Dave Shade
Dave Shade comes from a boxing family that includes his brothers Billy Shade and George Shade. He started boxing on March 21, 1918. Shade boxed around San Francisco when only 16 years old and had many 4 round bouts with the best Pacific Coast boys. As an amateur he had 105 fights from March 21, 1918 to October 7, 1921.
Dave (born march 1, 1902) and his older boxing brothers, Billy (born may 2, 1900) and George (born nov 5, 1897), are all on the cover of the May 1922 Ring magazine. There is also a great article written about all three of these memorable boxers in that issue.
Dave fought twice for the world welterweight championship. Both times were early in his career against champion Jack Britton. The first time was in 1921 and the second was in the following year. Both fights were very close and ended in a draw 10 and a draw 15.
During his career Shade fought Hall Of Famers Jack Britton, Mickey Walker and Maxie Rosenbloom.
Shade fought Jimmy Slattery on July 2, 1925 in New York City. It was a great night of boxing at the Polo Grounds. Shade was one of the undercards of the Harry Greb/Mickey Walker fight. That night it was Greb/Walker (Greb W15)as headliner, Harry Wills/Charles Weinert before the main event(Wills KO2), Shade/Slattery, with Jack Sharkey/Joe Lynch starting the night off.
The following was printed in "The Gazette Times" newspaper on July 3, 1925. Written by Harry Keck.Page 9 Harry Keck telegramed the story the previous night, immediately following the fight.
"In a feature six-round contest, the bubble that was Jimmy Slattery, the promising Buffalo light-heavyweight and heavyweight contender, was rudely bursted by Dave Shade of California, a welterweight who has been dogging the footsteps of Walker for a championship engagement. Slattery, highly touted by all ring experts, did not show a thing against the bobbing and weaving style of Shade, and the smaller man completely outclassed him, winning decisivly in the third round when Slattery's seconds tossed a towel into the ring after their man had been floored three times in that session."
Fights by Rounds-Shade/Slattery-page 11
"Round One--The fight started fast, Slattery doning his customery dancing. They clinched and wrestled, both falling to the floor in a nuetral corner. Shade got inside Slattery's guard and landed three times to the Buffalo boy's head without a return. Shade landed twice to the body. A weak right caughtSlattery on the jaw. They were in a clinch at the bell.
Round Two--Slattery landed his first blow of the fight, a stiff left flush to Shade's face. Shade countered with a right to the jaw. Both landed damaging blows to the jaw. A stiff right staggered Slattery. Another similar blow sent him back on his heels. Four straight times Shade's overhand right rocked Slattery. They were punching furiously. Slattery landed a right to the jaw just before the bell
Round Three--Slattery was bleeding from the mouth as he came up for this round. They fell into a clinch. Three lefts to the jaw backed Slattery to the ropes. Another floored him for a count of six. A third downed him for a count of nine. The buffalo boy was helpless. A stiff right to the jaw lowered him to his knees, but he staggered to his feet and reeled around the ring at the mercy of the Coast battler. Just as Shade launched into him again the towel fluttered into the ring from Slattery's corner."
-- the following was part of an article in the May 1922 Ring Magazine--
That boxing often runs in families once again is brought to the attention of the lovers of things pugilistic by the splendid showing of California's trio of brothers--Dave, Billy, and George Shade--all members of the "Fighting Shade Family."
Recently when the three brothers came East from california and placed themselves into the hands of Leo Flynn, owner of the greatest string of boxers in America, Leo sent broadcast reams and reams of publicity praising the achievements of this trio in coast battles and promising New Yorkers a little suprise once the boys got a start in the East. Like all press agent stories, the tales of prowess failed to raise much enthusiasm among the sporting fans-like the man from Missouri, they wanted to be shown.
Well, shown they were, and in a manner so convincing that none will in the future sneer at the mention of the members of the "Fighting Shade Family".
Through some clever managerial strategy Leo Flynn was able to match young Dave Shade, supposedly the most inexperienced of the three brothers, with Jack Britton, world's welterweight champion, and their meeting is history. It need not be retold. Suffice it to say Dave made such a wonderful impression upon the fans by holding the champion to a draw that in five week's time he became the biggest drawing card in America.
Fighting twenty-one battles in a period of forty days, or at an average of a contest every two days, young Dave has been able, as a result of his great battle with Britton, to earn himself $42,000 in less than two months. Quite a nifty sum for a boxer who, ten months ago, was practically unknown in the East. Only a few days ago the writer was discussing the present crop of welterweights and middleweights with those of a decade ago, when Flynn's secretary entered the room with a pack of letters and a handful of telegrams.
"Let me see the telegrams," said Flynn.
"See what a boy like Dave Shade is worth," remarked Leo, as he placed the telegrams into the hands of the writer.
"Convince yourself. Look at 'em."
We obliged and, much to the astonishment of yours truly, there were eleven telegrams from all parts of the country, East, West, North and South, offering engagements to dave, and most of the offers with a guarantee, the average of which was about $3,000.
While the other members of the famous Shade family have not been quite so successful, they are not having any difficulty obtaining matches and plenty of them.
The work of the boys in their Eastern debut gained them a horde of followers, and with their popularity established, the boys have paved a way for the most successful engagements a fighting family has had in the last twenty years.
-click here for a picture of Dave Shade with Harry Greb-
Fight poster courtesy of William Pollock
Tale Of The Tape Born: March 1, 1902 Place: Volejo, California Height: 5ft. 8" Weight: 168 lbs. Nationality: Irish-American
RING RECORD AS OF 1929: 65 wins - 10 losses - 7 draw - 20 ND's -1 NC(103 total pro bouts)
selected bouts
As an amateur he had 105 fights from March 21, 1918 to October 7, 1921 unknown 1921 George Ward unknown W 10 unknown 1921 George Levigne unknown KO 14 unknown 1921 Joe Jackson unknown W 8 unknown 1921 Jimmy Kelly unknown W 12 June 3 1921 Jack Britton Oregon Draw 10 (world welterweight championship bout) unknown 1921 Mickey Walker unknown W 12 unknown 1921 Mickey Walker unknown W 12 unknown 1921 Al Norton unknown Draw 12 unknown 1921 Jack Perry unknown W 10 1922 unknown 1922 Morris Schaeffer unknown W 10 unknown 1922 Pinkey Mitchell unknown KO 4 Feb 17 1922 Jack Britton NewYork Draw 15 (world welterweight championship bout) unknown 1922 Jimmy jones unknown W 10 unknown 1922 Jack Perry unknown KO 7 unknown 1922 Billy Ryan unknown ND 10 unknown 1922 Johnny Riley unknown ND 10 unknown 1922 Nate Siegel unknown W 10 unknown 1922 Pete Latzo unknown ND 10 unknown 1922 Bud Logan unknown W 10 unknown 1922 Frankie Schoell unknown L 10 unknown 1922 Dennis O'Keefe unknown W 10 unknown 1922 Paul Doyle unknown W 10 unknown 1922 Billy Ryan unknown ND 10 unknown 1922 Tillie Kid Herman unknown W 12 unknown 1922 Tillie Kid Herman unknown W 12 unknown 1922 George Ward unknown ND 12 unknown 1922 Eddie Shevlin unknown L 10 unknown 1922 Jack Perry unknown W 10 unknown 1922 Cowboy Padgett unknown W 12 unknown 1922 Frankie Schoell unknown W 10 1923 Jan 8 1923 Jimmy Jones Pitts. ND 10 Jan 14 1923 Jimmy Kelly NewYork W 12 Feb 3 1923 Eddie Shevlin Boston W 10 Feb 9 1923 Morris Schaeffer Minn. ND 10 Feb 10 1923 Billy Wells Minn. ND 10 Feb 27 1923 George Ward Boston W 10 June 22 1923 Jimmy Kelly NewYork W 12 Jul 27 1923 Jimmy Jones Boston W 10 Aug 1 1923 Paul Doyle NewYork W 10 Aug 24 1923 George Ward NewYork W 15 Aug 29 1923 Jimmy Kelly Penns. ND 10 Sept 3 1923 Johnny Herman Provid. KO 2 Sep 21 1923 Italian Joe Gans Minn. ND 10 Sep 28 1923 Joe O'Hara Ill. ND 10 Oct 26 1923 Billy Wells NewYork W 15 Dec 10 1923 Harry Galfund NewYork W 12 1924 Feb 1 1924 Ted Moore Boston W 10 Feb 18 1924 Billy Wells Minn. ND 10 Apr 14 1924 Frankie Schoell NewYork W 10 Apr 25 1924 Morrie Schaeffer Omaha ND 10 Apr 28 1924 Joe Gans Penns. W 10 May 7 1924 Augie Ratner Boston W 10 May 19 1924 Pete Latzo Penns. Draw 10 May 23 1924 Morris Schaeffer Ohio ND 12 June 16 1924 Warner Smith Chicago ND 10 Jul 15 1924 Bert Colima Calif. L 4 Aug 12 1924 Bert Colima Calif. Draw 4 Sept 1 1924 Jimmy Duffy Calif. Draw 4 Dec 3 1924 Phil Krug NewJer. ND 12 1925 Mar 23 1925 Osk Till NewYork W 10 Jul 2 1925 Jimmy Slattery NewYork KO 3 Jul 21 1925 Morrie Schlaeffer Penns. W 10 Aug 8 1925 Frankie Schoell Calif. W 10 Sept 21 1925 Mickey Walker NewYork L 15 Oct 16 1925 Billy Wells Detroit ND 10 1926 Jan 1 1926 Roland Todd NewYork W 10 Jan 15 1926 Jack Malone Minn. ND 10 Feb 12 1926 Jack Conley Florid. W 10 Apr 12 1926 Frank Moody NewYork NoContest 5 Apr 23 1926 Frank Moody NewYork W 10 June 6 1926 Maxie Rosenbloom NewYork L 10 June 29 1926 Maxie Rosenbloom NewYork L 12 Jul 6 1926 Lew Chester NewJer. ND 12 Jul 12 1926 Bobby Barrett Philad. W 10 1929 Mar 30 1929 K.O. brisset Argentina W 12 Apr 30 1929 Kid Charol Argentina Draw 12 Jul 12 1929 Leo Mitchell NewYork W 10 Jul 18 1929 Rene DeVos NewYork W 10 Aug 21 1929 George Dixon Calif. W 10 Oct 2 1929 Joe Roche Chicago W 10 Nov 15 1929 Dick Evans Miami KO 2 1931 Sept 8 1931 Ben Jeby NewYork Draw 10 Oct 2 1931 Ben Jeby NewYork W 12 Dave Shade photo #1 was supplied by PUG Dave Shade and Roland Todd weigh-in photo supplied by Scott Shade Ring article was supplied by Scott and Mike Shade Fight poster courtesy of William Pollock IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION ON DAVE SHADE PLEASE E-MAIL ME www.harrygreb.com