Maurice Holtzer

Maurice Holtzer (21 January 1906 – 14 January 1989), was a French boxer, who in the 1930s won the French, European, and International Boxing Union (IBU) World featherweight championships. Holtzer clearly defeated the reigning NBA World featherweight champion, American Freddie Miller, on a points decision in 1935, but the bout was not for the title.

Early life and career Maurice Holtzer was born in Aube, France on 21 December 1906 to a Jewish family.

Boxing in America In his early boxing career, Holtzer fought in America from 1928 through 1931, facing some of America's best. These included boxers who would hold world championship titles, among them Louis "Kid" Kaplan, Frankie Klick, Bud Taylor, and Tommy Paul as well as British and Canadian champion Al Foreman and accomplished Americans Eddie Mack and Harry Forbes. In America, he was managed for a time by Eddie Walker.

Fighting the skilled American world lightweight contender, Eddie Mack, on 25 February 1930, at Los Angeles's Olympic Stadium, Holtzer lost in a close ten round points decision. Fighting with his rushing style, crouching defense and carefully placed deceptive blows, Holtzer retained more energy in the closing rounds where he nearly overtook his opponent's lead, and the decision for Mack was booed at the end by the crowd. At , Mack's significant height and reach advantage may have aided him in his victory.

In an impressive win, Holtzer defeated former World bantamweight champion Bud Taylor in a ten-round bout that was the main event on 10 November 1930 in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Times wrote that Holtzer landed twelve blows to each of Taylor's and that Taylor, being soundly trounced, had difficulty punching back.

In an early career loss on 30 June 1930, Holtzer fell to former World featherweight champion Louis "Kid" Kaplan in a ten-round points decision at West Springfield, Massachusetts. Though enjoying a height advantage of several inches, Holtzer was outweighed by his accomplished opponent who was five pounds heavier and fought as a junior lightweight. The Montreal Gazette felt the fight may have been close at times, as it oddly considered the outcome a draw.

As a 127 featherweight, nearing the modern junior lightweight range, on 30 July 1930, Holtzer met Montreal native Al Foreman in Montreal in a non-title bout, losing in a ten-round points decision. Foreman would take both the British and Canadian lightweight championships during his career.

Winning in a ten-round points decision at Olympic Stadium in Los Angeles on 14 October 1930, Holtzer defeated Goldie Hess, a boxer who would face some of the greatest lightweights of his era including Tony Canzoneri, Jack "Kid" Berg, and Barney Ross. Holtzer had a slight advantage throughout the bout, which was fought furiously, but Hess was expected to win by the fans. The closing round had the audience on their feet. Holtzer won six rounds with a strong attack to the body, with Hess taking two, and two even.

On 23 March 1931, Holtzer lost to Italian American Tommy Paul, a future World featherweight champion, in a tenth round unanimous decision at the Arena in Philadelphia. Paul was said to have outboxed Holtzer and to have easily carried the decision. Holtzer's eyes were damaged by the constant pounding he took in the early rounds, but the pace slowed by the ninth and tenth.

Returning to Great Britain, Holtzer lost to Jimmy Walsh on 5 September 1934 in a sixth round disqualification in Wandsworth. Walsh was said to have boxed brilliantly in the bout which would have won another four rounds. Walsh would hold the British lightweight title in April 1936, when he defeated Jack "Kid" Berg. He would lose to Walsh again on 1 October 1934 in a ten-round points decision in Kensington. According to one source, Miller may have outboxed or used superior defensive skills in the bout, but Holtzer showed more aggressiveness, taking the fight to his opponent. The majority of the American judges clearly gave the bout to Holtzer on points.

EBU European feather champion In one of the most important fights of his career Holtzer first won the EBU European featherweight title against Italian Vittorio Tamagnini at the Velodrome in Paris in a fifteen-round points decision on 26 March 1935

He successfully defended both his EBU European and French Featherweight titles on 11 January 1936 against Georges LePerson in a 13-round TKO at the Central Sporting Club in Paris. Holtzer lost his World championship only three months later, in May 1938, when the IBU stripped all of its title holders of their titles in an effort to have only one universally recognized World champion for each weight class.

In February 1941, Holtzer was appointed to a committee that would govern the rules for French boxing by Jean Borotra, the General Commissioner for Education and Sports. Many were disappointed that the committee based in Vichy, France, had omitted many great French champions from Borotra's selections, particularly the popular heavyweight Georges Carpentier.

Holtzer attended an honorary in Paris on 1 November 1949, for French middleweight boxer Marcel Cerdan who had died the former week in a plane crash. A crowd of 15,000 listened to the Marseilles as a spotlight hit an empty ring to honor the fallen champion.

Holtzer died on 14 January 1989.

Selected fights

Win Frankie Klick 3 Jan 1930 Los Angeles 10 Rounds Klick was future World jr. light champ Loss Al Foreman 30 July 1930 Montreal 10 Rounds Foreman was Brit. light champ Win Bud Taylor 10 Nov 1930 Los Angeles 10 Rounds Taylor was former World bantam champ Loss Tommy Paul 23 Mar 1931 Philadelphia 10 Rounds Paul would be 1932 World bantam champ Loss Georges LePerson 5 Jun 1932 LeHavre 12 Rounds For French feather title Win Francis Augier 14 Dec 1934 Paris 12 Rounds Won French feather title Win Vittorio Tamagnini 26 Mar 1935 Paris 15 Rounds Won EBU Europ. feather titleRetained French feather title Win Georges LePerson 11 Jan 1936 Paris 13 RoundTKO Retained EBU Europ. feather titleRetained French feather title Win Freddie Miller 24 Oct 1936 Johannesburg, SA 15 Rounds Miller was NBA World feather champ* Win Phil Dolhem 5 Oct 1937 Algiers 15 Rounds Won IBU World feather title

Maurice Dubois 19 Feb 1938 Geneva 15 Rounds Retained World and Europ. feather TitlesStripped of World title, 38 May 1938