights in Madison Square Garden (10) than grandpa.”

Another interesting statistic is that Angott fought seven hall of famers. He fought some of the biggest names in boxing history, including Pep, Williams, Henry Armstrong, Fritzie Zivic, Beau Jack (3 times) and Sugar Ray Robinson (3 times). Robinson won a decision over Angott in all three fights. Each of those great boxers were champions when they fought Angott.

A young Sammy Angott would be earning millions in today’s boxing world that includes high-priced pay-per-view events.

“I think the most he earned for a big fight was $20,000,” Angott’s grandson said.

In 128 professional fights – his last was in 1950 – Angott was never knocked out. He had opportunities to fight near Washington, including 18 times in Pittsburgh.

Several of Angott’s relatives live in Massillon. They made a special trip to Washington a few years ago.

“We wanted to check out the street Sammy Angott Way,” Driskell said.

After a battle with kidney complications, Angott died in 1980 at the age of 65 and was inducted into the Pennsylvania Hall of Fame Washington-Greene Chapter in 1999.

Bill DiFabio writes a bi-weekly column on local sports history for the Observer-Reporter.

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