Izzy Schwartz
| Corporal Izzy Schwartz | |
|---|---|
Schwartz circa 1928
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| Statistics | |
| Real name | Isadore Schwartz |
| Nickname(s) | The Ghetto Midget Izzy Schwartz |
| Rated at | Flyweight |
| Height | 5 ft 1 in (1.55 m) |
| Reach | 62 in (157 cm) |
| Nationality |
 United States |
| Born |
July 23, 1902 New York |
| Died | July 8, 1988 (aged 85) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 125 |
| Wins | 70 |
| Wins by KO | 7 |
| Losses | 34 |
| Draws | 16 |
| No contests | 5 |
Isadore "Corporal Izzy" Schwartz (July 23, 1902 – July 8, 1988) was an American boxer, who became recognized as the New York Boxing Commission's World Flyweight Champion from 1927 to 1929. His manager was Phil Bernstein. He was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1998. Though never having much of a knockout punch, in 115 professional bouts between 1922 and 1929, he scored 15 knockouts, 50 decisions, 12 draws, 8 no-decisions, and lost only 28 times.
Schwartz was born in New York's East Village on October 23, 1902, not far from the neighborhood of Jewish Lightweight Champion Benny Leonard. Both his parents died when he was two years old, and he was forced to spend the remainder of his youth in a Jewish orphanage.
Fleeing the oppressiveness of a job he took as a factory clerk after high school, Izzy enlisted in the army in World War I. Being underweight, he barely passed the physical required for army enlistment. After an officer observed him holding his own in a brawl at his base at Laredo, Texas, he was given the opportunity to represent his company in boxing competitions. According to one source which may be embellished, that army brawl that launched his career took place when Izzy was barely eighteen around 1919, and was precipitated when Schwartz, refusing to loan money to a fellow soldier, received an ethnic slur. Izzy took advantage of the opportunity to box competitively, traveling frequently between army bases to take on flyweight competitors, until he was eventually crowned the Army's Flyweight Champion. Schwartz's first official bout in the Army was a torrid match with Kid Pancho, whom he fought to a fifteen round draw despite being outweighed by eight pounds.
After leaving the army as a gifted young competitor, he returned to New York to begin a career as a professional flyweight boxer. He was fortunate to have the opportunity to spar frequently in his early career with the exceptional flyweight boxer Frankie Genaro, who would later become a more widely recognized World Flyweight Champion. Beginning his career, Schwartz lost to Kid Durand in seven rounds, but defeated Vincent Salvatore, Kid Corona, and Indian Russel. He lost to Al Felder, Sammy Bienfeld, and Henry Catena. Impressively, he fought fifty times before suffering his first knockout. In his peak years between 1926–27, he won 19 of 25 bouts with only two draws.
After victories from Billy Kelly, Blas Rodriguez, Willie Davies, and Benny Hall in late 1927, Schwartz was chosen to meet Newsboy Brown for the flyweight title by the New York State Boxing Commission. Izzy defeated Brown in a fifteen round semi-final bout by unanimous decision in New York's Madison Square Garden on December 16, 1927 and was declared the New York State Athletic Commission's World Flyweight Champion.
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