Harry Stone (March 4, 1893 – December 13, 1950), born Harry Seifstein and nicknamed Hop Harry Stone, was an American boxer who competed primarily in Australia. Stone's nickname of "Hop Harry" originated from a fight against Tommy Uren in which he employed a hopping motion that resembled the movement of a kangaroo. He would become known for using this technique in his subsequent fights, as a trademark and in a small part to entertain his audience. He had an effective left jab which became another signature trait.
Stone's recorded fights number only around 150 from statistical site BoxRec, but he is one of only two boxers recognized to have fought over 200 bouts without being knocked out or stopped, a feat equaled only by Jewish boxer Benny Valgar. He was inducted into the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame in 2013 as an honorary international for making a major contribution to Australian boxing.
Stone competed early in his career in the lightweight class, but competed in the welterweight and middleweight divisions in his later years. He held both the Australian lightweight and welterweight title for several years. Though detailed records may no longer exist, it is estimated he amassed over 500 bouts throughout his career, and claimed to have never been knocked out or knocked down in any of them.
Early life and background Stone was born Harry Seifstein to Jewish parents on the New York City's Lower East Side, and grew up in poverty in a family of eight. He is believed to have been the earliest Jewish boxer to wear a tallis or prayer shawl into the ring, a feat that pleased his partially Jewish audience.
In need of money, Stone began working as a newspaper boy in the Bowery at the age of 11, first selling papers near Tom Sharkey's bar on West 67th, and later in the Tenderloin district in lower Manhattan. When Stone started this job, he could only speak Yiddish. Other newspaper boys called him "Kid Starr" because they could not pronounce his last name of Seifstein. Harry's boss at the newspaper incorrectly transcribed his name as Stone instead of Starr, which led him to adopt Stone as his permanent ring name.
Early boxing career in the United States, 1909-12 Stone's most frequent opponents were Fred Kay and Tommy Uren, whom he met a total of 19 times in Australia.
On August 18, 1909, only three years into his career, Stone fought a competitive, ten round no title and no decision bout in Saratoga, New York, against the reigning world featherweight champion, Abe Attell. Attell was arguably the greatest Jewish featherweight of the era, and credited with holding the world featherweight championship for eight years at the turn of the century. Attell won by the accounts of most newspapers, but the San Francisco Call, said Stone showed promise and "came with a rush that earned him a draw"." "Best Atell Can Get with Stone is a Draw",The San Francisco Call, San Francisco, California, pg. 11, 19 August 1909 In his last few years as a boxer, Attell would tarnish a great career arousing suspicions of fixing fights, and playing a part in the fixing of the 1919 World Series with the Chicago White Sox.
Bouts with Terry McGraw and champion Jack Britton Stone took an important early win in a slow and deliberate twenty round points decision against Terry McGraw on October 4, 1909, in Baltimore. Though the win looked decisive to the referees, the fighting was close, and both boxers scored frequently with blows. Stone's blows did not quite have the steam of McGraw's, but they landed more frequently. Both boxers did well in the infighting, but Stone showed a greater ability to parry blows and to take the lead in the fighting."Stone Wins Slow Fight", The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore, Maryland, pg. 10, 5 October 1909
Two months later, on October 28, 1909, Stone fought a fifteen-round draw with Leach Cross, an exceptional Jewish lightweight, known as "The Fighting Dentist". The bout was considered tame and dull by many of those present, and Cross was warned by referee Joe Gans to make more of an effort to fight. After the eighth round, Stone became the aggressor and landed often to both the chest and face. Cross countered with blows, but reporters considered his and Stone's blows to lack steam. In the tenth, the referee was again forced to break the boxers from a clinch and encourage them to trade blows. There were no knockdowns in the bout."Cross and Stone Box Tame Draw", The Evening Star, Washington, D.C., pg. 19, 29 October 1909"Box in Poor Bout Gets Draw", Times Union, Brooklyn, New York, pg. 5, 29 October 1909"Cross and Stone Draw", The Baltimore Star, Baltimore, Maryland, pg. 11, 29 October 1909
Facing his best known opponent on November 29, 1909, Stone fought Hall of Famer, and future world welterweight champion Jack Britton, losing a six-round newspaper decision. He would meet Britton again on July 17, 1912, and lose once more in a ten-round newspaper decision in New York's St. Nicholas Arena. Britton won easily, and had Stone groggy in the seventh from a right to the jaw, but the bell saved Stone."Harry Stone Loses to Jack Britton", Star-Gazette, Elmira, New York, pg. 8, 18 July 1912 Though able to take the punishment offered by Britton, and mount his own fierce attack at times, Stone took only the fourth round according to one reporter. Britton was not assessed as fighting at his best in the bout, but Stone was credited for remaining on his feet throughout the bout, and putting up enough of a defense to avoid a knockdown. Once again, Stone made contact with his left jab, a signature blow in many of his bouts. His inability to climb his way to the top in the competitive New York boxing world, soon spurred Stone to consider the larger crowds and bigger purses in Australia."Jack Briton a False Alarm", Times Union, Brooklyn, New York, pg. 10, 18 July 1912Left jab in "Jack Britton Not Clever in Boxing", New York Times, New York, New York, pg. 10, 8 July 1912
Stone lost to Dick Nelson on January 11, 1910, in Lymansville, Road Island in a well publicized 15 round points decision. Nelson took the fight to Stone in every round, but Stone made an excellent showing and several ringside thought he deserved a draw for his efforts. Nelson was a well-rated lightweight who met future welterweight champions Harry Lewis and the Dixie kid that year."Fighting Dick Nelson Beats Harry Stone", The Standard Union, Brooklyn, New York, pg. 8, 12 January 1910
On September 26, 1911, Stone lost a ten-round newspaper decision to well known lightweight Young Nichie at New York's Twentieth Century Athletic Club. Stone had a slight advantage in reach but gave up about ten pounds in weight, which may have been the deciding factor in the close match."Young Nichie Wins", Buffalo Courier, Buffalo, New York, pg. 8, 27 September 1911
In one of his best publicized early bouts on January 18, 1912, Stone lost to Battling Gates at the Luzerne Theater in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Losing by only a shade in an action packed six rounds, he attempted to put Gates away early but met his match in his skilled opponent's counter-attack. Gates was able to parry and duck the powerful blows dealt by Stone at long range, but in infighting, Gates carelessly took punishment from the longer reach of Stone, who scored frequently at close range."Battling Gates Has Shade in Mill With Stone", Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, pg. 7, 19 Jan 1912 Gates appeared to do the better fighting in the first five rounds, but Stone had strength enough left to take the sixth. He was described accurately by the Wilkes-Barre Record as being one of the best at his weight in the world.Wilkes-Barre Record, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, pg. 9, 19 Jan 1912
Stone defeated high rated fringe lightweight contender Joe Thomas on April 1, 1912, in what was arranged to be a draw in New Orleans, Louisiana. Stone's victory put him in line to face Frank Russell for a second time in a bout that would end in another draw, but on points."Thomas Victory Would Mix", The Times-Democrat, New Orleans, Louisiana, pg. 11, 29 March 1912
Though he had a ten-pound weight advantage, Stone lost to featherweight Joe Shugrue on August 26, 1912, in a rare match in New York's historic Madison Square Garden. In what was frequently a fast fight, Shugrue shone as the aggressor and threw more and better placed punches. On occasion, fighting toe to toe, the combatants would throw caution to the wind, and fight with little science or technique. Shugrue would become an exceptional lightweight who fought many of the greatest lightweights of his era including Ted Kid Lewis, and Johnny Dundee."Bouts are One sided", The New York Times, New York, New York, pg. 7, 27 August 1912
First trip to Australia to box Defeating British ex-lightweight champion Mat Wells, 1913
On November 29, 1913, at the age of only twenty, Stone defeated the former English lightweight and future world welterweight champion Matt Wells before an impressive crowd of 12,000 in a fifteen-round points decision in Sydney. In 1911, Wells had become the first Jewish lightweight champion of Great Britain, and taken the Lonsdale belt. The decision for Stone was a popular one and he was said to have boxed brilliantly and kept the crowd on their feet. Though outweighed by four pounds, Stone finished the bout stronger than his opponent. The fight was even in most regards throughout but Wells was cautioned for questionable tactics at many points in the bout. Many considered the victory Stone's most impressive early career win and an indication of future promise."Mat Wells Defeated", The Observer, London, England, pg. 21, 30 November 1913"Matt Wells Beaten Again", The Province, Vancouver, B.C., pg. 11, 1 Dec 1913
Defeating British welter champ Johnny Summers
While still only twenty, Stone defeated the reigning 1912 BBofC and NSC British welterweight champion Johnny Summers on May 18, 1913, in a non-title twenty round points decision at Olympic Stadium in Brisbane, Australia. Though less experienced and six years younger, he was considered by most reporters to have outpointed Summers in nearly every round."American Boxer Defeats British Champ in 20 Rounds", Vancouver Daily World, Vancouver, B.C., pg. 14, 19 May 1913 In September, Stone defeated Summers again in a twenty-round points decision in Sydney. Stone later said of his second win against Summers, that he looked back on the fight as the "greatest of all his Sydney encounters". Assessing Summers' skills, Stone wrote "He was a fighter with a world-wide reputation, and he had a wallop that would stop any clowning if he landed it, but his speed was not comparable to mine"."Watched Kanga and Learned to Hop", Brisbane Mail, Brisbane, Australia, pg. 35, 13 March 1938 He later fought Summers to a twenty-round draw in Kensington, England on June 13, 1914, in a bout that was billed as a world welterweight championship, though the draw ruling prevented Summers from taking the title. Summers started with great speed and attacked fiercely while Stone clinched to avoid punishment. In the sixth, Stone rallied and got in some punishing body blows. After the eighth, Summer's pace slackened, and Stone blocked his leads more effectively."Stone V. Summers", The Sydney Morning Herald, pg. 10, 2 July 1914 Many in the crowd believed that Stone had defeated Summers by a large margin, but may have been hampered by the bias of the hometown judges."Minister Officiated", The Boston Globe, Boston, Massachusetts, pg. 7, 1 July 1914