page_title: Solly Krieger
section_title: Mid boxing career
hierarchical_section_title: Solly Krieger / Mid boxing career
caption_attribution_description: Billy Conn in Boxing Pose in dark trunks, shirtless, against white background. Company taking the picture was Cosmopolitan. Source: BoxRec Boxing Site. URL: http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/File:Conn.Billy3.jpg License rationale: The company which held the copyright to this promotional photograph, Cosmopolitan did not renew their copyright. Conn died in 1993. As this copyright was not renewed, this defines the licensing status in the United States as public domain.
context_page_description: Solly Krieger was an American middleweight boxer who fought from 1928–41. He briefly held the NBA World Middleweight Championship in 1938–39.
context_section_description: In 1937, the New York State Athletic Commission named Frank Apolstoli and Solly Krieger number one, and number two respectively in their divisions. To determine which boxer would reign as the number one middleweight, Krieger and Apostoli fought on April 4, 1937, at the Hippodrome in New York.  Suffering from a deep cut in his lower lip, Krieger had to discontinue the fight, resulting in a TKO in the fifth round. Doctor William Walker made the determination to end the bout at the end of the fifth but had considered ending the fight in the prior round.  Krieger had previously lost to Apostoli on February 17, 1937 on points in an exciting ten round bout at the Hippodrome.  Both bouts were a setback for Krieger, but not an end to his quest for the title.
  Krieger had three important bouts with Billy Conn, who would take the Light Heavyweight Championship after their last bout.  In their first bout on December 16, 1937, he won decisively by unanimous decision in Pittsburgh in twelve rounds.  Billy Conn later said of the bout, "This guy Krieger was the toughest...I ever fought.  I ached for a week after my first fight with him. He could lick anything around now."   In their second bout on November 28, 1938, again in Duquesne Gardens, in Pittsburgh, Krieger lost by unanimous decision in twelve rounds.
  In 1938, Krieger won five straight knockouts, starting with George Black, and Al Diamond in one round, Johnny Rossi in four, and then Stanley Hasrato in seven.  In his knockout against Izzy Jannazzo, on April 6, 1938 at the Hippodrome, Krieger effectively used strong body blows to win the fight, but did not gain the eleventh-round TKO until his "wild punches" began to land. Janazzo had neither the reach nor the skills of Conn or Hostak who were both over four inches taller than Solly. 
  In his May 20, 1938 loss to Glen Lee at Madison Square Garden, Krieger lost all but one round in the opinion of the Milwaukee Journal, despite a recent layoff by Lee.  Krieger's loss to a boxer who had no advantage in reach did not bode well for his upcoming fight with the more skilled and slightly taller Freddie Steele. The Journal also noted that Lee was able to send hooks to Krieger throughout the bout, indicating that Solly was having trouble defending during infighting.
  Krieger had a setback against ranked opponent and reigning NBA World Middleweight Title holder Freddie Steele, on June 14, 1938 in a ten-round loss by unanimous decision in Seattle, Washington.  Continuing to fight in California, he came back with impressive wins against Swede Bergland, Ace of Spades, and Dale Spar, gaining the positive press he needed to push a title match.
caption: BillyConn
exif: {}