Johnny Ertle or Ertel (sometimes spelled Johnne) was a Hungarian born American boxer. Nicknamed "Kewpie" and "Little Dynamo", he was a disputed bantamweight world boxing champion from 1915 until 1918, when he lost the title to Memphis Pal Moore. Trained and managed from 1913, when he was only sixteen, by Mike McNulty, Ertle's body punches were particularly devastating to his opponents, because of the extraordinary leverage he could apply using the extra space provided by his small stature. He was managed by Mike Collins in his later career.
Early life and career
John Michael Ertl was born on March 21, 1897, in Dunaföldvár, Austria-Hungary. His family of at least four children emigrated to America around 1910 when Ertle was around thirteen, and soon settled in St. Paul, Minnesota. Ertle's brother Mike also became a successful boxer.Came to America in 1910 in "Ertle Arrives in Reading For His Go in Mansfield", Reading Times, Reading, Pennsylvania, pg. 16, 15 March 1916 As a youth, Johnny worked shining shoes, and later bought himself a membership to the YMCA where he received his early boxing training. His manager, Mike McNulty claimed Ertle was herding cows to make extra money when he acquired him as a boxer in 1913.Herded cows in Muller, Eddie, "Shadow Boxing", The San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco, California, pg. 34, 30 September 1953
By one account, a key to Ertle's success were his powerful arms and broad 38" chest which comprised a reach that may have been as long as 65 inches, far longer than average for his 4' 11" height. His first pro fight came under the careful watch of his manager, Mike McNulty, on October 31, 1913, in a secret fight card in St. Paul, where he made his home. Since boxing was still illegal in Minnesota at the time, and Johnny was just 16, news of the bout had to be kept quiet. But the lightning fast style and vicious hooks Ertle scored on Joe LaScotte's ribs and jaw aroused public interest. He knocked out LaScotte in the 3rd round and picked up many more local fans, when he did the same to LaScotte in a fourth round rematch the following month.Official Minnesota Boxing Hall of Fame - endorsed by the Minnesota State Boxing Commission – Johnny Ertle Dedicated to his family, he helped build a new $3000 St. Paul home for his parents in 1915, with the results of his substantial early career winnings.Built house for family in 1915 in "Ertle Arrives in Reading For His Go in Mansfield", Reading Times, Reading, Pennsylvania, pg. 16, 15 March 1916
Loss to Memphis Pal Moore, 1915
In a controversial, but important bout on April 6, 1915, Ertle lost to bantamweight great Memphis Pal Moore in Moore's hometown of Memphis in an eight-round newspaper decision. Moore, who enjoyed a six-inch advantage in height, would earn the King's Bantamweight Trophy three years later, and eventually remove any claim to the world bantamweight championship from Ertle in 1918. A few in the audience believed the hometown referee was partial to Moore. In a somewhat close bout, the Racine Journal-News gave Moore five rounds, with three to Ertle and two even. Moore used his advantage in reach and height to hold off Ertle with his left jab followed by right crosses. Ertle's rights and lefts repeatedly fell short due to his disadvantage in reach and Moore's illusiveness. Williams staggered Ertle several times in the fifth, sixth, and seventh rounds, likely turning the final decision in his favor."Milwaukee Man Makes High Score", The Racine Journal-News, Racine, Wisconsin, pg. 7, 6 April 1915
Wins over bantam champ Eddie Coulon In a bout which announced Ertle's ascendancy as a top bantamweight contender, on May 4, 1915, Ertle fought a ten-round no-decision bout with 1911-14 world bantamweight champion Eddie Coulon, at the Elite Rink in Milwaukee. Impressively, several local papers considered the bout an easy win for the young Ertle, only eighteen at the time."Coulon Easy For Ertle", Escanaba Morning Press, Escanaba, Michigan, pg. 6, 6 May 1915 Three months later, Ertle won another newspaper decision at the Auditorium in St. Paul against Coulon before an audience of 3,000. Coulon, one of Ertle's most accomplished opponents, fought several top rated bantamweight including hid childhood friend Pete Herman and Memphis Pal Moore.
World Bantam champion, September 1915
With McNulty in his corner, Ertle took the bantamweight title from Kid Williams in a close bout on September 10, 1915, in St. Paul, Minnesota while still just 18 years of age. The first three rounds appeared even, but Williams clearly led in the fourth. At the end of the fourth, Williams was first warned for a low blow after throwing a vicious left uppercut to Ertle's stomach. Williams was disqualified in the middle of the 5th, immediately after throwing a right uppercut to Ertle's midsection that Ertle, the referee, and an examining doctor confirmed was a low blow. Ring side spectators differed as to whether the blow was actually low, though Williams had also been repeatedly warned against throwing elbows. Minnesota law allowed an official decision only in the event of knockouts and disqualifications, making the disqualification a valid reason to award Ertle the win. However, controversy began over whether a disqualification was enough to award Ertle the world bantamweight championship. While many other state commissions recognized Ertle's title, some states with different rules, particularly New York, did not. Williams's clear lead in the fourth round brought many Williams loyalists to the conclusion he had a better claim to the title, though Williams's manager Sam Harris, admitted that at least technically Ertle's win was sound. Harris later disputed that Ertle's win, however, entitled him to the bantamweight title and Williams continued to claim it as his own. Brent Peterson, "Johnny Ertle: former bantam weight boxing champion of the world", St. Croix Valley area Lowdown, posted Thursday, August 25, 2011, 12:00 amLow blow resulted in disqualification in "Kid Williams Fouls Johnny Ertle; Title Claimed for Latter", The Pittsburgh Post, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pg. 13, 11 September 1915
One of Ertle's first defenses of his claim to the title came against Abe Friedman, who he defeated in a ten-round newspaper decision in Brooklyn, New York a month after his title win, on November 8, 1915.
In another early career victory, Ertle defeated Johnny Solzberg in a very close ten-round newspaper decision at the Clermont Avenue Rink in Brooklyn. To have lost the title, Ertle would have to have been knocked out by Solzberg. The bout was billed as a defense of his world bantamweight title, and the Pittsburgh Gazette Times wrote that Ertle's aggressiveness and speed won him the decision. The New York Tribune wrote that Solzberg landed the most blows, but that Ertle's were more powerful."Ertle Outpoints Solzberg in Ten Round Battle", The Gazette Times, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pg. 10, 16 November 1915"Solzberg Has a Shade Over Ertle", New York Tribune, New York, New York, pg. 13, 16 November 1915
Ertle defended his claim to the title in December 1915, with knockouts against Young O'Leary and Young Freddie Diggins, though neither became well known contenders.
In what was billed as a defense of his world bantamweight title, Ertle defeated Jack Sayles in a ten-round newspaper decision. Ertle, who claimed he was ill the week before but felt better the day of the fight, won easily, but nearly half his blows were dodged or ducked by the clever and quick Sayles. In a convincing win, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle gave Ertle all but the third round."Out of Sickbed Crawls Ertle to Make His Debut in Manhattan", Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn, New York, pg. 14, 22 January 1916
On February 9, 1916, Ertle successfully defended his world bantamweight title against Italian boxer Terry Martin in a ten-round newspaper decision of the New York Times at the Clermont Skating Rink in Brooklyn. Ertle fought in his typical slam bang style, and landed so frequently on Martin in the first three rounds that it looked as if he would put an end to the bout, but Martin recovered and made it to the end with an improved defense. Ertle used a faster pace, led almost throughout, and scored heavily with left uppercuts to the jaw and right hand smashes under the heart. He held a significant advantage in the points scoring and Martin suffered badly near the closing bell despite a significant advantage in height and possibly reach."Johnny Ertle Defeats Martin", The Evening World, New York, New York, pg. 12, 10 February 1916"Johnny Ertle Trims Martin", The Times, Muenster, Indiana, pg. 6, 10 February 1916
Erle defeated Philadelphian Joe Tuber on Valentine's Day 1916, in a six-round newspaper decision at the Olympia Club in Tuber's home town. A formidable early opponent, Tuber would box the best bantamweights of his era. As was his custom, Ertle took the offense for all but a few exchanges in the first round, fighting Tuber all over the ring and leading with his strong signature left and right hooks to body and jaw. Tuber put up a good defense, backing away from several blows, blocking a few, and eluding a few that missed, but still receiving enough to be on the short end of the points scoring. In the one sided affair, Tuber was forced to cover up and clinch to last the full six rounds and avoid a knockout."Johnny Ertle is Too Much For Joe Tuber", The Gazette Times, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pg. 10, 15 February 1916Forced to cover in "Johnny Ertle Licks a Phillie Champion", The Pittsburgh Post, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pg. 11, 15 February 1916
Before a crowd of 3000, Ertle drew with Al Shubert, a future New England Featherweight and Bantamweight contender, on February 22, 1916, in a twelve-round bout in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Shubert forced the fighting in the early rounds, but was unable to gain a significant margin in points in a close bout that featured no knockdowns and in which Ertle's claim to the title was as stake. In the later rounds, Ertle grew stronger, and scored lightly or held Shubert even often enough to justify a draw ruling. Ertle threw more punches at great speed as the fight progressed securing the draw decision."Ertle and Shubert Draw", Chicago Tribune, Chicago, Illinois. pg. 16, 23 February 1916Ertle threw more punches in "Shubert Holds Ertle to a Draw", The Boston Globe, Boston, Massachusetts, pg. 6, 23 February 1916
Win over "Young Zulu Kid", 1916
On March 14, 1916, Ertle defeated future contender for both the American and world flyweight titles, Italian boxer Young Zulu Kid, in a ten-round newspaper decision at the Broadway Gym in Brooklyn. In the eighth, Ertle broke away and battered the Kid with blows to the jaw and body with almost no return, and in the ninth and tenth, he continued to build a strong lead in points scoring. In an atypical match, both boxers were only 4' 11" in height, though Ertle held a seven-pound weight advantage and likely a reach advantage as well, which he used to help secure his world bantamweight claim."Johnny Ertle Too Strong for Zulu", Trenton Evening Times, Trenton, New Jersey, pg. 8, 14 March 1916
On September 4, 1916, Ertle lost to Jewish boxer Benny Kaufman in a newspaper decision at the Olympia Club in Philadelphia. After a harsh right to the jaw in the first, Ertle went on the defensive for several rounds until the fourth when he went into a rally. In that round, Kaufman quickly recovered and continued to take the aggressive, winning the subsequent two rounds easily on points. Ertle did not display his characteristic energy in the bout after his harsh treatment in the first."Ertle is Beaten in Six Rounds By Benny Kaufman", The Minneapolis Morning Tribune, Minneapolis, Minnesota, pg. 14, 5 September 1916 One reporter gave Kaufman every round including the fourth."Kaufman Beats Ertle in Six Round Wind-up", Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pg. 14, 5 September 1916