Alex Hart – (1977)

Alex Hart is perhaps the greatest boxer ever to compete in the national spotlight from Lorain.

Hart competed against national contenders and champions in the welterweight and middleweight classes for over 15 years.

Among the many rated professional opponents to battle with Hart in the ring were K. O. Chaney, Jimmy Goodrich, Benny Leonard, Kid Brown, Rocky Kansas, Dan Kramer, Joe Reno, Jack Zalico, Sailor Friedman and Fred Jacks.

Hart’s pro record in Lorain was 27-3 in the 1920’s and many of his major ring records are listed in the World Boxing Record Book. The Majority of his encounters were in the East.

In 1923 Hart met Benny Leonard for the world lightweight title and lost. Leonard later retired undefeated in 1925.

Hart died in 1938 at age 35.

During his heyday in the early 1920s, Hart was managed by Jimmy Dougherty of Ridley Park, Pa. His stablemate was follow lightweight Bobby Barrett and they each fought on cards that established attendance records which were then World standards, peaking at 6,000.