Stephen H. "Suey" Welch (born 1898 or 1899 – January 16, 1974) was an

Akron, Ohio Akron () is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Ohio, fifth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 190,469 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Akron metr ...

-based manager who handled boxers from the 1920s through the 1970s. He specialized in bringing fighters from

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

, where many of them went on to become main event fighters. Most notably, he managed Middleweight Champion

Gorilla Jones William Landon Jones (1906–1982) known as "Gorilla" Jones, was an American boxer who held the NBA Middleweight Boxing Championship of the World. Although he was nicknamed "Gorilla" for his exceptional reach, Jones is to be distinguished from th ...

. One of the last fighters he brought to Southern California in the 1970s was Gil King of Akron. He purportedly got his name of Suey, while catching rides on a Chinese laundryman's truck as a child.

Work at the Olympic Auditorium

Welch was named the matchmaker at the Olympic Auditorium on March 16, 1937, after previous matchmaker Joe Waterman was fired (Waterman's claim) or resigned (Olympic's claim) from his position. Welch made his debut on March 23, 1937, with a main event between

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and Wally Hally. In January 1938, Welch was made the supervisor of all of Olympic manager Harry Popkin's boxing operations in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

and

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. Waterman was then reinstated as matchmaker at the Olympic, though Welch would still assist him in making matches. Welch left his position at the Olympic in April 1939, amidst allegations that Lou and Jack Daro managers of the Olympic and powerful figures in the wrestling game, were paying sportswriters and local politicians. Welch was subsequently cited for

tax evasion Tax evasion or tax fraud is an illegal attempt to defeat the imposition of taxes by individuals, corporations, trusts, and others. Tax evasion often entails the deliberate misrepresentation of the taxpayer's affairs to the tax authorities to red ...

by the

State of California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

in 1937 and 1938, during which time he was paid $19,000, while claiming a salary of $100 per week. The state also invested claims of fixed boxing matches, which included the Chuck Crowell and Al (Big Boy) Bray bout.

Akron Indians

For a few years, Suey played alongside his brothers Chang and Howe for the Akron Indians of the "

Ohio League The Ohio League was an informal and loose association of American football clubs active between 1902 and 1919 that competed for the Ohio Independent Championship (OIC). As the name implied, its teams were mostly based in Ohio. It is the direct p ...

" from around 1916 until 1918. The Indians were reestablished in 1916 and temporarily called the Akron Burkhardts, after a local brewer. In 1921, Welch bought the "Akron Indians" name and fielded his own independent team. Welch, a bachelor, died January 16, 1974, in Long Beach, California, after a series of heart attacks. He was later inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame.

Stable

Other boxers in his stable included: *Andy Bundy (1934, while in Los Angeles} *K.O. Christner *Charley (Killer) Coates *Art Hafey *Hank Hankinson *

Tommy Hart Tommy Lee Hart (November 7, 1944 – November 20, 2024) was an American professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints. He played col ...

Gus Lesnevich Gustav George Lesnevich (February 22, 1915 – February 28, 1964) was an American boxer who held the world light-heavyweight championship from 1941 to 1948. Boxing career Lesnevich was born and raised in Cliffside Park, New Jersey. He turned pro ...

(1936, while boxing in Los Angeles) *Al Manfredo (1935–37) *Emilio Martinez (1936, after drawing with

John Henry Lewis John Henry Lewis (May 1, 1914 – April 18, 1974) was a hall of fame American boxer who held the World Light Heavyweight Boxing Title from 1935 to 1938. ''The Ring'' boxing magazine named Lewis the 16th greatest light heavyweight of all time. Hi ...

) *Sammy O'Dell *Billy Peacock *Charley Powell

References

External links

Summitt County Hall of Fame InducteesBox Rec Boxing Encyclopedia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Welch, Suey 1890s births 1974 deaths Akron Indians (Ohio League) players Akron Indians coaches American boxing promoters Players of American football from Ohio Sportspeople from Akron, Ohio