I don?t know when or where Clarence Brown was born, or died, nor do I know what he did after leaving the ring. Only his record serves as his epitaph?
?Nothing helps scenery like ham and eggs.??Mark Twain
Ham-and-eggers are worthy of respect, especially those who fought when boxing was a helluva lot rougher and tougher than it is today. A case in point is the unknown Clarence Brown?no, not the film director of the same name, nor musician Clarence ?Gatemouth? Brown, but a heavyweight who fought out of Chicago from 1938 to 1947 (though out of the ring in ?41), winding up with an official record of 23 wins, eight by knockout, 24 losses, nine by knockout, six draws, and one no contest.
Like other jobbers of his time, Brown fought his fellow toughies, as well as a few luminaries.
Tony Musto knocked him out in the sixth at White City Arena in Chicago on February 10, 1939; Eddie Simms lost by controversial split decision at Marigold Gardens in Chicago that May 8; Tiger Jack Fox outpointed him at White City Arena that September 1 (?Fox was amazing, unveiling tricks this writer had never seen before,? wrote the Chicago Tribune?s Bob Soderman, who had a very different reaction to their December 1 match at the same venue. ?Fox was anything but the master fistic mechanic he had been on September 1, when he had handed this same Clarence Brown an artistic and thorough shellacking,? Soderman wrote. ?Instead, Tiger Jack acted like he was in a trance, and Clarence Brown behaved as if he was still under the hypnotic spell that Tiger Jack had weaved over him when they last met. Their exhibition was appalling.? Indeed, the bout was ruled a no contest and the men?s purses withheld); Lem Franklin drew against him at Marigold Gardens Outdoor Arena in Chicago that September 11 (the only draw in Lammin? Lem?s 48-fight career); durable Johnny Whiters lost on points at the City Auditorium in Omaha that December 29 (his first loss following 15 consecutive wins, six by KO or TKO); Elza Thompson outpointed him at Marigold Gardens on September 30, 1940; Buddy Walker won on points in Columbus, Ohio, on August 25, 1942, stopped him by fourth-round TKO at Marigold Gardens on May 17, 1943, and outpointed him at the Armory in Indianapolis on October 25, 1946; Joey Maxim won on points at Marigold Gardens on January 18, 1943, and at Chicago Stadium that February 15, and won by unanimous decision at Arcadia Gardens in Detroit on April 16, 1945; Jack Trammell was kayoed in the first at Marigold Gardens on March 1, 1943 (Trammell?s penultimate fight and the fourth of five times he was knocked out); one of ?Chicago?s 10 all-time best boxers,? according to the Chicago Tribune, the absurdly neglected Nate Bolden (who scored victories over such worthies as Jake LaMotta, Tony Musto, Freddie Fiducia, Curtis Sheppard, and Phil Muscato, as well as twice besting Tony Zale) lost by split decision at Marigold Gardens Outdoor Arena that July 12; Colion Chaney beat him by split decision at Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis on September 25, 1945; Willard Reed kayoed him in the fifth at the Fairgrounds Coliseum in Indianapolis on May 29, 1946; the then-inexperienced Sid Peaks (it was only his fifth fight) lost by unanimous decision at the Outdoor Sports Arena in Indianapolis that August 29; Curtis Sheppard knocked him out in the second at the Coliseum in Baltimore that November 25; and Abel Cestac stopped him by 10th-round TKO at the City Auditorium in Omaha that December 30 and kayoed him in the same round, also in Omaha, on February 10, 1947 (part of a 14-win streak, 13 by KO or TKO, the heavy-handed Argentine losing only to Kid Riviera, who won on points at the City Auditorium in Omaha that May 26).
Brown also twice fought the stunningly feather-fisted Orlando Trotter, who only scored one knockout in 21 victories, kayoing Lee Oma (who could very well have been shamming) in the second at Marigold Gardens on March 10, 1941. Brown and Trotter drew at White City Arena on October 28, 1938 (Trotter?s first bout), but Orlando took him on points at Marigold Gardens on November 18, 1940.
Clarence last won on September 30, 1946, at Marigold Gardens, outpointing Bill Petersen (who?d won on points at Marigold Gardens Outdoor Arena on September 17, 1945). He last fought on March 26, 1947, Joe Matisi knocking him out in the second at the Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo.
I don?t know when or where Clarence Brown was born, or died (assuming he?s no longer with us), nor do I know what he did after leaving the ring. Only his record serves as his epitaph. It will have to do.
