Monte Attell (July 28, 1885 – November 11, 1960), was an American boxer who held the world bantamweight title from 1909 to 1910. Born in the Nob Hill in San Francisco, he was the younger brother of featherweight champion Abe Attell. In 1909, the brothers became the first siblings to hold world boxing titles at the same time. Attell won the vacant bantamweight title by defeating former champion Frankie Neil on June 19, 1909, and lost it to Frankie Conley on February 22, 1910.Dan Rafael, "Can Juan Manuel Repeat the Feat?," ESPN.com, 15 March 2007.
Early life and career Attell was born on July 28, 1885, to a struggling Jewish family that, by one account, eventually had eighteen children.Eighteen children in family, in "Final Gong Clangs for Monte Attell", San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco, California, pg. 37, 12 November 1960 As a poor Jewish kid of diminutive stature raised in a tough Irish neighborhood, Attell began his career as a fighter from a very early age. As his older brother Abe Attell (1884–1970) was the Featherweight Champion of the World during the same period, Monte and Abe became the first brothers to simultaneously hold world boxing titles. Their brother, Caesar, also fought and was called "Two and a Half," for always giving that amount whenever the hat was passed for charity at boxing events. Like his brother Abe, Monte spent some of his youth and likely some of his later life selling newspapers for a living. At the age of 14, Attell was treated for burns to the face and hands from a childhood accident with a toy cannon which may have contributed to his decline as a boxer as he aged."A Painful Fourth for Some People:, San Francisco Call, San Francisco, California, 5 July 1900
From fighting for survival in the streets, Monte Attell turned professional by 1902, winning his first five bouts. He lost several of his early bouts, but between February 1906 and May 1909, he won ten continuous matches. His performance earned him a chance to fight for the vacant Bantamweight championship in 1909."Monte Attell Is After the Title," Pittsburgh Press, 9 March 1911, Sporting Page."Attell Best White Boy in Fistic Game," Pittsburgh Press, pg. 8, 28 December 1907
Before his world Bantamweight championship bout, Attell defeated Dusty Miller on November 5, 1904, in a six-round points decision at the Chicago Athletic Club. Two weeks later, Attell defeated Miller again at the West End Athletic Club in St. Louis, in a ten-round points decision. In their bout in St. Louis, Attell had the lead throughout, boring in constantly, and defending with skill. Miller fought back gamely, but Attell clearly held the better hand."Fight Honors Go to Attell Entry", The St. Louis Republic, St. Louis, Missouri, pg. 24, 20 November 1904 In the fifth to the ninth rounds, Miller stalled, and though he rallied in the tenth, the round finished even. Attell received the decision for his ability to penetrate Miller's defenses with stronger, if at times less frequent blows."Attell Makes Good in Ladylike Fight With Young Erne", St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis, Missouri, pg. 19, 20 November 1904
Attell knocked out Johnny Reagan on December 22, 1904, in seventeen rounds in St. Louis. Though the first nine rounds were close, and Reagan knocked down Attell in the sixth, from the thirteenth through the seventeenth, Attell took the advantage. In the seventeenth, a left and right to the jaw, preceded by a single blow to the chin sent Reagan to the canvas for the full count."Corbett Has a Chance to Get In", The Daily Times, Davenport, Iowa, pg. 8, 23 Dec 1904 In two previous meetings at St. Louis's West End Club, Attell had won in a close fifteen round points decision in St. Louis on December 15, 1904, and in an eighth round points decision the previous month.
Loss to flyweight champ Owen Moran, 1905
Attell lost to accomplished British boxer Owen Moran on May 15, 1905, in a twenty-round points decision at the Pallisades in New York before a private, affluent crowd of around 150, who paid as much as $10 to see the fight, a princely sum in that era. Moran held the BBBC Flyweight Championship of Great Britain in 1903 and would compete several times for the Bantamweight Championship of his native land. Moran fought with more telling blows which won him the decision. By the sixth, both fighters were fatigued, and in the seventh, Moran hooked a strong left to the jaw of Attell staggering him and causing him to fall against the ropes as the round ended. Moran tried to finish Attell through the final ten rounds, but was unable, as his opponent would retreat or clinch to save himself. The bout caused a serious eye injury to Attell which became permanent and eventually led to blindness."Moran of England Whipped Montie Attell", The Buffalo Times, Buffalo, New York, pg. 6, 16 May 1905
On March 29, 1905, Attell fought Jimmy Walsh in Philadelphia in what many sources considered a World Bantamweight Title match that ended when the referee called a disqualification against Walsh in the sixth round for a low blow. One source noted that Walsh, "had the better of the bout from the start", and that the blow which occurred two minutes into the sixth round was accidental."Monte Attell Was Carried Out", The Plain Speaker, Hazelton, Pennsylvania, pg. 4, 30 March 1905 Attell claimed to have been injured, and a foul was called by the referee, but Walsh was recognized as the Bantamweight Champion, by the National Boxing Association.
In an early loss against a known competitor, Attell lost to Freddie Weeks on September 3, 1906, in a fifth-round knockout at the Grand Opera House at Victor, Colorado."String of Scraps", The Spokane Press, Spokane, Washington, pg. 3, 4 September 1906 Weeks was a quick and scrappy competitor who fought some of the best, including Monte's brother Abe in October 1907 and January 1909 in unsuccessful title matches for the World Featherweight Championship.
Attell defeated Mike Kutchos on November 25, 1908, for the Pacific Coast Bantamweight Title, winning in a fifteen-round points decision.
Attell drew with Jimmy Walsh at the Colliseum in San Francisco in a fifteen-round points decision on December 21, 1908. Walsh claimed to hold the World Bantamweight Title at the time, and the bout was billed as a World Bantamweight Title match for the limit of 116 pounds, but no title officially changed hands, as Walsh was overweight. As was typically the case with Attell, he was superior in the infighting, but Walsh lead and was more aggressive in the bout, and he may have landed the more telling blows, accounting for the draw decision."Langford Lauded", The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, pg. 6, 23 December 1908 In the fifteenth, Walsh battered Attell badly making up any lead Attell enjoyed, and Attell's face appeared far more battered at the end of the bout."Walsh-Attell About a Draw", The Leavenworth Times, Leavenworth, Kansas, pg. 7, 23 December 1908
World bantamweight champion, 1909
On June 19, 1909, Monte Attell won the World Bantamweight title defeating former champion Frankie Neil at Coffroth's Arena, in an eighteenth-round knockout in Colma, California. The bout was billed as a championship for the world bantamweight title.Martin Mulcahey, "Resting Places of Boxing Icons," ESPN.com, 24 August 2005. According to W. W. Naughton writing for the Oakland Tribune, Attell won every round of the eighteen round bout, which was ended by a full left handed blow to the chin of Frankie Neil. Neil reportedly "took a terrible mauling without flinching. From the very first it was apparent that the only chance Neil had was to outgame Attell and wear him down by persistent rushing for he was being outpunched at least two to one and the blows of the Hebrew fighter (Attell) were not the easiest either."Smith, Eddie, "Frankie Neil Loses Hard Fought Battle to Attell", Oakland Tribune, pg. 28, 20 June 1909 Though Neil was the aggressor through much of the bout, Attell "peppered Neil with straight lefts", brought crushing rights to the jaw, and delivered solid rights to the midsection that eventually took their toll on his opponent. In the fifteenth, Neil was down from a left to the stomach, and twice he stumbled to his hands and knees in the clinches. He was nearly finished at the end of the round from lefts and rights but was saved by the fifteenth's closing bell."Neil Knocked Out by Clever Monte Attell", San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco, California, pg. 45, 20 June 1909 Though Attell could not finish Neil in the next two rounds, but in the eighteenth, as Neil first approached, Attell finished him with a straight left to the jaw that put him down for the count."Monte Attell Champion", The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn, New York, pg. 7, 20 June 1909 Neil had last held the title in 1904, before losing it to British bantamweight Joe Bowker.Naughton, W. W., "Frankie Neil Takes Terrific Beating From Clever Bantamweight Champion", Oakland Tribune, Oakland, California, p. 28, 20 June 1909
In the seven months following his winning the title on June 19, 1909, Attell successfully defended it seven times.
Title matches with Jimmy Reagan, 1909
He fought Jimmy Reagan on February 22, 1909, in a World Bantamweight Title match that resulted in a twenty-round points decision at the Mission Street Arena in San Francisco, California. In this match, Attell was down four times in the early rounds, though he came back quickly. The Oakland Tribune had Attell winning every round after the seventh. On August 11, 1909, he successfully and more decisively defended his title once again against Jimmy Reagan in a fourth-round knockout in Oakland, California. Attell stood toe to toe with Reagan and "outfoxed, outboxed, and outgeneralled him". Attell was noted to have fought excellently in close, while maintaining an excellent defense, ducking, dodging, and blocking with great effect.Smith, Eddie, "Monte Attell knocks Reagan Out in the Fourth Round of Fight At the Wheelman's Show", Oakland Tribune, Oakland, California, pg. 12, 12 August 1909 He had fought Reagan earlier in a non-title match in Oakland, California, on November 30, 1908, that resulted in a fifteen-round points decision.
World bantam title defenses Percy Cove On August 20, 1909, Attell defeated Percy Cove in a title bout and retained the world bantamweight championship in a tenth-round technical knockout before a packed house at the Mission Athletic Club in San Francisco. A left drive to the jaw in the tenth round put Cove against the ropes and nearly helpless in the tenth, though he had fought valiantly in the early rounds. By the third round, Attell was connecting hooks to the stomach of Cove and getting under his attempts to block, though Cove's considerable advantage in reach and height served him well in the first two rounds. In the remaining rounds, Attell used blows to the stomach, followed by lefts to the face to even the match and take a lead in points. Cove's left knocked down Attell once in the second, but Attell's advantage in the remaining rounds took the starch out of Cove's blows.Slattery, William J., "Attell Gives Cove a Hard Lacing", The San Francisco Call, San Francisco, California, pg. 14, 21 August 1909
Daniel Webster Attell drew with Daniel Webster on October 12, 1909, in another bantamweight title match. In this no decision bout, a win required agreement by two of three newspapers as to who had won the match, and since two Los Angeles newspapers called the fight even, it was officially declared a draw. Attell drew with Webster twice more in bantamweight title matches, once in a ten-round match in Los Angeles in November, 1909 and once in a twenty-round match in San Francisco in December of that year.
Phil McGovern