Kid Kaplan

Louis "Kid" Kaplan (born October 15, 1901, in Kyiv, Ukraine – October 26, 1970), known as the Meridan Buzzsaw, was a professional boxer and a 1925 world featherweight champion.

Early life

Kaplan and his family emigrated to the United States from the Kyiv when he was five years old and settled in Meriden, Connecticut. While selling fruit for five cents a day, he began boxing as a teenager at the Lenox Athletic Club in Meriden, and turned professional in 1919.

Professional career

Kaplan began his boxing career in the Connecticut State circuit. At the time, Meriden was an epicenter of boxing in the Northeastern United States. Early in his career, Kaplan fought the popular local favorite and former New York State champion Charlie Pilkington. Though they never boxed a professional match together, their early rivalry and Pilkington's role as a mentor and sparring partner had much to do with launching Kaplan's very successful boxing career.

A busy fighter, he engaged in over 50 bouts in his first four years in the paid ranks. During one of his early fights in 1920, Kaplan knocked out opponent Sailor Cunningham within two minutes.

Miscellaneous

Brother of fellow boxer Israel "Izzy" Kaplan

Professional boxing record All information in this section is derived from BoxRec, unless otherwise stated.

Official Record

All newspaper decisions are officially regarded as “no decision” bouts and are not counted to the win/loss/draw column.

Unofficial record

Record with the inclusion of newspaper decisions to the win/loss/draw column.