"Toy Bulldog" Mickey Walker, defends his World Middleweight title against the European Middleweight Champion, Tommy Milligan. Walker was seen as an undeserving World Champion after winning it from Tiger Flowers in dubious circumstances just a few months earlier so he was looking for a decisive win. More info below...
Mickey Walker is now an often forgotten champion boxer from a long gone era. He was nicknamed "The Toy Bulldog" due to his diminutive stature and because he was rough and rugged like a bulldog. Having turned pro in 1919 he was one of the most exciting boxers of the 1920's and early 30's. He competed in well over 100 fights by the end of his career and was notoriously difficult to hurt or knockout. In 1921 Mickey got the chance to take on the World Welterweight Champion, Jack Britton, in a non-title fight. Britton was vastly more experienced having fought over 200 fights (Thats not a typo!), and was the favourite to win but Mickey ended up taking the Champion the 12 round distance resulting in a no decision. The fight had proven that Mickey was up the task of becoming a World champion so a rematch was held in 1922. In between the original fight and the rematch, Mickey had recorded another 19 fights! In the rematch with Britton, Mickey floored the Champion 4 times on his way to a 15 round unanimous decision to become the new World Welterweight Champion. His time as Welterweight Champion was not without controversy, in a 1923 non-title fight, both he and his opponent, Charley Nashert, were suspended by the New York boxing commission for "an unsatisfactory effort"... indicating a fix. And just 7 months later he was suspended by the Jersey Commission for similar reasons in a Welterweight title fight against Jimmy Jones. Walker claimed he was nursing broken hands hence the lackluster effort... Either way Walker was still the recognised World Welterweight Champion and held onto the title until 1926 when he eventually lost it to Pete Latzo. Interesting to note however, is that while still the reigning World Welterweight Champion, Walker had also won the World Light Heavyweight title in 1925 from Mike McTigue, but he subsequently vacated the title. Walker had a shot at the World Middleweight title in 1925 as well however lost a decision to the defending Champion, Harry Greb, forcing him to focus back on the Welterweight division. Following the loss of his World Welterweight title, Mickey Walker moved up to middleweight permanently and in December 1926 he beat Tiger Flowers by decision for the World Middleweight title. However, there was a large contingent of fans and officials who felt Flowers had actually done enough by landing more punches to remain Champion, the referee (who was sole decision maker) felt otherwise, and felt that Walker yes didn't land as many punches but he was landing the cleaner punches and did score a knockdown in Rd 9... The result was upheld after an investigation. Walker started 1927 off with an easy 3rd Rd TKO over rookie, Mickey Wallace, to bring his record to 79-15-2.
Tommy Milligan was nowhere near as experienced as Mickey Walker however he had some great achievements over his then 6 year career. Milligan turned pro in 1921 and was a rugged tough customer himself. In 1924 he won the Scottish Area Welterweight title and in his very next fight just 2 months later, Milligan won the European, Commonwealth and BBBoC Welterweight titles after 20 rounds from, Ted Kid Lewis, another fighter who had well over 200 fights and was a former multi-time World Welterweight Champion! Milligan fought Lewis in an immediate non-title rematch at middleweight the following year and scored another win, but this time by DQ. Milligan added the European Middleweight title to his waist in 1926 by beating the Italian Champion, Bruno Frattini over 20 rounds. Milligan then moved state-side for a year, competing as a welterweight again but with little success. He picked up a win and a lose against Jack Zivic and then lost a hard fought 12 round contest against George Levine, after which he returned to England to focus on his European Middleweight title. In his first fight back on home soil in 1927, Milligan beat Guardsman George West, by TKO to win the vacant Commonwealth and BBBoC Middleweight titles. He would successfully defend the Commonwealth, BBBoC and European Middleweight titles 3 times with impressive wins over former World Middleweight title challenger Ted Moore (twice, both by stoppage) and a 20 round decision over former Dutch Heavyweight Champion, Tom Berry. Milligan's record heading in against Walker was 43-6-1, and although he was viewed as the underdog, Walker was coming onto his turf... Kensington, England.
Milligan gave a good account of himself but he didn't have the power to truly compete against Walker. Walker could take everything Milligan threw at him and didn't back off, with Walker eventually earning a KO in Rd 10 after multiple knockdowns.