New Featherweight King Sandy Saddler, Hub Native. Sandy Benjamin Saddler, a long, bony, Negro youth with ambitions to be a disc jockey, is the new featherweight champion of the world. P. A. L. Clubs' First Champion. And because Sandy Dethroned Willie Pep with a four-round kayo in Madison Square Garden last night, New York's police are looking for a big rush at their P.A.L. clubs today. P.A.L. stands for Police Athletic League. The men in blue who patrol the big city's streets started this project some years ago. The P.A.L. with public contributions, set up clubs in the teeming districts of the city. The bobbies told the kids to come in and play. Settle your fights in the ring, the kids were told by the bluecoats, and we'll help you fight better, too. It caught on big. It should go better now. Sandy is the cops' first world champion. They're hoping for more. Sandy started out as an 85 pounder and gradually moved up in weight and class, graduating into the Golden Gloves, he was just a nipper when the late Jimmy Johnston and his brother Charlie spotted him. Charlie is his manager today. Sandy is 22 years old, stands five eight and weighs 124 pounds. Pep was his 94th opponent and his 64th knockout victim. He has lost six fights since he turned pro in 1944. He was born in Boston and brought to New York when he was two years old by his West Indian father. The clan Saddler is a large one. Sandy has three brothers and sisters to help him spin platters in their Harlem apartment. Sandy has over 200 records, most of them jive. Sandy has ben after Pep for close to two years. He warmed up while waiting, by knocking over about a half dozen Latin American feather and lightweight champs in a recent tour of South and Central America. Johnston said, "The kid pestered me all the time. He wanted Pep. He said he could lick him and I knew he was right. Well, you saw what happened. The new Champion said, "I knew I could beat him. I saw Pep fight Paddy De Marco in September. I saw he couldn't punch. I knew if could stop him from turning and twisting like he did with De Marco, I'd be able to get him." It was Saddler who did the turning and twisting last night. He pushed the champ around as if he was another two-bit club fighter and he got him with crunching left uppercuts.

Associated Press · [ca. October 1948]

[Information from item housing] Saddler, Sandy- Boxer